Aaaaaaack!

I have cankles!  Aaaaaaaaaaack!  I hope they go away!  I've been wearing flip flops all week because they are cool and my feet fit in them still.  But my legs were sore so I wore a pair of gym shoes to school the other day and my ankles swelled up to the size of small cantaloupes.  You can't tell where my calves end and my ankles begin.  Stretch marks, cottage cheese legs, and now CANKLES!  What's next? No, wait, I'm not sure I want to know.....

First week back

So, I have successfully navigated my first week back at school.  I am exhausted.  I think I had forgotten how much work goes into getting a classroom up and running.  I'm glad I started working on it a week earlier this year, but even with the head start I had to haul J.R. in with me the Sunday before school started to move and rearrange all the heavy stuff and things I can no longer reach.  It has been in the mid to upper 80's all week, and my school does not have air conditioning so my classroom has been in the mid to upper 80's as well.  It is never a good thing when you can smell yourself by 10 a.m.  I sweat through my clothes before lunch, and I have been keeping a tub of water under my desk so that I can soak my feet when the kids are at their specials.  It looks like more of the same for next week so wish me luck keeping hydrated.  In terms of the actual start of the school year, so far everything has gone fine.  I got a great group of kids and I'm on pace with my plans.  Who could ask for anything more? Unless we're talking personal a/c units.  Then, I'm asking!

Sweet Freedom

I am an idiot for not going to the pool sooner and more often.  I bought a pass and have only gone three times, all within the last month.  Now I am regretting that I did not make it there more often this summer.  It is fantastic on so many levels!  1.) When I get my poor swollen feet into the shallow wading area, they literally sigh with relief.  2.) Submerging my overheated body in the slightly too cool pool water helped erase the fatigue from a day spent in my balmy classroom.  3.) Slowly swimming laps has given me a way to exercise, get my heart rate up, and stretch all of my muscles, which have gotten tight from trying to put my classroom together.  4.)  When I'm in the water I can't feel the extra 35 pounds I'm carrying around when I'm land bound.  The deadman's float is positively liberating.  Slowly back stroking from one side of the pool to the other was so nice because I was completely unencumbered.  I almost feel not pregnant in the water, until I look down and see my belly-island poking out of the water.  I have never really been a water person, but I have to say I am now a fan!

Helper Dogs

I knew my pups were too cute for a reason!  Today, we took Gizmo & Wicket to one of the nursing homes where my mom works.  She and I took them around to meet a bunch of the residents.  So many happy eyes and smiles greeted us once they realized that there really were dogs in our arms.  I heard many loving stories about the cats & basset hounds & german shepherds of years past.  As many of you know, our dogs are champion lap snugglers and several patients who are wheelchair or bed bound were able to hold them in their laps for a cuddle.  So sweet!  Through it all our pups were happy to meet each new person and patiently let the residents pet them for as long as they wanted.  With many promises to return soon, we left after about an hour.  My mom pulled me aside and told me that one of the men who had held Gizmo was severely depressed and had smiled for the first time since she had met him.  For those of you with well-behaved people-loving pups, I encourage you to contact your local nursing home and see if they allow puppy visitors.  It is great to know you've made someone smile.  P.S.-All that cuddling really wiped out the pups.  They are currently napping...again.

My Darling Pups

I realized that I haven't given a puppy update in awhile.  When I was gone in New York, J.R. took the pups on a field trip to the local park.  Are these not some adorable pups?

This is what they do most days on our couch...

My personal favorite & new wallpaper...

Awwww...

And yes they really did go down the slide with Daddy.  They loved it!

Birthing Stories

I may be opening up a whole can of worms here that I really shouldn't, but I'm going to anyway.  So far this blog has been one big story about me and my baby.  I'd like to open it up here for any stories or wisdom of your own that you'd like to share with me.  pjtogs left a great post for me, and I realized that I have a great resource out there that I haven't tapped yet.  Funny, scary, reassuring, insane: tell me how you brought your wonderful bundles into the world (or how you were brought (c:).  I'll be listening...

Baby Class Day 2

I think both J.R. and I learned more yesterday than today, because today focused on what they do and what you should do once the baby is here.  J.R. remembers when Tiffany was little and how he helped out.  I haven't really had experience with babies, but I'm much more comfortable with the idea of handling them once they're out.  I think the part I was most nervous about was how to get them out and what to expect at the hospital.  We got to practice holding, swaddling, diapering, breast feeding positions, etc.  And then we watched an inspirational movie by Oprah on how to care for your infant.  Her first line was, "I don't have children, but I've talked to enough experts to know you can't go wrong when you start with love..."  J.R.'s response, "Oprah's so smart!", got a lot of laughs.  At the end of the day, we walked through the labor and delivery rooms.  To quote Ramona (who was the nurse in charge of our class), "They may not have the flat screen tvs or look all fancy like some other hospitals, but they have everything we need and I can guarantee that you will get excellent nursing care here."  In the end, that's what really matters.  All in all, I think we are feeling much better prepared to handle this, and I just keep repeating to myself Ramona's big line, "Just relax and be ready to go with the flow.  We'll get you there."

Baby Class Day 1

So, we just got back from an exhausting day of baby/birthing classes at Rush, where I'll deliver. They do their classes over a weekend, 8:30-4:30 on Saturday and 9:00-1:00 on Sunday. Let me tell you it is brutal. They hold it in a classroom in the Rush Medical School building, and those chairs were not made for pregnant women to sit in for hours on end. There was a lot of good information presented, but I have to admit I'm on overload. The birthing video was not that bad, at least not for us. There were a few fathers who were a little queasy, and one guy mentioned bringing his hockey helmet, so he doesn't crack his head open if he faints. The videos of cesareans and epidurals are what pushed me over the edge. I really don't like needles! After a full day of hee hee whooos and questions about hospital procedures, I am feeling pretty reassured (if a little short of breath) about where I'm delivering and what I need to do once it starts. A lot of their basic philosophical ideas about childbirth are in line with what I was hoping for. Tomorrow, we get to see the Labor & Delivery Unit and go over basic baby care.

Maternity Leave

So I went in to school yesterday to get unpacked and to do a little work on my maternity plans.  I have been procrastinating getting started on these, because they are more than a little daunting.  How do you tell someone what you'd like them to do with your kids in 7 weeks before you've even gotten to meet those kids & find out what they can do?  I suppose I could wait until it gets closer to when I am going to leave, and I will be making updates to it as I go.  But, what if I have to leave sooner than I thought?  I want to be ready.  Also, I know I'm going to be pretty tired once school does start up again, so I don't want this to fall to the side.  The good news is I got a good start on it yesterday, and I'm feeling like it's a bit more manageable, but there is still a lot that I have to sort out before I can really be clear with it.  The other good news is that my sub will be Jane McCole, who is phenomenal!  I was so excited when I found out that she had agreed to do this.  I'll admit it does take a little of the pressure off to write these immaculate plans.  I can give her some benchmarks and let her take it from there.  Just trying to relax about this a bit, which is hard given that I am very uptight about school stuff...

Erin's Baby Shower

Our good friends Erin & Ryan Hlinak are also pregnant and due a few weeks before we are.  Christie Cuthbert and I went up to Fox Lake/Lindenhurst for her baby shower.  A fun time was had by all, although I think we could have done without the poopy diaper game (melted chocolate bars in diapers were passed & whoever got the Snickers was the winner...)  The best part was that there were 3 pregnant girls there and 2 who had just given birth in the last 4 months.  It was so great to be able to talk to people who were going through the same kind of questions & decisions.  I picked up a lot of good "you need this..." and "you really don't need that..." comments from the two recent mothers and immediately rushed home to update my registries.  I must say that it is a very good thing that Erin & Ryan are having a girl as well, because Erin's love of pink is well known.  I think my Packers buggy blanket was the only non-pink item they received!  Poor Ryan, but he's used to it now.  It was also their wedding color.  I can't wait to see all of these wrestlers at big meets or tournaments with little pink girls crawling around!

7 Month Check up

Everything still looks good.  I am right at 28 inches for 28 weeks, although I did gain 6 pounds in two weeks...Read the posts below and I think you will understand why.  My doctor was able to feel where her head, spine, and feet were. This explained why I felt like I was getting kicked in the lungs all day.  I was!  During the last two weeks I have been convinced that she was going through a growth spurt  I was basically awake long enough to eat in between naps.  My proof that I was right is that I am now awake much more frequently, and she feels bigger.  Her kicks & rolls are much more forceful.  J.R. can finally feel her moving (very exciting for him), and I can see my belly rippling from her feet and elbows.  I also had to do a blood glucose test this visit.  For those of you who don't know what this entails, basically I had to chug a straight glucose drink which tasted like cough syrup minus the alcohol and get my blood drawn an hour later.  I hate needles, (I am having trouble reading the section on epidurals in my pregnancy book because it's basically describing a needle going in your spine!) and I warn all of my nurses and LPNs that I need them to keep talking to me and keep me distracted while they draw my blood.  The woman who did it this time was fantastic!  I barely felt it at all.  So in a few weeks I'll know if I'm at risk for gestational diabetes.  That's my update from this visit!  I go back for more in two weeks.

Peachy Heaven

Jade, the peaches made the trip home safe & sound and are now happily part of a kuchen.  J.R. is a very happy camper!  Thanks again for a great visit!