Coming to an End...

First of all, can I just tell you how wonderful it was to have yesterday off work!! And don't get me wrong here- I'm not trying to brag but I am oh so thankful for the men and women who fight for our country to give us our freedom! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to sleep in yesterday morning- especially after a full weekend! 


Today was back to the grind but not in a bad way.  Last week was our last FULL week of school and I have kind of been avoiding these last few days of school because honestly I am just a little sad about it all coming to an end.  This week I fully intended on getting my kiddos to help me take down my room and pack it up and do all of that fun stuff but little did I know, we would not have the time for that this week.  Today flew by! I'm talking-- snack time at 9, then the 5th grade "Clap Off" (we all lined up in the halls and clapped and cheered them on to be going to middle school next year, recess at 9:30, 5th grade vs. teacher kickball game at 10 that we took our kiddos out to watch, got back inside around 11, worked on our "memory books" for about 15 minutes, loaded up for lunch at 11:30, specials at 12:15, work on our books for another 15 mins, had the 2nd Grade Awards Ceremony- for A, A&B Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance and the Sunshine award, then it was a birthday party for one of my girls at 2:15, pack up at 2:30 for dismissal.  That, my friends, is a FULL day of fun!! and no work ha! 

kickball game

more kickball

There were so many things I wanted to get done this week and tomorrow will be just as jam-packed.  Tomorrow- we have Break-Out day in the morning which is like a mini-field-day... the kids get to play outside, go to the cafeteria to dance (there will be a DJ), go to the art room to do crafts, sidewalk chalk, or bubbles, go to the gym where the bounce house is, or go to the music room to sing karaoke.  Yes, the kiddos get to roam to wherever they would like ha! We are split into grades so not all the students are out and about at once.  Sounds fun right? The kids looove it! Then tomorrow afternoon- we have our class party at 11:15 with pizza, followed by a baby shower my kiddos are throwing for me.  They are SOOO excited about our baby and would not let this year end without throwing me a Baby Shower (side note- one of my moms told me a sweet story about her son who is in my class... he went up to her one night and as serious could be asked her why they would be "showering" me and where was this shower to be? hehe HOW CUTE right!? just love my babies!)

So yea, then Thursday- 1/2 day at school and we are done. Can I say BITTERSWEET!? That is really the only word that can describe my feelings.  I am so proud of my kids and how far they have come, and all they have accomplished this year.  It is so hard for me to let them go (to third grade-- can you image when its my own kids growing up!?)... I am going to miss them OH SO MUCH!

I leave you with some pictures of the disaster my room has become this past year- but it is a place filled with love and fun and I never want to forget these days, moments, kids, and this year!   

Cheers to Mrs. P's 2nd Grade Class of 2010-2011! What a great bunch!!

my class

the 3 ladies of 2nd @ Recess...

A Honor Roll! YAY!... and WOW... think I'm getting bigger? I look huge in this pic ha!

Have I mentioned I love these kids... and teaching... and this school...!!! :)

21 Weeks

21 Weeks!

May 23-29

Here is what we have been up to this week:

Weight Gain: At my 20w2d Dr. apt last week I had gained 6 lbs since I was last there... that means that I am almost back up to my pre pregnancy weight.  She was very happy with my weight gain and said she didn't want me gaining more than 20-30lbs... we shall see about that ha!

Maternity Clothes : Yes, please.  I can still fit into SOME regular clothes but this week I noticed that even my t-shirts are snug around the waist and chest... sad day! Guess I will be raiding the hubby's t's soon enough ;)

Sleep: still awesome. only one or sometimes 2 bathroom breaks in the night.

Best Moment of this week:  we had our 20 week anatomy scan that went awesome!! you can read all about it here.  & see the next thing below!!!

Also, had two WONDERFUL baby showers this past week!!! One at school with all my amazing co-workers and one on Saturday with great friends and family! Be looking for those post's in the near future!

Movement: as of Tuesday of last week I felt something and immediately was like... was that her!? I was sitting on the couch late at night (around 11pm) and it was a little twitch below my waist line... kind of like when your eye twitches when you are tired... oh it was so cool! Now I have been feeling that same thing almost everyday... amazing!!!! :) :) :)
 
Food cravings:  nothing weird although last night for some odd reason cereal sounded great, and again this morning.  I never eat cereal.  Its not that I don't like it-- its just not my go-to food. 

What I miss: nothing at all. love this little girl!

 

Symptoms: same as last week- heartburn and indigestion.  It seems like I can NOT stop burping... how embarrassing ha.  oh well!

Gender: pretty little girl! <3

What I'm looking forward to: more movement! and on non-baby-related terms... the last day of school with the kiddos is Thursday- they have a 1/2 day.  And friday for me.  So ready for summer but bittersweet about leaving. 

 

 Baby bump: 

My sisters and my mom and I.  This is from the shower I had on Saturday... more pics to come when people send them my way :)

 

___________________________________________________
The Baby in Week 21: 

How big is your baby? About the size of a large banana — and speaking of bananas, if you eat one this week, there's a good chance your baby will get a taste, too. That's because he swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting), so he eats whatever's on your menu — and gets to put those developing taste buds to good use. So go ahead and nosh on those nachos (or crunch those crudités): Your baby may develop a taste for them when he’s older.

Your Body in Week 21:

You may start to notice some stretch marks (nope, I don't see any yet...) as your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep on growing. These pink, red, or purple streaks appear when the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches (and stretches and stretches) during pregnancy. Not every woman gets them, though you're a likely candidate if your mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you've gained weight rapidly. So go ahead and slather the cocoa butter — at least it’ll keep your skin from drying out, even if it won’t keep those marks at bay.

Just for Fun!

I must say that I am really disappointed in the quality of my pics here... I'm in different locations with all and appear different sizes due to where I took the pics.  Does anyone want to volunteer to take weekly professional-like pics of me ? ha i kid. i kid....

anyways- I dont see a HUGE difference but I do think I look bigger at week 20, but then again I am way closer to the camera... sigh.

20 Weeks 2 days update...

We went today for our "big" anatomy scan and 20 week Dr. visit.  

The sonographer worked so quick I could barely tell what she was doing and in no time (less than 15 minutes) she had measured: femur, heart, cranium, abdomen, stomach, arms, bladder, and about 10 other things I don't remember.  

After completing the measurements we found out that our little girl is measuring to her EXACT gestational age which is 20 weeks 2 days.  The sonographer said that NEVER happens! Cool huh?  Little girl was also in the 44th percentile which she said was GREAT and we couldn't be any better off than that.  She said that as close to the 50th percentile was important at this stage. Baby weighs approximately 12 ounces! :) and is a few inches longer than my hand (wrist to fingers) not including her legs.  

We heard the babies heart beat which also sounded great but when I asked the lady had forgotten what the HR was.  

I am sure that many of you will be happy to know that I have ALMOST gotten back up to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I have gained 6lbs so with just a few more I will be back where I started.  The doc was very happy about this saying that I had a "petite" frame and she didn't want me to gain more than about 20-25 lbs... we shall see about that ;) ha! At first I took her petite comment as a great compliment but then as I got to thinking about it I began to get a little nervous... after she made them comment is when she started talking about staying around the 50th percentile and that "no one wants 10lb babies"... was she saying that this birth is going to be difficult due to my "petite" frame?! Lets hope not! ha

All in all, we got an AMAZING report! We even found out that our sweet one has the LOWEST chance possible (I think one in 10,000...) of having a chromosomal defect or downs syndrome.  Our little girl is growing, has all major body parts and is just down right ADORABLE!! :) Here are some pics from todays fun appointment (despite the fact that hubby missed the sonogram... sadness) but enjoy the pics!  :)

for sure a girl!

little hand above head

I can't tell you how much I love this one-- you can see the skeleton (in brighter white) and the skin around it (sort of looks like a shadow).... check out the cute nose, lips and could that be my dimple chin? K has a similar chin but not quite as "defined" as mine haha

& if you dont see what I'm talking about here is a guide ;)...

(click on pic to make larger)

1st Mother's Day ...

better late than never right?? 

K and I had a GREAT 1st Mother's Day! He took me out for a delicious steak at Texas Land and Cattle! Mmm Mmm Good!! We had a great lunch and then he took me on a "surprise" trip out to the outlet malls.  I had been saying that I needed to do some more "shopping" for maternity clothes and what not so he thought why not!  What he didn't know was that there would be 98798723 different children's clothing stores and zero maternity stores.  We had a blast! 

K got his first outfit for the baby girl, and well we got a few more, then a few more :) hehe enjoy the pictures! 

After some shopping K took me to my favorite yogurt place: Yogurtland!! Oh my how I love that place! mmmm! We came home and called it a day!

It was the PERFECT 1st Mothers Day!! :) 

I just love my baby and my baby daddy!!

the belly again!

haaay! ha

"I love Daddy!", "world's cutest alarm clock", and another one K picked out: "if you think I'm cute, you should see my mom"

K's first purchase for his little girl!

closer up

so little!

cute lil dresses! :-D

20 Weeks!! 5 Months, 1/2 way there!! :)

2o WEEKS!!! 1/2 WAY THERE!! 5 MONTHS! :)

crazy huh!!

May 15-22

from thebump.com:  

Congrats! You're halfway there...and at one of the great milestones of pregnancy. Increased blood flow is making the pelvic area extra-sensitive, libido is resurging, and the weight gain has just barely begun.

woah-- that thing is big! :)

Here is what we have been up to this week:

Weight Gain:  Now that I am consistently eating like "normal" again I think I am at least back up to my pre-pregnancy weight... official results tomorrow after our doc apt

Maternity Clothes : yes, and i really like how comfie they are... still need mooore tho as I am finally "popping" ha

Sleep: its going great- only one bathroom break in the middle of the night around 3am.  I'll take that!

Best Moment of this week:  we had another 3D/4D ultrasound and saw that "she" is for sure a GIRL! :)

Movement: still nothing that i can feel...
 
Food cravings:  sweets, and really anything. icecream with milk and choco syrup still a fav!

What I miss: nothing :)

 

Symptoms: well hello heartburn!! It has def. set in-- some foods are worse than others.  Also my tummy has been getting much tighter over the past 3 or 4 weeks... as in it is hard when you touch it.  My abdomen has def. been more sensitive too. I don't really like anything touching it-- it almost feels a little sore... if if bend back or to the sides it feels like i am stretching the muscles in there

Gender: pretty little girl! <3

What I'm looking forward to: we have the anatomy scan tomorrow followed by a doctor appointment.  I am excited to see how she is measuring!

 

 Baby bump: 

 whatcha think? growing much?

___________________________________________________
The Baby in Week 20: 

Curious about whether that melon-sized belly contains a boy or a girl? Now's your chance to take a peek! Your second trimester ultrasound, scheduled for anytime between 18 and 22 weeks, gives your practitioner a chance to see how things are going in there. And, wow, are they going! If you're having a girl, her uterus is now fully formed and her ovaries are holding about seven million primitive eggs. If you're having a boy, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen to their ultimate destination — the scrotum. And while your baby is definitely getting bigger (weighing in at about ten ounces and measuring six and a half inches), there's still plenty of growing room in there, which allows him to twist and turn (and allows you to feel his acrobatics!).

Your Body in Week 20:

Now that you’re at the midpoint of your pregnancy (20 weeks down, 20 more to go!), that little cantaloupe (aka baby) you have in your belly is becoming more of a reality as you feel his movements and draw smiles from passersby who see your baby bump. You might also be noticing that your nails are stronger (though they could also turn dry and brittle) and your hair (all over your body) is thicker and fuller than usual — all thanks to pregnancy hormones and increased circulation, which furnish extra nutrients to hair and nail cells. But while the hair on your head may be lovelier than ever, you might not be digging those sprouts on your chin. This situation is indeed temporary, but feel free to tweeze!

its not you, its me!

oh my goodness yall!
I miss you!
I have been keeping up with ya'll - despite my LACK of blogging. :(
So much is going on in my life besides my belly getting bigger... I promise I will do my 20 week update soon AND update you on all the ups and downs in my life.
There is so much I want to get off my chest share with you!

please come back soon. i have NOT forgotten about you and i miss you all dearly. :)
xoxo

18 Weeks!

18 weeks! Wahoo-- I remember when I thought I would never be that far along.... 

May 1st-8th

Here is what we have been up to this week:

Weight Gain:  I am sure I gained some weight this week but not sure how much.  It was teacher appreciation week and everyday we were provided with a delicious lunch and tons of desserts from the PTA... pure bliss. this combo with my appetite returning = I'm sure I'm packing the pounds on!

Maternity Clothes : yup

Sleep: noticed the past couple of nights I'm back to not being able to sleep thru the night w/o a bathroom trip; still some abdominal cramps when going to bed, leg cramps before I fall asleep and during the night, and I have noticed its more uncomfie to sleep on the belly (see more below)

Best Moment of this week:  had our 2nd gender ultrasound (@ the doc's office-- the tech was a little odd- and she could not for the life of her see what she wanted.  She didn't know we already found out either hehe.  After nearly punching the pee out of me with the wand trying to "get the baby to move" she finally let me go to the restroom to see if that would give the baby more room.  lets just say it wasn't the best experience.  She kept saying things like, "I think I know but I'm not ready to tell you..." and "this sure is a stubborn baby"... etc.  She finally told us she was 75% sure it was a girl and we were a little relieved.  (still have no idea how we would have reacted if she said, BOY!) haha.  Our little girl looked great, we got to hear her heartbeat that was at 154 (i think). She wasn't too acrobatic this time but she did have her little ankles crossed and had her legs folded under her bottom.  her hands were up by her face again.  She seems to enjoy being like this :) She was just as adorable as always and really to the human eye we didn't think that she looked that different from the week before. 

Movement: She's a movin but I can't feel it.  I found out at the ultrasound that I have an anterior placenta so the tech said I probably won't feel movement until around week 24 ... :( sad day! I also learned that you can not control where the placenta is because where it is, is where your egg attached. I found that very interesting!
 
Food cravings:  Oh yay! I looove food again!! And anything!! and I can eat larger portions!! Specifically I have had a huge sweet/sour tooth and love all things like: sour punch straws, air head extreme sour belts, fruit chews, etc! 

I could probably eat all of these in one sitting... no joke! my kids have caught on to this and made a comment of "are they good for the baby?" and I ensured that the baby too LOOVES them :) they wanted to know how I knew and I told them that if I loved them, then baby loves them too! They got a huge kick out of that! 

What I miss: nothing :)

 

Symptoms: the abdominal stretching/cramping when I'm heading to bed is still there, acne-- OMG sooo bad on my back and my face is even breaking out in the oddest of places- like my cheeks, and the bridge of my nose. this is not fun! I have also noticed that sleeping on my tummy is less comfie.  I have never been a tummy sleeper but I have woken up a couple of nights a little uncomfortable because I was on my stomach so I guess with all the tossing and turning I have been doing I have ended up like that! ha

oh and that vertical line on your belly (whats it called?) is starting to show up on my tummy... 

Gender: have had 2 "gender scans" ... one told us 99% sure it is girl, the other told us 75% sure it is a girl... are we safe to say its a girl now!?

What I'm looking forward to: feeling the little princess moving around :) ...

 Baby bump: 

I think I now am understanding why K doesn't enjoy taking these pictures of me... I had a lot of fun as you will see this week haha...I think I have that energy back and I actually put on makeup for once so I was feeling "pretty" ha... one of those days. (oh and it was my 1st MOTHERS DAY!!... post to follow)... sorry I couldn't choose just one.  :)

I guess I will have all the fun since K wants nothing to do with it ;)

{oh... and I have some bare belly pics but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet... haha}

___________________________________________________
The Baby in Week 18:  Your pregnancy back pain may have you tied up in knots (see below), but your baby's getting ready to bust a move. At five and a half inches long and five ounces in weight, he now may be large enough for you to feel him twisting, rolling, kicking, and punching his way around the womb. Plus, he's developing yawning and hiccupping skills (you may feel those soon, too!) and his own unique set of toe and fingerprints.

Your Body in Week 18:

Oh, my aching back! If you've uttered those words more than once this week, here's why: Your uterus, now about the size of a cantaloupe, is causing your body's center of gravity to shift, pulling the lower back forward and pushing the abdomen out (so now everyone can see that you’re pregnant!). On top of all that, joint-loosening pregnancy hormones are wreaking havoc on your muscles and ligaments, adding up to one big ouch!

What I'm LOVIN Wednesday!!

It has been a little while since participating in WILW but I am so happy to be joining in again!

Here is what I'M LOOOVING today:

1)that I got to enjoy a niiice nap today after school!

2) that when I woke up from nap hubby had a yummy BBQ chicken dinner ready with some sweet potato fries! (and for dessert a huge bowl of Blue Bell homemade icecream, with choco syrup and milk! mmm!)

3)MY MOM!!! Today is my lovely Mom's birthday today! I wish that I could be there to celebrate with her :( but I did get to sing to her on the phone! I LOVE YOU MOM!!! 

 

4) there are only 20 days of school left... and really only 18 for me! because I have a day off next week (for my sisters graduation) AND I am going on a field trip with our Expo (GT) group on Wednesday to Lego Land!! :)

5)That means summer is almost here!

6) My sweet little baby girl :)

7) My suuuper awesome hubby who has been soooo good to me always, but esp these last few months... (even if he does tell me I am only going to get more clumsy and ..... forgetful (in all honesty- i just forgot what he told me earlier and had to ask hahah) over the next month-- he read it in his Expectant Father book.  oh joy! loooove him so so much!!

oh love of my life...

stormy, cool, productive day/ weekend wrap-up!

so this morning K & I woke up to some nice soft rain and distant thunder... it was great!  It is so nice to actually enjoy a storm without the fear of being blown away in a terrible tornado!  We enjoyed it awhile and slept in some more.  When we finally got up we decided it was a great day to go to ihop.  well apparently so did everyone else! ha there was a long line so we made a change of pace and took it to Palio's pizza.  Check out this awesome soda machine they had!  and these are just the "coke" products... they had at least 20 other drinks to chose from as well. pure genius!

After lunch, I had wanted to go try and find the car seat that we have picked out (i think) for sweet baby.  {side note- k worked last night and i spent my ennnntire night online buliding and researching things for our registry... needless to say I'm still not finished but we have a great start.  i hope its "ok" to have a registry at 3 locations?} so anyways, we go to wal-mart **bc K said he thought he had seen it there before** do what? has he been looking at car seats? oh yes, he confirmed that he had "browsed the isles" of the baby things before-- melts my heart. gasp.  (sometimes I never hear about such things if they don't randomly come up-- he doesn't offer up small details of his day from time to time. ) So we head over and they didn't have it. in fact they only had 2 infant car seats. major fail on their part.  so we do some grocery shopping and head home.  

At this point it had been raining on and off all morning but nothing major.  well we get home unload groceries and i attempt to pick up/clean up our house.  big success in our bathroom- I wish I would have taken a before and after pic! Before- you couldn't see in the mirror, or get to the counter, clothes on floor, and if you dared to touch anything under the sink an avalanche would have occurred.  all problems solved and even hung the BEAUTIFUL embroidered towels that my sweet freshman year roommate sent us for our wedding present! It looks great now!  I also washed about 3 loads of laundry and did our sheets! YAY! I just love the smell of fresh sheets and I am really bad about washing them every week.  The bedroom has been picked up, the clothes put away and most of the house vacuumed.  The kitchen is clean, dishes loaded in the dish washer and the living room is also picked up.  WHEPH! SOOO... do you think I am getting my energy back? Well, I was still exhausted but I must say yes! At least some of it! :) K, being the amazing hubby he always is, made us a yummy dinner and as we were eating we started to hear the thunder louder and some loud noises on the windows... look at what we found on the front porch. Oh! and did I mention it is 50 degrees and that I woke up with my ear stopped up? hopefully this too will pass sooooon! It seems like its a nice stormy fall day!

hail, no!

 ANNNND let me tell you... I am PUMPED that we only have 4 weeks left of school!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEES!! I am so so so so so happy about that! Love those kids, but I am ready for my vacation! :)

17 weeks!

17 weeks!!

 April 25th-31th 

Here is what we have been up to this week:

Weight Gain:  still down about 6 lbs

Maternity Clothes : yup

Sleep: noticed the past couple of nights I'm back to not being able to sleep thru the night w/o a bathroom trip

Best Moment of this week:  telling my kids at school that I am having a girl... more on that to come :) ; working on our registry and picking out a car seat/stroller (I think... ha!)

Movement: I'm ready for it but haven't felt it that I know of
 
Food cravings:  I feel like I am back to normal eating for the most part- no particular cravings this week.

What I miss: nothing :)

 

Symptoms: the headaches have been slightly better this week-- I have noticed more abdominal stretching/cramping when I'm heading to bed

Gender: sweet little lady! we go for our orignal "gender scan" appt tomorrow at the doc's office... k and I both wonder what we do if they say, "its a BOY!" haha we shall see :)... 

What I'm looking forward to: feeling the little princess moving around :) 

 Baby bump: 

{i think i look smaller this week than last}
___________________________________________________
The Baby in Week 17: 
My how your baby has grown! She's about the size of your palm, weighs about five ounces, and is developing some body fat (join the club, baby!). Her heart is now regulated by her brain (no more random beats) to beat 140 to 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! What else is up? She’s practicing the survival skills she’ll need at birth — like sucking and swallowing {we saw this last week at the ultrasound :) }.

Your Body in Week 17:

Now that you're starting to show, chances are that friends, coworkers, and even strangers may feel the urge to reach out and touch your belly. If you don't mind, that's fine. But if you do, speak up kindly but firmly. More new developments with your body: a slight vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) and a greater sensitivity to allergens these days — both are totally normal — and the appetite of a truck driver now that the queasy feeling is (probably) gone.