Ready or Not...

Update, part 2

2010-01-17T14:37:00.015-05:00

Okay, let's see where we left off...

October: October was a CRAZY month around here. We had visitors, birthday celebrations, sick days, and who knows what else. In celebration of Hannah's first birthday, my sister, Shannon, flew out early in the month. It was so nice to have her here for a little over a week. She was able to spend some quality time with Hannah and she also designed and made an amazing cake for Hannah's party. My mom also flew in for the party. She spent a few days with my other sister, Heike, before coming to stay at our place. This was after the party and Shannon's departure. (This is important to know, as our house is very tiny and having everyone here at the same time would have been a little bit crowded.) We had Hannah's birthday party and she had a wonderful time. She enjoyed the wrapping paper and tissue more than the actual gifts, but that's okay. I think she still had fun. Plus, the present opening was good practice for Christmas.

After Hannah's birthday (and the departure of all visitors), things took a turn for the worse. I came down with a really nasty illness (a virus was the official diagnosis). I was at the med center twice and missed two days of school. Right when I was beginning to feel better, my school closed for three days because we had so many students home sick - some with the almighty H1N1 and some sick, like me, with other viruses. I basically quarantined myself in an attempt to keep Hannah and Jeremy healthy, which was successful.

November: Another crazy, busy month. In the "school" world, November brought report cards and parent/teacher conferences. Thankfully, almost all of my conferences went well. Conferences were the same week as Thanksgiving, so it was nice to have conferences end and go right into a few days off. Sadly, November brought us Hannah's first ear infection. She was a trooper and eventually decided that her medicine was okay. Her ear infection led to a cold, which led to constant nose wiping. She was not such a trooper about that. We spent Thanksgiving with Jeremy's mom and dad. It was nice to be able to just sit and relax. Hannah loved most of the Thanksgiving foods - especially pumpkin pie. She ate half of my piece and wanted more!

December: What a fun month! I had three snow days, which are wonderful surprises. They helped the time until Christmas vacation pass a lot faster. Over Christmas vacation, my parents drove out from Oregon to visit for a few days. Hannah loved having her "Oregon grandparents" here for awhile. We hosted Christmas at our small little home - we had our family of 3, my parents, Jeremy's parents, Jeremy's brother and his girlfriend, and my sister and my niece all crowded together. It was loud and crazy. I think Hannah and I were both a little overwhelmed. :)

Hannah also had another ear infection (this time in the other ear). She did not handle the medicine as well this time. Each dose was a battle and was almost impossible to do alone. She mustered all the strength she could to fight us off.

Okay - that's a lot of updating. I think I'm done...again...for now. :)

Has it Really Been Six Months?

2010-01-16T11:16:00.011-05:00

So, I realized today that it has been SIX MONTHS since I have updated this blog. That is quite simply ridiculous. But, in my defense, a lot has happened. Let me just take you on a whirlwind tour of the past six months.

July: I found out my dear friend and teaching partner was leaving my school. While this was incredibly sad (and is still very sad), it did open up a full-time teaching position, in my grade level. After a few days of waiting and hoping, I was offered the position. Rather than teaching 4th grade 2 or 3 days a week, focusing on science, I now teach 4th grade full-time and focus on writing. Quite a switch, but one that I am loving.

Hannah started crawling in July - this certainly brought a lot of changes to our life. Constant vigilance became our new motto. Molly (our faithful beagle) had to adjust to this new moving person. Thankfully, Molly is super patient and has continued to be wonderful with Hannah.

August: It turns out I don't remember a lot from August. I believe it might be because I was completely overwhelmed with getting my new classroom ready. I know a lot of things happened, but truly, I don't have a clue what they were. Perhaps I should have updated the blog that month. :)

September: Jeremy started classes again this month - taking a chemistry class at Grand Valley. He was in class 7 hours a week and was working 42 hours a week. Needless to say, he was busy and exhausted.

Hannah started learning more and more. She started figuring out how to blow kisses, which is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. We also worked really hard on some important signs. Hannah became really good at "eat," "more," and "done."

My school year started and I instantly remembered how tiring the first few days/weeks of school can be. I'll be honest, it was a hard adjustment - going from part-time teaching to full-time teaching. I had a new subject to create lessons for, we adopted a new math curriculum, which required a lot of attention, plus I had 26 students to try and get to know - oh, and figure out how to be a full-time teacher and mom.

Okay - that's three months of updates, so I'm going to quit for now. We'll focus on October, November, and December (and maybe even January) later today or tomorrow...or maybe six months from now. :)

8 and 9 Month Combo... (it's long!)

2009-07-16T10:45:00.016-04:00

So, I completely missed Hannah's 8-month post, due to the fact that we were in Oregon having fun. :) I figured I would just combine it with her 9-month post - as it has all just sort of blended together in my mind. :)

What a busy age we are at! Hannah is constantly on the move. Even though she didn't truly crawl until her 9-month birthday, she certainly moved all over the place. She figured out how to move to wherever she needed/wanted to be by rolling and rolling and then turning on her belly and rolling and rolling some more. She also was pretty good and scooting on her belly backwards, looking behind her to see where she was going. That was pretty cute. Unfortunately, one of the things I have learned from all of this "belly-scooting" is just how dirty my hardwood floors seem to be. I'm going to have to become a lot more faithful and cleaning all the floors in my house.

When it comes to communicating, Hannah is so "talkative." She is saying things like "dada" and "mama," but not necessarily to myself or Jeremy. We get a lot of other "words" as well and lots and lots of shrieking. Mainly, I think, because she can. Thankfully, we have a VERY patient dog, who just sort of raises her head or push her head further under a pillow or something.

We're working with Hannah on using her spoon - which really just means while we're feeding her, we give her a spoon to play with. When she manages to get it in her mouth correctly, we celebrate and clap and cheer. We're doing the same with a sippy cup. So far she's not all that impressed with the sippy cup, but we're working on it.

Hannah loves to jump up and down. If we could spend all day holding her hands and helping her jump, she would love it. Sadly, she weighs almost 21 pounds and that's a lot of child to keep pulling into the air! I'm certainly getting in a workout every time we play! She loves to dance around with me to music, which we do in the privacy of our own home because I certainly can't dance. But Hannah doesn't know that, so that's okay! :)

She's taking more of an interest in listening to books and helping turn the pages. Although sometimes it just turns into a time of trying to eat the books and that's okay too. I also introduced her to the piano a few weeks ago. I'm not sure how she feels about it yet, but she was certainly intrigued by it.

I know I say it often, but I'm going to say it again. She is just so much fun and I don't know that I could love her more than I do.

Oregon or bust!

2009-07-16T08:28:00.017-04:00

Back in June, we took our first family "vacation" to Oregon. My parents and sister hadn't had a chance to see Hannah since she was born and my brother-in-law hadn't met her at all.

To be honest, I was really worried about flying with an 8-month old. I did a lot of "research" and took to heart many of the tips that had been shared with me. Fortunately, my worst fears were never realized. Hannah was an amazing baby on each and every flight. Within 5-10 minutes of being in the air she fell asleep and stayed asleep until we were about 10 minutes from landing. She never cried, just got a little fussy, which truly, I was a little fussy as well. We had a great flight attendant on our flight from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis and he made sure that Hannah received her first pair of "wings."

I had a few specific requests for our time in Oregon. You know, a few local restaurants that I just "had" to visit. For example, I had to enjoy my favorite dish (arroz con pollo) at Ixtapa. I really "needed" to enjoy the deliciousness that is Bing's Chinese Kitchen. A stop at Taco Time for their crisp meat burrito was also on the agenda. And of course, no trip to Oregon would be complete without a trip to the coast and a teeny, tiny bowl of clam chowder at Mo's.

Speaking of going to the coast, what a trip that was! My parents rented a van and my sister and brother-in-law came along. Let me just say that while a van can "claim" to carry 7 people, they should really specify that 6 of those 7 people can't all be adults. Tom, Jeremy, and I had to share the bench seat in the back. We were very, very close by the end of the trip. Our trip to the coast started with a tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory. I grew up eating Tillamook's mild cheddar cheese and to this day, find that it is the BEST CHEESE EVER!! Thankfully, our local Costco carries it. The tour concludes by letting you sample any of their cheeses, which is probably the best part. Of course we couldn't leave without also enjoying some of their yummy ice cream. Poor Hannah wasn't able to partake, but I'm sure she'll have her chance again. We drove down the coast and stopped in Depoe Bay, with the hopes of getting the best salt water taffy available. Sadly, they were already closed. :( We continued on our way and went to Agate Beach. Hannah absolutely LOVED the beach. She loved having the wind blow in her face, she loved putting her little toes in the sand, and even enjoyed putting her feet in the freezing waters of the Pacific.

Other than our day at the beach, we really just spent time relaxing with family. Shannon, Tom, Jeremy, and I had the chance to spend a day together, which was lots of fun. This of course gave Grandma and Grandpa some "quality time" with Hannah, which they loved, of course.

All in all, it was a great trip. Hannah did such a good job - she adjusted to all the changes really well, which was wonderful. Plus taking the trip was just a great way to start off the summer.

Attempting to catch up...

2009-07-16T08:27:00.003-04:00

So I'm just a little behind in blogging these days. I'm going to do my best to do a little catching up. Be patient as there may be several posts going up in the next few days! :)

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-21T21:29:00.005-04:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

June 21, 2003

2009-06-21T21:13:00.006-04:00

Do you know where you were, six years ago? I do. I was experiencing one of the happiest days of my life.

It's hard to believe that it has been six years since Jeremy and I stood in front of our family and friends and pledged to love one another, for better and for worse, for richer (when does that happen??) and for poorer, in sickness and in health. We had no idea what God had in store for us, nor do we really know now, but we continue to trust that He will lead us where He wants us to be.

I love you, Jeremy. For better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health.

No Excuse

2009-05-24T22:41:00.013-04:00

I wish I had a good excuse for why Hannah's 7-month post is so late in coming, but sadly, I don't. At least not a very good excuse.

However, my sweet baby girl is now over 7 months old and continues to be the best thing in my life. She is constantly on the go, rolling everywhere and anywhere. She desperately wants to crawl, but hasn't quite made it to that point yet. I think it must be so frustrating to be a baby and want to move, to know that somehow your legs and arms will help you move, but to not be able to figure it all out. She is really into standing on my lap and bouncing up and down. For some reason, that is the funniest thing to her and she just laughs and laughs.

Just this week her first tooth has started to come in. It's breaking through the surface, which has made for a few long, fussy days. Thankfully, her times of happiness far surpass her times of fussiness.

I sat her on the scale earlier today and she weighed in at 20.2 lbs. She's growing like a weed! She has pretty much grown out of her 6-month clothes and is comfortably wearing her 9-month clothes. I must say, there is nothing cuter than her chunky little legs in a pair of shorts!

I'm eager to be done with school, so that I can spend more time with her. We have plans of trips to the zoo, trips to the park, and lots of time outside. Of course Hannah and I will be deeply lathered in sunscreen during all of these trips. :)

I say it each month, but I truly can't believe she is already 7-months old. I'm so thankful for who she is and for all that she has brought into my life.

"But I don't speak Greek!"

2009-05-01T19:38:00.005-04:00

So, we're in the midst of end of the year, standardized, testing at school. A necessary evil and one that is dreaded by students and teachers alike.

At my school, we participate in our state's standardized test in the fall, but we also take another round of standardized tests three times a year - in the fall, winter, and spring. This is a computerized test that gives us a result immediately (unlike the state test), and let's us see a student's growth over a year.

Anyway, during the reading portion of the test, I was wandering around the computer lab, reminding students that I couldn't help them, I couldn't read anything to them (what with it being a reading test and all), and that they just needed to do their best.

One of my students raised his hand and as I walked over to him, I noticed he had a very concerned look on his face.

Him: "I don't know what the answer is to this question."

*What is the Greek root for the word, city?"

Of course it had 4 choices, one of which being "-polis."

Me: "Well, just take your best guess."

Him: "But I don't know how to speak Greek!"

Yup - I didn't know what to say either! :)

Oh, by the way, be sure to say thanks to your teachers next week. May 4-8 is National Teacher Appreciation Week!!

Growing up

2009-04-19T12:29:00.008-04:00

Has half of a year really past since Hannah was born? Really? Are you sure? Yikes! Where has the time gone?

It's been a busy month but a fun month. We have finally had some beautiful weather outside, which has meant going for walks and trying to get Hannah to enjoy the sunshine. Right now she's not a big fan of its brightness, so our walks outside are short. She's getting better though and the sun doesn't freak her out as much as it used to.

Hannah has been eating more "food," which is an entertaining time for Jeremy and me. I'm amazed at all of the places food can end up. I think Hannah is trying to grow a garden in her nose, because I'm constantly wiping food out of her nostrils. So far we've tried applesauce, sweet potatoes, pears, bananas, and peas. She's still a HUGE fan of the applesauce and I think she would eat it all day long if we would let her. She definitely enjoys the sweet potatoes more than I do, which is a good thing. I can't stand them, but I'm glad she likes them. Just today we tried the peas and, well, let's just say we're going to keep trying, but so far, Hannah is not impressed by them.

She is starting to figure out how to make herself move towards things. Right now, she flips (quite quickly) from her back to her front and a few times she has gone from her front to her back. She is also getting really good at scooting across the floor on her back, almost in a modified crab-walk. This has, once again, heightened our level of security around the house. I spent my spring break doing lots of cleaning and lots of baby-proofing. I know that it's just a matter of time before she figures out how to scoot on her belly. Yikes!

Molly is still doing a fantastic job with having a baby around. Hannah has certainly gotten more comfortable with petting Molly and grabbing at her. Molly is so patient with her and

never snaps at her or growls or anything like that. In fact, most of the time, Molly just lays there and does absolutely nothing.

Jeremy and I are absolutely loving this age with Hannah. She's so vocal and so much fun. She is really developing her own personality, which I'm loving. I truly can't imagine life without her and am just so thankful for all that she has brought to my life.

6 Months -- Kind of!

2009-04-14T21:12:00.004-04:00

Okay, I really don't have a lot of time tonight, so I'm going to have to save my 6-month post until this weekend. However, let me at least give you the 6-month stats:

Weight - 17lbs. 5oz. (75th%)

Height - 25.75" (50th%)

Head - 43.75cm (80th%)

And of course, a cute picture!

5 Months and Counting...

2009-03-14T19:08:00.012-04:00

Today is the 5 month anniversary of Hannah being born. Time has just flown by. She is growing and changing so much, Jeremy and I are really just enjoying watching her grow up. Her newest "trick" is rolling over. For the past month, she's been working and working on going from back to front, but she never could seem to figure out what to do with her arm. Finally, last week she figured it out and now that's all she wants to do. As soon as you lay her down, she flips herself over.

Of course this means we have a heightened level of security around here. She has come close to flipping herself off the changing table and has rolled towards the wall several times and bonked her head. Sometimes this brings tears, sometimes she doesn't seem to realize that she has done anything out of the ordinary.

This past month we also survived our first real sickness with Hannah. She caught a really nasty cold/cough/fever/congestion bug that lasted for quite awhile. In fact we still have her mattress raised to help her breathe at night. The raised mattress has also led to some pretty interesting sleeping positions. For a few nights, she would cough so bad that it would cause her to sort of "roll/slide" down her mattress and we'd find her at the other end and have to pull her back up to the top. She certainly is keeping us on our toes.

Here's a video of her newest trick:

I know that from this point forward, things will only continue to get more exciting. Especially as the rolling leads to more action on Hannah's part.

Hannah continues to "talk" and "talk" all the time. Her most "talkative" times are early in the morning and again in the late afternoon. She just has so much on her mind, she has to get it out. She has also discovered that she can shriek at painfully high volumes. So far this doesn't seem to be bothering the dog, so that's a good thing, right?

We're just having so much fun watching her learn and grow. She has figured out how to put her pacifier back in her mouth and take it out and fling it, along with how to suck her thumb. And when she gets upset, she cries the most enormous tears, which just break my heart! Most anything she grabs eventually ends up in her mouth, this includes my hair, Jeremy's hands, etc.

We also started her on rice cereal this month. She's not exactly thrilled with it, but she does a little bit better when we mix in a little Gerber applesauce. She definitely does know how to make a mess though. I think it would be great to have two sets of arms/hands when trying to feed a baby. This whole one set is for the birds.

All in all, we had a great 5th month with Hannah. She is such a good little baby, always smiling and laughing. She sleeps all night and her fussy days are limited. We just feel so blessed by her.

Happy 5 Months, Hannah!!

Hannah's Enemy

2009-02-21T08:24:00.002-05:00

I think she's beginning to sense that it is coming. She might even know when Jeremy and I are talking about it. I think sometimes she begins to scream just out of anticipation, sort of to try and prepare herself for its arrival.

I'm talking about the dreaded blue bulb syringe. Hannah has had a cold for the past few days and the amount of snot in her nose is out of control. Sadly for Hannah, the only way Jeremy and I can get it out, is to use the bulb syringe - otherwise known as the instrument of torture. Oh, the screaming that ensues while we are "sucking her brains out." Not literally (duh!), but that's sort of what it feels like. The snot just keeps coming and coming and Hannah just screams and screams, which of course just breaks my heart. I feel like when I'm using it, she is looking at me with a look that says, "Mama, why are you doing this to me? I thought you love me?"

It's just downright terrible. I hope this cold doesn't last too much longer - none of us are having any fun.

4 Months

2009-02-14T19:24:00.019-05:00

Here we are again, celebrating the passing of another month in the life of Hannah. Before we go too far, let's just get the specifics out of the way. She had her 4-month appointment yesterday and now weighs 15lbs, 7.5oz. This puts her in the 90th%, up from the 50th%, which is where she was, at her 2-month appointment. She is now 24 inches long, which keeps her in the 25th%.

This month has certainly brought with it A LOT of talking. Hannah has certainly discovered her voice and loves to use it. She often wakes up just "talking" away in her crib. She's pretty chatty in the morning and again in the afternoon. I can only imagine all of the fun things she is trying to tell me. Sometimes she gets this look on her face and I can imagine her saying, "This is very serious, mom." It's so cute!

She has become a little more independent this month. For example she is definitely holding on to her bottle during feedings and not wanting to let go. I usually have to pry her fingers off of it when it's time to burp. Burping is still not a favorite pastime of her and I'm not sure it ever will be.

Her sleeping positions have taken on a whole new personality as well. She's beginning to squirm around and we are often straightening her out. There are times when I really don't know how she can be comfortable.

We were able to enjoy a warm day this past month and it was nice to be able to take Hannah out in the sunshine. You can tell she was born in the late fall, because the sun really bothered her at first. It was this foreign object up in the sky that was making her world brighter than it had been in months.

All in all, it's been a good month. It's still surreal at times to think that she is mine. She is such a precious little girl and now that her personality is starting to come out, I know that we're in for some fun times.

Happy 4 months, Hannah!

Only in the Movies? Apparently Not.

2009-01-30T20:45:00.004-05:00

This morning, my good friend, and fellow 4th grade teacher, Karen, came walking into the room and said, "You'll never guess what I just dealt with on the playground." Not being a good guesser, especially without coffee in my system, I waited for Karen to share the news. "[Student] just stuck his tongue to a pole out on the playground."

Yup, just like that great Christmas move, A Christmas Story. Except, here's the kicker, no one dared him to do it. He just did it. On his own. Can I just remind you that I live in Michigan, where it has currently been in the single digits in the morning? What in the world was he thinking? Oh wait, he wasn't thinking! :)

The morning recess ladies had to go get hot water from the school building to put on his tongue so they could get him off the pole.

This is why I love my job.

3 Months - plus four days

2009-01-18T15:06:00.015-05:00

My little peanut celebrated her 3 month birthday on Wednesday, which is incredible. It has been a pretty busy month, which I suppose is why I'm just now getting to this post. A lot has gone on this past month. Hannah celebrated her first Christmas, which she did in true Hannah fashion - she slept through it.

We also spent a lot of time inside this past month, due to tons of snow and bitterly cold temperatures. In order to go outside, we had to bundle Hannah up in her snowsuit, which she really doesn't like. It just became a lot easier to stay inside.

In the past month, Hannah has really started "talking" up a storm. It's so cute to listen to all that she has to "say." She gets a real kick out of it when Jeremy and I "talk" back to her. It makes her want to talk all the more. Here's a cute video of her "talking" during tummy time.

This month Jeremy's work schedule changed, so he's now home with Hannah three days a week. We're both really excited about this. Not that we don't like Hannah's daycare, but it's such a special thing for Jeremy to be able to spend so much time with his little girl. Of course I'm just a little jealous. :) However, the two week days that he does work has him gone until 1am, so Hannah and I get to have our own time together as well. :)

In other development news, Hannah is really holding her head up now. When we sit her on our lap, she can keep her head nice and steady for a long time. She's also tolerating tummy-time a lot better now and can often spend 10-15 minutes at a time on her tummy before she gets too fussy. She still has a full head of hair, although because she's moving around more, she has a nice, round, little bald spot right on the back of her head. I have confidence that her hair will grow back. :) Her eyes are still dark blue and beautiful. Everything, especially her hands, finds its way to her mouth. She's constantly sucking on her hand, not her fingers, or the side of her bib or her sleeves. Most everything she wears, ends up with wet sleeves. We do just think she is absolutely precious and couldn't love her more.

2008 in Review

2009-01-01T15:52:00.010-05:00

With a new year upon us, it's always nice to stop and reflect on the past year and the highs and lows that it brought. For my family, there was quite a mixture.

January saw quite a few unfortunate events for the family. My sister slipped on ice and fell, breaking three bones in her ankle. This required surgery and many months of recovery as well as faith that everything would be okay. At the time of the accident, she was unemployed and therefore uninsured. It was certainly a frightening time, but one that brought us all a little closer. That same month, my dad was in a terrible car accident. He found himself in an icy road situation and rolled his truck. The jaws of life had to be used to remove him from his truck. When we finally were able to see pictures of the accident, they were very humbling. Let's just say, we're very fortunate to still have my dad with us and for him to have no serious injuries. My dad is 6' tall. When he was standing next to his truck, he was taller than it. That's how squished it had become.

February was a great month for Jeremy and I. It was the beginning of February when we found out we were expecting. What an exciting bit of news that was, but also a scary time as we also found out that I had some low hormone levels and would have to take some extra measures in order to keep the baby growing and developing. Because of this, we made the decision not to tell our families until we were into the safety zone. That meant keeping our secret until the end of March, when we would share our news during the Easter holiday.

March brought with it some fun times. I was able to spend a weekend with my sister, Heike, and her two children. While with them, I attended the annual Michigan Reading Association conference, which was a great time of learning and buying children's books, my favorite thing in the world! Like I mentioned earlier, in March, we finally reached 12 weeks of pregnancy and could share with our families that we were becoming a family of three. Needless to say, all parties involved were very excited.

April brought with it our first trip to see the Detroit Tigers play. We were able to take my niece and nephew with us and had such a good time. Sadly, the Tigers lost, but the experience and time with Amber and Baeley was fantastic.

May was a fun month. I had the annual "Michigan, Our Michigan" play at school. As always it was a great success. The kids did a great job and all the teachers involved were very thankful when it was all over with. May was also the month we found out that our little bundle of joy would be a little girl. There had been much discussion about this, with most of our friends and family thinking we would have a boy. The outcome really didn't matter to us, we were just thankful to find out that our baby was healthy and growing and doing very well. My students also threw me a baby shower this month, which was a lot of fun.

June, July, and August were crazy busy months for us. Jeremy worked and took classes at GRCC. I worked in the school office and tutored a few students. My parents also came to visit, as well as my sister Shannon and her husband Tom. Shannon threw a wonderful baby shower for me and totally outdid herself with food and favors.

Truthfully, I don't remember much of September. I know school started and I know that I was great with child. Which is probably why I don't remember a lot. I wasn't sleeping real well and when I was sleeping, the only place that was comfortable was the big, overstuffed chair in our living room.

Then October came. Along with it, came my due date, which also went away. Thankfully, sweet Hannah didn't keep us waiting too long. She made her dramatic appearance on October 14th, at 10:45am.

The remainder of October, and the months of November and December have been a general whirlwind for us. We have become parents and a lot of changes have come along with that. Much take-out has been eaten and much sleep has been lost, but we've made it. We've kept each other sane, most of the time, and have fallen head-over-heels in love with our daughter. I had 7 weeks off from work, which was a hard thing for me, as I'm not used to being home day after day. It was also hard for me to not have any control over the happenings going on at school in my absence. But, I wouldn't have given up those weeks at home with Hannah for anything. It was a precious time for us to spend together and to get to know each other.

All in all, it's been a good year for us and we feel so blessed. I have left a lot out...other family health problems and other family situations, but those things have passed and we've moved on. We've grown closer together and have learned so much this year.

I'm looking forward to what 2009 holds for us, especially how we will see Hannah grow and develop. May all of you have a wonderful New Year!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T13:41:00.002-05:00

A lot of people told me that Christmas would take on a whole new meaning, now that I have a child. I listened, I smiled, I nodded, but I didn't really take it to heart. However, I should have listened. Christmas was amazing this year. Not because Hannah really participated in the holiday, but because of the meaning behind Christmas. Having a newborn made me realize, more fully, exactly what God did all those years ago. I can't imagine sending my only child away. Hannah is such a precious part of who I am and the thought of sending her away is something I can't even fathom. But that is precisely what God did.

We had a fantastic time on Christmas and hopefully did a few things that will become family traditions. Of course we know Hannah won't remember her first Christmas, but that doesn't mean we can't try to get things off on the right foot.

Our holiday week started off with a trip to Frederick Meijer Gardens. I really wanted Jeremy to see their "Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World" display. I have seen it before, with my students on a field trip, but I knew that Jeremy would really appreciate all of the fun, historic facts that come with each tree. Hannah enjoyed looking at all of the lights. Of course our visit wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Ireland tree. Apparently their big holiday tradition is to decorate their trees around "The 12 Days of Christmas." Here is a family picture in front of the Irish tree.

Sadly, we couldn't make it to church on "Christmas Sunday" because of the weather. It was too crazy outside, so we stayed in and had a family day. By Christmas Eve, the weather had cleared up and we were able to make it to a very meaningful service at church. Our pastors focused on the different elements of the traditional Christmas tree and how they relate to the true Christmas story and to the Christian life. It was fantastic. Christmas Eve was also Hannah's first trip to the church nursery. I'd like to say that I handled it okay, but truthfully, I was a nervous wreck the entire service. Of course, she slept the entire time she was in their, so I had nothing to worry about.

Christmas morning we lounged around after a delicious breakfast of waffles and bacon! YUM! We opened gifts, mostly for Hannah, and just spent the day as a family, watching Christmas movies and hanging out. Since all of our families were out of town over Christmas, I fixed Jeremy and myself a Christmas dinner with most of the trimmings. Hannah feasted on her usual bottle of formula.

All in all it truly was a wonderful day, all that we could have hoped for. We have been so blessed this year and are so thankful for everything God has given us. We're looking forward to the new year and all it has to bring.

Two Months...and a couple of days

2008-12-16T20:34:00.012-05:00

I apologize for the lack of updates, but we've had a busy past month. Plus, our computer died on Thanksgiving day, so that didn't help things at all.

It's hard to believe that Miss Hannah is two months old already. She is changing so much, growing and growing and growing. I think the biggest change is her beautiful smile, which she is sharing with us constantly. I'm sure I can speak for both us when I say that her smile totally melts our hearts. She is just beautiful. Sadly, we haven't quite caught the smile on the camera yet. We're still working on that, but trust me when I say, it's beautiful.

She is also "talking" to us a lot more, constantly cooing and making very cute little noises. Hannah is such a good baby. I'm hesitant to admit it, but she is consistently sleeping through the night, which is such a huge blessing. Lately she's taken to falling asleep around 7:00pm, waking around 9:30pm for her bottle, falling back asleep by 10:30pm, and sleeping until about 5:30am. We couldn't be happier and can only hope that this continues.

This month also saw me going back to work. I headed back on December 1st and it was with mixed feelings. I was hesitant to leave Hannah behind, but I was anxious to get back to my regular routine. It has gone really well. Hannah is home, two days a week with Jeremy, and at a really nice daycare center the other three days. My students and I have adjusted to being back with each other and that is going really well.

We are looking forward to this first Christmas as a family. We know that Hannah won't remember it, but still know that this will be a very special Christmas for all of us. Hopefully, with Christmas vacation starting next week (HOORAY!!), I'll be able to post more, but I won't make any promises.

Until then, we truly hope that you all are doing well!!

Thankful

2008-11-25T11:50:00.003-05:00

As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm constantly being reminded of all that I have to be thankful for. While at times it is easy to complain about the things that I don't have and wish for more, I truly have been blessed this past year.

So, here is a list (not nearly complete) of the things I am thankful for...both serious and silly. :)

1. Jeremy, my wonderful husband who takes care of our little family.
2. My sweet little girl...need I say more? :)
**she sleeps through the night consistently!!**
3. My family -- mom, dad, Heike, Shannon (&Tom), Baeley, and Amber
4. Pacifiers
5. Having a job - despite its demanding hours and workload, I am so thankful to have a job during a time when so many do not.
6. My sweet little dog who has kept me company on many a night when Jeremy has been at work.
7. Starbucks and Biggby -- without their yummy coffee drinks, I would be so sad
8. Bouncy seats
9. Text messaging
10. Lower gas prices
11. Doctors who stepped in during a time of crisis and made sure Hannah would be okay.
12. Edy's peppermint ice cream (why is it only seasonal?)
13. Our DVR
14. Wonderful friends to work with -- I've missed them so much while on maternity leave
15. Great pastors who challenge me each week
16. The freedom to go to church anytime I want to
17. Being able to wear my wedding ring again (those swollen pregnancy fingers just made me miserable)
18. Google
19. Facebook (I have reconnected with so many "old" friends)
20. Target (could there be a better store?) :)

Okay -- so, not nearly all of the things I'm thankful for. This list is just a "smattering," if you will, of the things I'm thankful to have and the people I'm thankful to know. While Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday, I am glad that we have a holiday that is about reminding us to be appreciative of the things we have.

So, what are you thankful for?

Easy Gift Cards

2008-11-24T08:14:00.001-05:00

As my friend Erin posted...I'm going to throw a little plug on here for two reasons.
#1. Who doesn't need/want gift cards?
#2. It's free and easy.

I was on moneysavingmom yesterday and read about something called Swagbucks. You can read her post here about it or you can see how one woman earned enough to do all her Christmas shopping here.

You register to use Swagbucks as your search engine and then you get Swagbucks when you do a search. Your swagbucks can be used toward gift cards. I installed the toolbar, started searching this morning and have already earned some bucks.

If you want to earn even more, then you can refer people and get extra swagbucks when they sign up. Hence, another reason I'm posting this on my blog. If you decide you want to look into and sign up for this, please use my referral code:
http://swagbucks.prodege.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=247453

I also like it because I use Google as my primary search engine and Swagbucks searches by Google and ask.com.

One Month (and a day)

2008-11-15T16:27:00.013-05:00

I had hoped to post yesterday, in order to mark Hannah's one month birthday. However, Hannah had other plans, plans that involved being held all day due to extreme fussiness. Apparently she didn't receive the memo about the planned blogging. I'll have to work on that for next time. :)

It's hard to believe that Hannah is already a month old. I know everyone told me that the time would go quickly, but still I am surprised. Along with that comes the knowledge that in just two short weeks, I'll be returning to work. While I am anxious to get back to my students and co-workers, I also am sad to think of leaving Hannah each day. It is also sad to know that in just two short weeks I will have try and fit into my old work clothes. You know, that really isn't sad...it's scary!

But this isn't supposed to be about me, it's supposed to be about Hannah, so back to her. :) She has grown and changed so much in this first month. Again, something I know every new parent says, but not something you realize as truth until you experience it for yourself. At her first doctor's appointment, which was when she was only a week old, she had already gained 9.5 ounces, putting her at 7lbs, 15.5oz. I'm sure by now she is over that 8lb mark.

Her hair, which I had fully expected to fall out (mine did when I was a newborn), is still there. It's growing longer and has just the slightest bit of red to it. My sister, who is a redhead herself, finds this to be the most exciting thing ever. Her eyes, which are generally quite dark, do have a steely blue to them as well. They are just so dark, but so bright at the same time. They're beautiful, that's for sure.

Jeremy and I have come a long way in figuring out her cries and moods. When she starts to shake her fists angrily in the air, we know that she is probably hungry. We have also learned that she does not like to have her feeding interrupted in order to be burped. She cries and wails when the bottle is taken away, but since she is a gulper (and therefore takes in a lot of air), she has to be burped several times during each feeding. Sadly for her, we just tune out the cries and burp her anyway. I think we all feel better when each feeding is done.

When she was two weeks old, we took her to have her pictures taken. An experience that we have agreed was not positive for anyone. Hannah was tired and uncooperative, the girl taking the pictures was obnoxious, and the pictures just didn't turn out that great. We'll try again in a few months.

Hannah also celebrated her first Halloween this month. She celebrated the day by going to my school and visiting my students. We also made the rounds to the different teachers. It clearly wasn't very exciting, as Hannah slept the entire two hours we were there.

This month also brought with it a lot of visiting with family. It has been so much fun introducing our little girl to all of her family members. Its already clear that she and Baeley will have a special bond. He can't wait for her to get a little bit bigger, so that he can play with her and teach her all sorts of things. Hopefully, they won't get into too much trouble together. :)

I'm sure there are many more things I could write about, but someone is awake and requiring my attention. Duty calls!

Life

2008-11-04T15:52:00.007-05:00

Things are going well here in the Blanchard house. We're adjusting to our new life, which includes adjusting to the new challenges we've been experiencing. Hannah is a lot of fun and we're so happy to have her in our life.

Jeremy returned to work last Friday, the 31st, so Hannah and I have been spending some quality time together. Honestly, I've felt a little stir crazy, but have tried to make sure we get out of the house at least once a day. We've been to school a couple of times and my students really love seeing Hannah. It was great for me to see them and my co-workers. I was really nervous going into my maternity leave, but being able to stop by school has really helped. Apparently, they can all survive without me. :)

Hannah and I participated in the democratic process this morning, hopefully you've all done the same. Thankfully, I picked the right time to head to the polls. I didn't have to wait in any sort of line, which was great. I happily took my "I Voted" sticker and went to Biggby, where I was given a discount on my latte. I know I could have gone to Starbucks and received free coffee, but since Biggby was on my way home, it made more sense.

Anyway, I'm sure I have more interesting things to share with you, but Hannah as decided she is done sleeping. I'll try to come up with a better post for next time.

I Was Tagged...

2008-11-04T15:31:00.003-05:00

I'm also writing a real post today, but my friend, Treasure, tagged me to do this little survey. Since Hannah seems to be relatively entertained with her pacifier right now, I thought I'd get this out of the way. :)

One Word Tag:

Where is your cell phone? bed
Your significant other? Jeremy
Your hair? blah
Your mother? helpful
Your father? opinionated
Your favorite thing? sleep
Your dream last night? Palin
Your favorite drink? Pepsi
Your dream/goal? thin
The room you’re in? bedroom
Your ex? none
Your fear? snakes
Where do you want to be in 6 years? house
Where were you last night? home
What you’re not? motivated
Muffins? poppyseed
Where you grew up? Oregon
The last thing you did? lunch
What are you wearing? jammies
Your favorite TV? Ellen
Your pets? Molly
Your computer? crummy
Your life? new
Your mood? crabby
Missing someone? Lisa
Your car? Sebring
Something you’re not wearing? socks
Favorite Store? Target
Your summer? busy
Like someone? love
Your favorite color? blue
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? yesterday
Who will/would re-post this? Erin?
Bath or shower? shower
Holiday? Christmas
Writing utensil? pen
Vacation activity? relaxing
Bedding preference? warm
Pet peeves? mumbling
Cookies? chocolate
Eggs? yuck
Favorite thing to do on a rainy day? movie
Your biggest strength? organizing
Favorite thing about school? co-workers
Most awesome gift received? Hannah
Neighbors? noisy :)
What do you collect? shot
Oldest kept item from childhood? bear
Greatest indulgence? chocolate
Your house? rented
Fruits or vegetables? Fruit
Quiet or loud? Quiet

A Few Days Later...

2008-10-20T07:59:00.014-04:00

Sorry for the "internet silence," but things have been pretty busy around the Blanchard house. Not that I'm complaining, it's a wonderful thing, having a baby, but it's a busy time for sure.

I was discharged from the hospital on Thursday night. I'm not really sure why they kept me for so long, but I do know that it was nice to be at the hospital and be so close to Hannah. Thursday night, Jeremy and I spent some time at home, making sure everything was ready for Hannah and just spending some time processing all that we had been through in the past few days.

We returned to the hospital on Friday morning, where we were able to give Hannah her first bath. There were a few rough moments, but overall the nurse said we did well, Hannah didn't cry too much, and Jeremy and I survived.

Hannah doesn't seem to really like being all exposed, which I can't say that I blame her. She was much happier when we wrapped her up in a blanket and held her close while we finished drying her and then dressing her.

We were able to give Hannah a few feedings while we waited to meet with her doctor to go over her discharge papers. We also (mainly Cassie) had to take an infant CPR class and go over what to do if an infant starts choking. Jeremy went to the class, more for moral support, since he really should know how to handle both of those situations.

After the class and meeting with her doctor, it was finally time to take Hannah off of all of the monitors. It was so good to finally hold our little girl without having to stand right next to the hospital monitor. We could move around all we wanted to. The nurse had us sign the final set of discharge papers and we were set to go.

Jeremy loaded Hannah up into her car seat. I was so surprised to see how small she looked. It was like looking at a doll or something like that. She just looked so tiny and so precious. We said good-bye to Hannah's nurse and finally headed home as a family.

Our first night at home went really well. Jeremy and I both were obsessed with just watching Hannah. Every little sound she made had us up and out of bed, making sure that she was still okay. Of course she was okay, but boy did it make us feel better just to check on her.

The biggest surprise has been how Molly (our beagle) has adjusted to this new little person living in our house. She has done such a great job and has become Hannah's little guard. She doesn't freak out when Hannah cries, which is what I had expected. She follows us when we take Hannah in to change her diaper or feed her a bottle. She sits right at the feet of whoever is holding Hannah at the time. We were concerned about her being aggressive, but we haven't seen any sign of that at all. Molly just shows constant love for this new person in her life. We've been doing our best to make sure to praise her when she is good and give her treats often too.

Yesterday, Sunday, was a big day of family.

My parents arrived in town, my sister Heike and my nephew Baeley, came to visit for the
day, and Jeremy's parents came for a little bit as well. Poor Hannah was passed around from person to person, but she handled it pretty well and only got fussy later in the day.

A Little Update

2008-10-15T20:25:00.010-04:00

Well, our little girl is a little over a day old and is just as cute as can be. We were able to spend a lot of time with her today, which made us both incredibly happy. When we went down to see her this morning, she was incredibly alert, looking all over, kicking her legs back and forth, stretching her toes (they move really far apart!), and just all around being as precious as possible.

After lunch, we went back to spend some more time with her and found out that they had been able to give her a little bit of food from the bottle. She actually ate about 15cc's, not quite an ounce, but still a good thing. She's basically on a sliding scale, so depending on how much she eats, they'll reduce the amount of fluids she receives from the IV. Jeremy changed his first diaper and Hannah was nice enough to just give him just a wet diaper. He did a pretty good job. Between the nurse, Jeremy, and myself, we fed her her second bottle and she took in about 32cc's, which really made her nurse happy. They were able to reduce, again, the amount she's receiving from the IV.

This evening, I had the privilege of changing her diaper and Hannah wasn't as nice to me. She gave me a pretty dirty diaper to change. What a little stinker! :) We had a hard time getting her to take her evening bottle, but eventually she took in about the same amount she took in this afternoon. Because the amount wasn't any higher, they didn't make any adjustments to her IV.

At this point, I'll be discharged tomorrow, but we're not sure when Hannah will get to come home. She has a couple of goals to meet before we can bring her home, like keeping her temperature up, eating the right amount of food, and things like that. We're hoping that we'll get to bring her home on Friday or Saturday. It's going to be pretty rough to go home without her, but we know that this is all in God's plan and that He is taking good care of her and watching over her, even when we aren't in the room with her.

Jeremy and I are doing pretty good. We're both pretty tired and hope to get some good rest tonight. We're both just so thankful for all the doctors and nurses who are taking such good care of all of us. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! Keep them coming!

Hannah Marie Blanchard

2008-10-14T20:46:00.008-04:00

What a whirlwind the past 36 hours have been. There have been many highs and a few lows, but the end result is wonderful. Our baby girl, Hannah Marie, has finally joined our family.

Our journey started yesterday, when I went to the doctor and found out I was only dilated to 2 cm. This wasn't exactly what I had been hoping to hear, but couldn't really do anything about it. He did a few "maneuvers" to try and help get things started, said he would probably be delivering my baby in the next few days, and scheduled me for an induction next Monday, just in case I was still pregnant.

Once I got home, the back pain I had been having since late Sunday night, suddenly intensified. I was experiencing pain that I couldn't describe and had never felt before in my life. After a few conversations with Jeremy, I relented and called my doctor who told me it was time to go to the hospital. Yikes! We were about to become parents. The reality hit us like a ton of bricks.

When we got to the hospital, we spent about 2 hours in triage, where they concluded that yes, I was in labor and began the process of admitting me. They quickly gave me my epidural (sweet relief) and we began our hospital stay. Things moved along very quickly, and before I knew it, I was dilated to 9 cm.

Around 10:15am this morning (Tuesday), my doctor declared me ready to start pushing and so push I did. Surprisingly, I only pushed for about a half an hour before Hannah decided to join us. That's where our story takes a scary twist.

The entire time, they had of course been monitoring me and monitoring Hannah's heartbeat, which was perfectly fine. She delivered smoothly and with zero complications, until they took her to weigh and measure her and realized that she wasn't breathing. She was looking around and moving, but she wasn't breathing.

I can't begin to tell you how scary that was for us. They quickly began working on her, trying to clear her airway, and hoping to get her to breathe. They called down the neo-natal team, who joined our room and joined in on working on Hannah. All Jeremy and I could do was watch, hope, pray, and cry from my bed. They quickly determined that she had an unusual amount of "gunk" in her lungs and air passages and worked as hard as they could to get her to breathe on her own. They weren't as successful as they would have liked and ended up having to stick a tube down her throat and hook her up to the vent. I truly don't think I have ever been so scared in my life.

About 15 minutes in, they were able to get her stable enough, that Jeremy and I could hold her for just a minute or two before they whisked her away to the NICU. We were told we probably wouldn't be able to see her for about two hours -- the longest two hours ever.

When we were finally able to join her in the NICU, she was doing better, but still didn't seem to have the right oxygen levels. They had her underneath an "oxygen hood" that was supplying her with the right amounts of oxygen. This meant we couldn't hold our baby girl, which was really hard. We could take pictures though.
They told us that Hannah would probably stay in the NICU for 24 hours, then be moved to the NIM (neo-natal intermediate unit), then, if she was doing better, we could probably take her home sometime around the end of the week. The end of the week? That was tough to swallow, but we know these doctors are the best, so we accepted the news and began praying that she would heal quickly.

Around 4pm, we were told that she had been out of her oxygen hood for two hours and was holding her own, so they transferred her to the NIM tonight. Not tomorrow, like they thought, tonight! We are ecstatic about this. It means our prayers were answered. They also told us that if she continued to improve, she could probably be moved to my room/the regular nursery tomorrow, and go home with me on Thursday. We were blown away when they told us that.

We went down to the NIM, where we were finally, 7.5 hours later, allowed to hold our sweet, little girl. We were able to kiss her, hug her, and hold her close. We are so thrilled to finally meet her and of course, we think she's absolutely perfect.

Please enjoy these photos! We'll keep you posted on Hannah's progress and covet your prayers.

Things I'm Looking Forward To...

2008-10-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

This afternoon as I left the doctor's office, and again he had zero good news for me, I began thinking of all the things I'm looking forward to. You know, the things I've gone without for the past nine months. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to meeting this little girl and everything has been worth it. But, there are certainly things I just can't wait to welcome back into my world.

*Regular Pepsi
*Belts
*Pants that have zippers and buttons
*Shirts that button
*Shirts that don't have a tie in the back
*Shaving without it being a workout
*Sleeping in my own bed
*Regular coffee
*Wearing my wedding ring
*Painting my toenails -- again, without it being a workout
*Picking up Molly
*Walking quickly down the hallways at school
*Having a normal belly button
*Fitting my feet into shoes
*Not having to go to the bathroom every hour, on the hour
*Having a lap again

Now, I'm a realist, I know that these things may not come immediately, but a girl can dream, yes? Really, I'm just ready for the "pregnancy" part to be over and the next part to begin. Does it sound a little like a pity party? Probably, and for that I'm sorry. I really am doing okay and I really do have patience. Today was just a hard day and so it seemed inevitable that a pity party would happen. I'm sure tomorrow, after I've had a good nights "sleep," things will look up.

No matter what, as my doctor keeps telling me, she will come out. Right now it's just a matter of not really knowing when....yeah, not a lot of help, but he's trying.

Two Weeks and Counting

2008-09-27T20:29:00.007-04:00

Well, we're only two weeks away from the almighty due date. It's hard to believe that we have finally arrived at this point. Back in February, when we realized we were pregnant, October seemed so very far away. Now, October seems almost frighteningly close.

Technically, we're ready. The crib is set up, the car seat has been installed in the car, we have clothes coming out of our ears, diapers are in place, our hospital bags have been packed, the house is relatively clean, and I have lesson plans figured out for, at least, the next two weeks.

Physically? I'm beyond ready to be done. I'm ready to lose my "waddle." I'm ready to not need to use the bathroom every time I take a sip of water. I can't wait to see my toes again. When it comes to sleeping, I can't wait to be able to roll onto my stomach.

Mentally? Well, we're as ready as we can be. I'm fairly certain that you are never truly ready, but we're getting there. We're certainly ready to meet this little girl and welcome her to our family.

It's our prayer that these last two weeks, or less, or more, go quickly and smoothly. We're praying for a safe (and maybe painless??) delivery. :) We're praying that God will enable us to be the kind of parents that we need to be. That He will give us the strength that we will need when life seems overwhelming.

I realize this is a rambling post, so I apologize for that, but my thoughts are all rambled these days. I hope you understand. :)

Free Cakes for Kids

2008-09-14T22:11:00.004-04:00

For those of you reading in the Oregon area (or really any area for that matter), please check out my sister's new venture. She is beginning an Albany chapter of "Free Cakes for Kids." This is an organization that donates birthday cakes to kids who might not otherwise receive one.

She has her website, Free Cakes for Kids - Albany, up and running, along with her blog. Shannon truly does tremendous work when it comes to creating cakes of all types. I can't wait until she posts some pictures on her site so you can see just what she is capable of. I'm so proud of her for stepping out and working to make a difference in the lives of children.

Learning to Breathe...

2008-09-13T16:51:00.004-04:00

Jeremy and I just got home from our weekend childbirth class. Because of our schedules, we were unable to take a traditional five week long class. Instead, we took a class that was held for three and a half hours on Friday night and then six and a half hours today. Everything all in one weekend.

Well, the most important thing to note is that we survived. Neither one of us is feeling particularly overwhelmed right now, which I think is a positive sign. More importantly, we both made it through the class without strangling this one guy in our class who was totally obnoxious. Seriously, he's lucky to still be alive! :) Truthfully though, neither one of us was surprised to have an obnoxious person in class. Between the two of us, we've taken enough classes to keep our respective professional licenses valid, that we know with classes will come an obnoxious student or two.

I think it's safe to say that we have had our share of breathing practice and pushing practice and bathing a baby practice. Personally, I think a lot of the stuff that was covered was common sense, but at the same time, it was good to hear some of it as well. I think we both feel a little more secure and a little more ready. This is good since we only have about four weeks left...hopefully! :)

I'll leave you with this..."hee, hee, who."

Still Alive...

2008-09-13T16:37:00.004-04:00

I apologize for taking so long to post something new. The first two weeks of school have been absolutely crazy. Much crazier then in the past, that's for sure.

In reflecting on the first two weeks, I have to be honest. I have a feeling it might be an incredibly long year. Truthfully, it has nothing to do with being pregnant because my teaching partner, who is not expecting, and the other teachers in my wing all feel the same way. It just feels like we will definitely have to work harder than we have ever worked before. I can't really explain it, so don't ask, it's just the "vibe" at school right now. :)

That being said, I do have some real sweet kids in my class. I have a couple of girls who are just so sweet and kind, it's wonderfully refreshing! I have a few boys who have a great personality and who I really think I'll enjoy teaching this year.

I guess I just have to remember that each year is different. I'm sure that by the end of the year, I'll look back on this time and wonder why I was worried. :)

A Brand New Year

2008-09-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow marks the start of a new school year for me and I truly am looking forward to it. Last week we had our Open House, so I was able to meet around 16 of my 26 students. From those that I met, it seems like I have a really good group of kids. For the first time in recent years, I have a lot more girls in my class than I do boys. Thankfully, I teach 4th grade, so having more girls doesn't necessarily mean the same thing that it would if I were to teach middle school.

In a lot of ways, the first day of school feels the same to me now, as it did when I was the student, not the teacher. I still get nervous, I still have a hard time sleeping the night before, and I still have a fear of oversleeping the morning of the first day. I get completely giddy looking at school supplies and still think it's fun to get a new outfit for the first day. Although this year there was no new first day outfit as I've had to buy a lot of new clothes as a of late.

Of course, the first day of school also means that summer vacation is over. Now is the time when I reflect back on my summer and think about whether or not I accomplished everything I had hoped. Well, I had hoped to read a lot of books and was able to do that. I wanted to finish the quilt that I'm making for my precious little girl, and sadly, that I did not get done. Although it's almost done and hopefully, by the end of this week, it should be complete. I had hoped to get my home completely ready (clean and organized) for the arrival of our new family member. I can give myself a 50% on that one. It's looking a lot better, but still needs to have some work done. I can't be too disappointed in myself as I really enjoyed my summer which is the most important thing.

Well, to those of you heading back to school or sending kids off to school, enjoy the first day. To the rest of you, well, I suppose you can enjoy your day as well! :)

I know, I know...

2008-08-25T08:49:00.003-04:00

Okay, I know it's been awhile since I've posted! I promise to get something up soon. With school starting next week, things have been just a teensy bit busy for me. Be patient, posting will resume soon!

Children's Classics

2008-08-12T10:02:00.008-04:00

I've decided to participate in this monthly "meme" from Jennifer at 5 Minutes for Books. (Thanks should go to my friend, Jen, who mentioned these blogs on her own blog.)

Anyway, the idea is to respond to this simple prompt:

Would you recommend the book? To whom?
If you wouldn't recommend it, why do you think it's been so popular?
Has your child recently discovered a classic author? What is his or her perspective on the differences in classic and contemporary children's writing?
Have you recently shared a childhood favorite with your own child? How did you each respond to it?

As always, picking just one book is really hard, so I've decided to pick two books. One of which was my absolute favorite as a child and the other one being a book that I have recently discovered and that has become an absolute favorite to share with my 4th grade class each year.

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved reading Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. In fact, I still have the original copy that I received as a gift when I was probably 8 years old. I keep it in my classroom and show the well-worn, much loved, tattered book to my students each year. They think its funny that a book they enjoy reading so much, along with its sequels, is a book that I enjoyed reading so very long ago. (I'm not really sure that at 27, I'm that old, but too them, me being 8 years old was soooo long ago).

I would definitely recommend this book to any child who is struggling to find a book that they can relate to. I really feel that there is something in this book for every kid. Most children, around 4th grade, are dealing with siblings, either older or younger. For me, I was dealing with older siblings and reading this book made me so thankful that I didn't have any younger siblings to deal with.

I do use this book, each year, as a read-aloud with my students, right at the beginning of the year. It is so much fun to listen to them laugh as I read the tales of Peter Hatcher and of course his little brother, Fudge. In the weeks following, they simply devour all of the sequels to this book. I can't keep them on the bookshelves of my classroom. My husband and I have talked about how we can't wait to be able to share this favorite of ours with our own little girl, when she is old enough. (Right now we just can't wait for her to make her appearance in October!)

While this isn't the most classic of literature, and it doesn't take a lot of work to read, this book is great just for introducing kids to larger chapter books and the great genre that is realistic fiction.

The other book, which I have just recently (a few years ago) discovered is The BFG by Roald Dahl. Oh My Word! Where was this book when I was a kid? Oh right, it's a fantasy book and when I was a kid, I hated anything that wasn't realistic fiction. Another teacher at my school suggested I read this book to my class. I wasn't really sure that it would be a good fit, as it is pretty lengthy and my class, at the time, suffered from ultra-short attention spans. But, I decided to give it a try, and boy, I was not disappointed. I'm not really sure who laughed more while we read it out loud, me or the kids?

As always, Roald Dahl does a fantastic job of weaving a story together. We learn about Sophie, a young orphan girl in London, who mistakenly witnesses a giant (The BFG) blowing dreams into a house across the street. Since giants aren't supposed to be seen by "human beans," as the BFG refers to them, he snatches her up and wisks her away to Giant Country. A dreary place where the BFG, along with 8 or 9 other giants live. We learn that the BFG is a rare giant, as he is kind and gentle. The other giants, well, let's just say they're less than "refined."

The challenge in reading this book comes in navigating the language of the giants. They speak English, but it certainly is confusing. For example, they don't say, "Am I right or wrong?" Instead they say, "Am I right or am I left?" The only food available to the giants are "snozzcumbers" and the only beverage would be "frobscottle," which causes "whizzpoppers." Needless to say, the kids got a kick out of this book, and each class I have shared it with since can't wait for read-aloud time. I even had one student, this past year, who after we read The BFG, was so into books by Roald Dahl, that by the time the year had ended, he had read all of Roald Dahl's books, including his autobiography, Boy.

If you're looking for other fantastic, middle-grade, chapter books, make sure to stop on over to 5 Minutes for Books, and check out the other great suggestions. Happy Reading!!!

What the games are all about!

2008-08-11T18:28:00.003-04:00

So, I couldn't stay up last night to watch the best moment of the Olympics (so far), but thanks to our DVR, I was able to watch it today, over and over again. If you are feeling clueless, I'm talking about the men's 4x100 freestyle relay finals. You should really check this out. Watching it this morning, I already knew the outcome, but I was still on the edge of my seat (figuratively, of course).

Anyway, this moment is why I watch the Olympics. It's just so exciting to watch these athletes see all of their hard work pay off. Plus, it's just a bonus to see/hear another country (the French) totally trash talk us and then have to eat a large helping of humble pie!

Olympics Begin Tonight!

2008-08-08T10:30:00.013-04:00

It's that time again! Once every two years, the world pauses and watches as thousands of athletes compete for those coveted gold medals. I must admit that the Summer Olympics are my favorite. I enjoy the winter games, but the summer ones, in my opinion, are just more fun to watch.

I do find it strange that I enjoy the Olympics so much, being that I'm really not a big sports fan. I can't explain it, maybe it's that we always watched the Olympics when I was a kid. Maybe it's all of the media hype. I don't really know. All I do know is that my DVR is going to get quite the workout in the next couple of weeks as I settle in to watch my favorite events. These would include swimming (go Michael Phelps!), gymnastics (how in the world can they be that flexible??), track & field (no one should be able to run that fast), and soccer (that's really more for Jeremy than me).

I also know that I'm ready to welcome Bob Costas back into my home so he can tell me the personal and "behind-the-scenes" stories of all of the athletes. How is it that he is such an iconic figure of NBC, yet we really only see him every two years at the Olympics??

I look forward to more memories being created. I'll never forget watching Kerri Strug being carried out by Bela Karolyi during the 1996 games in Atlanta, along with their memorable routine to "Macarena." Watching the "Dream Team" win the gold in Barcelona is another favorite memory.

So for those of you who are going to watch, what are your favorite events or favorite Olympic memories?

Summer Reading - Children's Literature Edition

2008-08-07T09:00:00.008-04:00

This summer I have had the chance to finally spend some time reading. I love reading and during the busy school year hardly find the time to get it done. But, this summer, I was determined and boy did I meet my goal!

One of my favorite genres would be children's literature. Being that I'm a 4th grade teacher, that shouldn't seem real strange. It's one of the first things I check out when I'm a bookstore or library.

Thankfully, for the sake of our family budget, most of my "kid lit" books are purchased at a reduced price, thanks to my monthly Scholastic book orders. I'm also a frequent shopper of the semi-annual Scholastic warehouse sale in my area. I think Jeremy cringes deeply when that time of year rolls around. For those of you interested in "kid lit," I encourage you to check out the Scholastic warehouse sale site. They usually have 1-2 locations in each state and it's truly a wonderful thing. I also pick up used books at garage sales and thrift stores. How can you say no to finding a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book for a quarter?

This summer I have discovered a new fantasy series that I was surprised to actually enjoy. After last summer and the release of the final Harry Potter book, I was sure that I would never read fantasy literature again. I've never actually cared for the fantasy genre, but like the majority of the world, I found myself longing to know more of this magical world where Harry Potter and his friends lived and was sad when it all ended last summer.

I was a little leery of this new series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, written by Rick Riordan. It is about a boy, Percy, who finds out that he is the son of a Greek god. I have never been interested in Greek mythology and find it all to be a little confusing, but decided to persevere and finished the first book of the series, The Lightning Thief. It was such a good book that I immediately told Jeremy that he needed to read it, since he really does enjoy Greek mythology. He couldn't put it down and right away wanted to know when we could get the 2nd book in the series. Thankfully, by the time we discovered this series, the first four books had already been released. We're currently waiting, somewhat impatiently, for the fifth and final book of the series to come out.

This isn't a series that I can put in my classroom, as the content is a little too mature for my 4th graders. However, for my nephew, who is going into 6th grade, I think this series is ideal. It's very entertaining, while managing to hold you in suspense. Overall, it's just a really well-written book.

The end is in sight

2008-08-01T10:43:00.003-04:00

There have been decreasing flea sightings, leading us to believe that the end is in sight! Much google research has been done and many "home remedies" tried. We seem to have won this battle!!

Much Annoyance!

2008-07-28T08:56:00.006-04:00

It all started last Thursday. We received a phone call, from our landlord, letting us know that our neighbor (we live in a duplex) had found fleas in her house, from a dog she had been dog-sitting. She was calling the bug spraying people and we needed to keep an eye out, in case the fleas had found their way into our side of the duplex.

We weren't too worried. We keep our dog treated with flea stuff and routinely vacuum and clean, so no worries, right? Wrong! Thursday evening, Jeremy decided that he would comb through Molly's fur and just make sure. Well, that was our downfall, sure enough, there were a few fleas. A quick call to the vet and we knew that Molly would be okay, since she receives monthly flea treatments. The fleas might hop a ride on her, but would die due to the flea treatment.

We called our landlord and him know that we too seemed to have a flea problem. Our theory was that Molly had picked them up outside when she went out that evening to do her business. No way were they in our house. We decided that it would be a good idea to have the bug spraying people come to our house, as a preventative measure. We scheduled a time for them to come on Tuesday, since they couldn't come any earlier.

Friday morning comes and I receive a phone call from our landlord's wife. She thinks (and I agreed) that waiting until Tuesday wasn't a good idea. That we needed to have the bug spraying people come out right away. She scheduled for them to come Friday afternoon and urged me to call my doctor to see what precautions a 7-months along pregnant woman should take. I quickly called my doctor and was told that while things would probably be okay, I shouldn't take any chances and should vacate the area for 24 hours. 24 hours? That's a long time. But I would feel terrible if something went wrong, so I agreed.

We thought about staying with my in-laws, but they live about an hour away and Jeremy needed to be near our house the next morning for a 5K race. We decided to just bite the bullet and checked into a hotel that would allow pets.

Saturday afternoon we returned to our house. Not a flea in sight, so we breathed a sigh of relief. We were in the clear....

What were we thinking? One day and all of our problems would be solved? Of course not! Sunday rolled around which meant Jeremy would be at work for most of the day. Throughout the day, I killed a few fleas that I spotted on Molly. She of course did not appreciate me coming at her with the tweezers, but it had to be done. By the time Jeremy was home and we were getting ready for bed, we had probably killed a dozen more. They weren't gone, they were simply coming out of hiding!

So, last night at 9pm, we were throwing all of the rugs and linens into the wash, vacuuming the carpets and the stairs, and making the decision that until further notice, Molly would have to stay in her crate, in the basement. We made another call to our landlord to let him know that sadly, our optimism had been in vain. He vowed to call the bug spraying people as soon as they opened to see what the deal was. Would we just have to spend a few days killing fleas? Would they eventually die? Would we ever be able to sleep in peace again?

Needless to say, much annoyance fills my soul. Fleas are gross and getting rid of them is consuming my time. What a pain!

21 Questions

2008-07-21T09:46:00.007-04:00

I don't have a lot on my mind today, so I "borrowed" a meme from my friend Jen.

21 Questions to Break the Silence

1. I've come to realize the last person who held my hand...
was my husband, yesterday, as we wandered through Kohl's looking at really cute baby clothes.

2. I am listening to...
the radio, B-93, our local country station. I also can hear the guys down the hallway (I'm at school) who are replacing the carpet in the classrooms. And, if I listen real closely, I can hear the song that has been stuck in my head since Saturday. I won't tell you what it is, as I'm trying to get the song "un-stuck."

3. I talk...
when I have something to say, when the phone rings, or when I accidentally talk to myself. Truly, I probably talk to myself more than I should, but I tend to think out loud, which is fine when you're by yourself. When other people are around, apparently it can really annoy them.

4. I am dating...
my philosophy of writing paper, my multi-genre project, and the quilt I'm making for our little girl. I guess you could say I'm also dating the baby's room. All of those things are consuming all of my time.

5. My best friend(s)...
have been around a long time. They tend to have a similar sense of humor and care about me, no matter what.

6. My car...
is a messy, white Hyundai Elantra. This thing could really use a good cleaning, in AND out. It also takes about $30 more to fill it now, then when I bought it. Oh, the good old days of getting a full tank for around $10. I miss those days.

7. I hate it when people ask...
why we haven't bought a house yet. It really isn't any of their business in my opinion. We'll buy a house when we're good and ready. For now, our duplex is working out just fine. I also hate it when my students ask if whatever assignment I have given them is going to be graded. Does it really matter? You should always do your best, no matter what.

8. Love is...
the answer to all of the problems. Our former pastor put it best when he said that the answer to everything is simple, "love wins." If you're willing to love, things will be okay. You have to make the choice to do it.

9. Marriage is...
what keeps me going when I feel like I can't. Knowing I have someone to walk alongside me forever makes life so much easier.

10. Somewhere, someone is thinking...
about Abraham Lincoln.

11. I'm always...
moving my toes.

12. I have a secret crush on...
no one. My husband knows that I love him more than anyone else. Besides, my crush on Tim McGraw is hardly a secret at this point. :)

13. My cell phone...
keeps me entertained during my boring graduate class.

14. When I wake up in the morning...
I usually hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Other times I am able to wake right up and start watching the news. Most of the time, I wake up to the dog reminding me that I should probably take her out or wake Jeremy up and have him take her out.

15. Before I go to bed at night...
I set two alarm clocks, just in case I sleep through one of them. I also try and read a little bit of whatever book happens to be on the floor next to my bed. Usually I fall asleep during this time and wake-up when Jeremy is taking my glasses off and turning off my lamp.

16. Right now I am thinking about...
The fact that I'm supposed to be working on the two projects that are due next week for my graduate class. At least I'm thinking about doing them, right?

17. Babies are...
about to enter my life. Well, one baby, but still. I'm sure our life will be turned upside down and a period of adjustment will definitely happen, but we're still really excited to become parents in October.

18. Today I...
will work in the school office until 11am, then go to class until 3pm (eating lunch in the car on my way to class), then tutor a student until 5pm. After that I'll finally go home and think about what we should have for dinner.

19. Tonight I will...
probably work on these two projects for class and watch last night's, "The Next Food Network Star."

20. Tomorrow I will...
work in the school office until noon, tutor two students, and then go home and work on stuff for class.

21. I really want...
the temperature outside to become more comfortable, the next couple of months to go well, for this stupid class to be done, and to be a good mom.

Cauliflower

2008-07-15T10:02:00.003-04:00

Throughout my pregnancy, I have been receiving weekly email updates from a couple of different websites. These websites exist to keep parents-to-be in the "know" about what is currently going on with the pregnancy. How the baby is developing, what to expect at the doctor's appointments, etc.

They also like to try and give you an idea of what your baby looks like. Each week and/or month, my growing child has been compared to some sort of food, usually something from the produce department. At first, this didn't seem strange to me. It was helpful and was a good visual for me. As I wandered through the grocery store, I would see a lemon and think to myself, "Ah, the baby is that big right now."

However, this week, when reading my weekly email, I was a little disturbed by the contents. Apparently at this point in the pregnancy (a little over 27 weeks) my baby girl, who is approximately 15 inches long and weighs a little over 2 pounds, is the same weight as a large head of cauliflower. Cauliflower? Really? That's the food we decided to go with? I absolutely despise cauliflower. How it looks, how it smells, how it tastes, everything about it I can't stand! And this is what my sweet baby girl is being compared to?

I am not okay with this! Today, when I am at the grocery story, I will find something else that weighs approximately 2 or 2 1/2 pounds and that is what I will compare my baby girl to. She will not be a head of cauliflower!!

39 Years

2008-07-11T08:52:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that today is an important day for my parents. Today they celebrate 39 years of marriage! What an amazing thing to be able to say in today's world. In a society where a marriage that lasts 5 years is highly celebrated, I think that 39 years is definitely something to be proud of.

Do they have the perfect marriage? No. I don't think any marriage is truly perfect. Has it always been sunshine and daisies? No. There have been plenty of rocky places. But my mom and dad are truly committed to each other. In their 39 years of marriage, they have raised 3 daughters, paid for 3 weddings, welcomed 2 grandchildren to the family (with their 3rd coming in October), traveled back and forth across the country too many times to count (they're actually doing this right now), supported each other through the deaths of their own parents and grandparents, supported my sisters and I through many hard and challenging times, and many other things.

I can only hope that 34 years from now, Jeremy and I will be celebrating our own 39 years of marriage. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The Plastic "Cup O' Happiness"

2008-07-11T08:38:00.005-04:00

Yep, turns out it's true. A happy morning and a good start to your day can be found in a plastic cup. As long as that plastic cup contains a Mint Mocha Chip Frappucino from Starbucks. Now, part of that happiness involves not paying attention to how bad the drink is for you. You have to be willing to drink it in complete denial. That part is very important or else the whole happiness buzz could be ruined. Of course if you're with child, it's important that you order this wonderful "cup o' happiness" in the decaf variety, or else the unborn child will start practicing their Olympic gymnastic routine a little too early. Some of you are thinking, "If you have to drink decaf, why even bother?" It's simple, because decaf or not, your body will thank you for indulging in this wonderful bit of happiness.

So, as I finish my morning "Cup O' Happiness," I wish you a wonderfully happy day as well. May you all find your own morning "Cup O' Happiness."

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-04T09:56:00.008-04:00

Happy Independence Day! July 4th is definitely a favorite holiday of mine. I've loved it since I was a little girl. It's always a good day of fun, food, family, and fireworks.

I love that it's usually not super hot, but just about right. I love that as Americans, we haven't completely commercialized it yet. We haven't really changed the meaning of the holiday by encouraging giving gifts or making special candy just for this holiday. For the most part, we've kept it about America. A day to celebrate the amazing freedom we have in our country. This is the day to celebrate that I can worship whatever God I choose and you can worship whatever God you choose. As a woman, I can celebrate the freedom to vote, to work, to have the same rights as men.

So, have a wonderful 4th of July. As you decide to BBQ or play baseball or watch fireworks, remember that because of the events of this day, many years ago, you have the freedom to do those things.

And, a Happy Birthday to my nephew, who 11 years ago today, came into our family. He's definitely our family firecracker! :)

New Addiction

2008-07-01T09:11:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, Jeremy and I decided to change cable companies. We had a plethora of reasons for changing, but mainly to save money. With our change in companies, we are now getting many more channels and spending less money. To me, that is a win-win situation. However, with the addition of new channels, comes the addition of a new addiction. I have discovered the fun that is Jon & Kate Plus 8.

If you have never watched this show, you should. It is so refreshing and enjoyable to watch because this couple, along with their 8 children (a set of twins and a set of sextuplets, all under the age of 8), are so real. The parents get frustrated with each other and aren't afraid to show it. The kids aren't perfect and discipline is key to teaching these children right from wrong. You can also tell from the very beginning that these parents love their children and desire nothing more than to give them a good life.

While I sing the praises of this show, the problem is that it has sucked me in! I'm addicted! I believe they are on season 4, so I've been busy trying to catch all of the reruns of past episodes. I think it's safe to say that Jeremy thinks I have a problem. I do feel guilty sometimes, sitting there just watching TV. But then, I remind myself that I am on summer vacation. I have worked hard all during the school year, many times 12-14 hours a day. Even now, during my "vacation," I am taking a grad class for 6 hours a week, tutoring 6 students, and working in my school's office every morning, M-F. So I think it's okay if I want to sit and watch a little mindless television. :)

Sugar High

2008-06-26T20:52:00.003-04:00

I knew this day was coming. A month ago, at my last appointment, I had been sent home with a special drink. A drink I was to consume 45 minutes before today's appointment. I had heard horror stories about this drink, but was determined that I would be different. That this drink would not get the best of me. That surely, I would be the one to taste it and say, "Yum, that wasn't bad at all."

Yeah, not so much. It wouldn't be so bad if you could drink it on a full stomach. But combining the drink with a fast? That's just some sort of torture that should be kept for hard core felons, not women who are pregnant. It was one of the worst tasting drinks I've ever had. It was like a combination of that orange drink you get at McDonald's and about 8 extra cups of sugar.

Then, to top it off, you get to be poked by a needle and have blood taken from your body. Because you haven't done enough yet. I can only hope, that when they call tomorrow with the results, they will tell me I'm done. That the test for gestational diabetes came back fine and I'm good to go, because truthfully? I don't think I could down that stuff again. Let's all just keep our fingers crossed, k?

Panic

2008-06-25T08:19:00.008-04:00

Those of you who know me, know that I like to be ready for anything. When it comes to teaching, I almost always over plan my lessons, ending up, at the end of the day, with activities to carry over to the next day. That's fine with me, as I'd rather have too much to do, than not enough.

When it comes to taking trips, again, I always make a list of anything and everything that I may need to have. Upset stomach? No problem, I remembered to bring Pepto-Bismol. Adding an extra day to the trip? No problem, I have extra clothes to spare.

However, with all of my extra preparedness for all aspects of my life, something tells me that I will never be fully prepared to be a parent. People keep telling me, "Don't worry, you'll do fine. You'll figure it all out as you go." I think they expect this to give me comfort, but it doesn't really. How can you be successful at something that you really aren't fully prepared for? Sure, you can buy all the necessary "stuff" and have a nursery full of clothes that the baby will probably only wear once before they outgrow them. You can take the childbirth class and read parenting books and ask others for advice. But you can't truly be fully prepared because parenting is different for every person.

Last night as I laid in bed, trying to fall asleep, this all hit me. How on earth are we going to pull this off? Are we ready? No! We're still learning to survive ourselves! Needless to say, a little bit of panic hit...okay, a lot of panic hit. What are we thinking? We aren't ready to be parents! We're still in need of our parents. We have to be responsible for another human life? Are you crazy??

Thankfully, I did the one thing that tends to calm me down. I started praying. I prayed for peace of mind. I prayed that God would continually remind me, however He chooses, that He will not give us more than we can handle. That I would always know that His grace is sufficient to help us navigate the curvy road of parenthood. I prayed that He would put people in our life to help us figure everything out.

Finally, I opened up my Bible and turned to Philippians. This is the book that we're studying with our small group currently. I read through chapter 3 and then when I got to chapter 4, I was reminded of this unwavering truth:

Philippians 4:6-7 (from The Message) - "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Feeling panic is perfectly natural and doesn't make you less of a person. What I realized last night is how you choose to handle that panic that makes the difference. I choose to let God be in control.

Amazing

2008-06-24T11:32:00.015-04:00

It all started last Monday. Jeremy and I were waiting for the cable guy to finish hooking up our cable. We've always had cable, but in an effort to save money and better our package, we were changing to a different cable provider. The cable guy was downstairs fiddling around with wires and stuff, so Jeremy and I were hanging out upstairs, I was reading and Jeremy was messing around with Molly.

All of the sudden, there it was. There was no mistaking it, I had just been dealt a swift kick, a blow to my internal organs. I quickly called Jeremy over and he placed his hand on top of my stomach, patiently hoping she would move again. His waiting paid off and sure enough, he was treated to feeling his little girl make another swift kick. We both just grinned and of course there was a comment made about how she was just practicing her soccer moves.

It was, by far, one of the most amazing moments of my life. There was no mistaking it. She's there, she's moving, and come October, we'll get to meet this amazing little person. Since Monday, she has made moving around a regular part of my day. She was especially active in church on Sunday, which made it a little hard for me to focus. This is truly a time in our life that I hope we always remember.