What I'm Reading

I need to update the reading portion of the blog. I have at least 3 books to add. But, I have to talk about the book I'm reading now . . .

My boss, Becky and I exchange books. When I returned from Minnesota I found a book I had loaned her for her Bar Harbor trip on my desk with another book and a thank you gift of a notepad and pen. (Another thing we do when loaning books.) When I told her I started reading it, she was surprised that I hadn't given it to her. Guess I'll have to finish it so she can find the rightful owner.

I'm reading Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, & Covered in Cat Hair. Laurie Perry is hilarious! I have laughed out loud several times while reading this diary. One chapter is about the importance of wearing clean underwear. On a laundry day in August, she's down to her last pair, red and green Christmas thongs. Sadly that day, the zipper in her skirt separates. While I've never had a zipper separate--yet--I can absolutely relate to waiting until the last decent pair of panties is dirty before doing laundry. I don't know why I do this. I just do. Perhaps it's because I wash my underwear separately, and it takes many pairs to make even a small load. And, I'm not quite as bad as Perry, I don't wait until I have only holiday underwear. Actually, I don't think I own holiday underwear anymore, but I digress . . . While I'm at a very different point in my marriage, Perry's book isn't just about divorcing. Bits of everyday life are woven into her diary, like the fear of meeting friends. Thankfully, she finds knitting to help her as an introduction to new people.
Perry also maintains a blog. It's also been added to my "Blogs You Should Check Out." The few entries I've read talk about cooking and recipes. She's come a long way from being Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair.

The Baby Bump: 16 1/2 Weeks

Here's our first picture of the baby bump--well, the first of about 5 attempts this afternoon. It isn't artsy--we'll work up to that. The bump is, admittedly, still small. Many don't know that I'm pregnant just by looking at me. Actually, I observed some women in church this morning who obviously aren't pregnant who're sporting bigger bellies than I have. But, I'm big compared to me--pre-pregnancy me.
I'm still feeling good and working my typical long hours for the fall. I rest up on the weekends doing as little as possible.
And, I'm waiting to feel the baby. One book says 16-20 weeks before you begin to feel it, another says 18-22. Most ladies tell me it will feel like little gas bubbles at first. So, every time I feel any little rumble or flutter, I put my hand to my tummy to feel. So far, I can't say that I've felt anything, so I'll keep waiting.

Fridays are Free For Some

I'm glad that Dave has Fridays free because in the fall, I work long enough on Friday for both of us (and another person). The one thing that I don't love about being an assistant principal is the long hours that go with supervision of activities. I enjoy the activities themselves, it's just that it makes a day really long.

I left the house shortly after 7am this morning. I worked for a bit in my office before grabbing my radio and heading out. Before I could walk out of the office I had to chat with two girls whose shorts were too short. The first offered to change--it's amazing that many always seem to have something longer in a locker. The second huffed, "My granddad works here, and he wouldn't let me come to school not in dress code." My retort, "Your shorts are too short and that isn't your granddad's call, that's my call. You have to change or sit in ISS." Granddad was taking the day off but on campus to drop off lesson plans he took her home, but not before complaining to a secretary, "I guess I'll have to take her home since you say her shorts are too short." Thankfully, it was clarified that an Assistant Principal had made the call. Granddad's demeanor changed a bit then--which really irritates me. Doesn't matter who told her to change, Granddad needs to support us.

First a stop in the counseling office to talk about a big report that is due to the state--today. Next out to the bus loop. Our campus is big and open. Today is a pep rally day so I command my post watching for kids who'd rather walk to Starbuck's than be at the pep rally.

Much of the rest of the day is a blur. I talked with boys who aren't completing work. Discovered one or two who'd decided that school wasn't where they wanted to be on Friday--I'll deal with them on Monday. I looked at information on campus accountability ratings, looked at testing data, and about lunch got great news. Our big report due to the state isn't due until October 24--the deadline was pushed because of the hurricane in Houston; schools there couldn't possibly meet the deadline, so it was moved.

Afternoon bus duty found us waiting for a bus. We did have word that it would be late, but it was really late. We found out that a student had thrown up on the bus earlier. Our district's policy makes all kids get off of the infected bus and wait for a back up bus. Back in my day, the bus driver threw down this gross smelling kitty litter looking stuff over the vomit, and we went on our way. I guess they bring out the hazmat team nowadays.

I do have one other "some parents are just crazy" story from the day . . . Our school has a no electronic devices policy. Kids cannot have cell phones or mp3 players in use or visible during the school day. During a class change, I was walking the halls. I encounter one young man with an mp3 player. He hands it over, and I tell him to collect it Monday after school. I walk a bit further and stop to talk to a teacher, who isn't in her room. Another young man turns the corner with his cell phone out. I remind him of the policy and outstretch my hand for him to give it to me.

"I was talking to my mom because I have to stay after school."

"If you need to call your mom, each teacher has a phone in the classroom and there are phones in the office."

"But this is my first time, can't you give me a break."

"No, I didn't give the kid who had his mp3 player out a break, and I can't give you one. Because when I do then I'm telling you that it's OK to have cell phones out, and it isn't."

Handing it over, he asks, "Where do I get it?"

I explain.

Amazingly, he was able to contact his mom after I turned the cell phone over to Beth, the secretary in the office who has to collect phones. Helicopter mom flew in around noon when a super long line of football fans stood trying to buy their tickets before the noon cut off. Mom was demanding to talk to Beth (who also has to sell tickets). Thankfully, another AP came through and talked to irrational mom who was upset that whoever took the phone didn't identify themselves. (Hmm---I was wearing my name badge and the kid never asked me who I was. I feel the conversation went:
Mom: Who took your phone?
Kid: I don't know
So mom decides that I didn't identify myself.)

Mom is also concerned about identity theft. I don't really know what kind of personal information can be extracted from a cell phone. Is someone going to send a text to another under the pretense of being the kid?

Around 5 we headed to Red Robin for dinner; then to the football game. We won 49-14 in a long game that ended just before 11. Then it was back to campus for the Fifth Quarter.

I actually didn't go to much of the party; instead I counted money. At the end of the 1st quarter of the football game, the cheerleaders passed their megaphones to collect money for a family who lost their home in a fire. The family's church is going to match the moneys we collect. We had a large box, filled about 1/4 of the way with money. Four of us counted the money: $3195! Some of the money even came from the visiting team--the one we were beating 49-14--I think they sent over about $600--that's class and compassion.

After eating popcorn and walking around the very poorly attended Fifth Quarter, with my boss's blessing, I came home. I crawled into bed at 1am. So you see, Dave didn't have to work today. I worked 16.5 hours. (I think my daily rate is about $300; you do the math.)

Friday's are Still Free

Today I was supposed to have our new granite vanity tops installed....but my granite guy has failed to show up for the third time since he gave me an estimate. So I now have a free Friday. My next job tomorrow is to find a new granite guy who isn't a flake......

My company hasn't done away with the four day work week just yet. As slow as works has been for me lately, there is has been no need to go back to a five day work week. So I took the opportunity today to float the Brazos river. I had fished this river once before and enjoyed it, so I decided to go back. Armed with two flyrods and my kayak, I headed out.The game wardens buzzed by....dang are those things loud.
The fishing was slow for the most part. The fish were following whatever I threw, but weren't really interested in eating. I ended the day with 1 smallmouth bass, 2 largemouth bass, 1 huge longear sunfish, and one other fish....
Yep, the "other" fish was a huge carp. I know most people don't care for carp for whatever reason, but I actually enjoy fishing for carp. All I care about if the pull on the end of my line, and those guys pull like a freight train. The other nice thing about fishing for carp is that you typically have to sightfish for them. That is - see the fish and put your fly where they will see it and eat it without spooking them. It's actually not an easy thing to do. This guy ate a damsel nymph (dragonfly larvae fly) after about the third try...

Hangin' with the J-Man

While in Minnesota, Miranda and I got to spend some quality time with Jonas. He is growing by leaps and bounds and is a little sponge of information. He has been walking with assistance for a little while now - it won't be long till he is going it alone. Jonas even spent some time outside playing in the yard while the boys fished. He was fascinated by the chipmunks as they raced by him while gathering sunflower seeds.
We also learned that Jonas is a very musical baby. He loves repetitious musical toys that drive adults (read: me) crazy at times. It really wasn't the music that bothered me. It was my weak brain that just kept singing the songs over and over and over and over in my head long after the music had actually stopped. Thankfully those toys won't be making another appearance in Dave's head until their visit at Thanksgiving. I think that he will be playing something in the percussion section when he grows up.

Up North 2008

We had to settle for a long weekend getaway in Minnesota this year instead of a full week. But we made the most of the time we had. Fishing, napping, reading, and of course, playing with Jonas were the highlights of the weekend. While the fishing wasn't all that great (for the second year in a row) it was nice to get away for a few days of peace and quiet. Jonas was our entertainment and the center of attention the entire trip. More about him in a different post though.

The weather cooperated nicely all except for a little rain on the last day. It was sunny with temperatures in the 50's at night and 70's during the day. Evidently it had gotten much cooler earlier this month since the leaves had already started to change. They weren't in full swing just yet, but it won't be long now.

Fish were caught: Miranda of course had the most impressive fishing outing of the trip. She caught the only walleye of the trip on her first cast then caught a nice northern about three casts later...the woman could be a fishing guide.
Chipmunks were fed: (and provided some humerous entertainment in the form of fur ball chipmunk fights for the sunflower seeds).
Wildlife was seen: deer, turkeys, bald eagles, a golden eagle, loons, raccoons, red squirrels and other various animals were seen over the weekend.
Till next year.

Fall Weather Preview

After a gray Saturday, we had a beautiful Sunday. Last night the air was cool. The moon was full and beautiful. This morning we awoke to temperatures in the high 50s!!!! It was magnificent. My drive to work was one of the more pleasant I've had. To the west, the moon hung in the western sky, a giant orb. To the east, a few clouds made a magnificent sun rise. The sun beaming golden on the underside of the clouds, the sky blue with streaks of pink.
What a blessed morning to drive to work!

14.5 Week Check Up

Today I had my scheduled check up. Secretly, I was looking forward to a sonogram. But, that didn't happen. I realized this when I went in the restroom to leave a sample and read the sign that patients would have 2 sonograms: an initial and another at 20 or 24 weeks. Bummer. I should have read that sign last month. Dave was ready for the sonogram, too. I had to break the news to him.

My check up was quick.

• We went over my blood work from last time. No infectious diseases. Blood type: A+.
  
• We talked about how I'm feeling: much better!
  
• We talked about my recent headaches: evidently right on schedule usually occur around weeks 14-18. I was given the go-ahead to take two Tylenol and drink 1/2 a Coke to speed the Tylenol.
  
• We talked about my sleeping position: still OK to sleep on my back, until the 3rd trimester when I'll be uncomfortable on my back.
• My blood pressure is good: 120/78. (It's usually a bit higher, but I'd had a doosey of a day at work with boys "trying" to fight. Well, just yelling and fronting, but no fighting. Then a boy sobbing in my office--I've never seen a boy cry like that.)
• And, I gained only 2 pounds since my last visit. (I swear I gained a pound in the last few days. I've been watching.)
  

And then we got to hear the baby's heartbeat: strong at 160 beats per minute.

Next month, they'll go ahead and do my 20 week sonogram since I'll be at 18.5 weeks. Evidently, it will be a long sonogram with lots of measurements. And, we should be able to know the gender of the baby. So, we'll wait (patiently) for our October 13th appointment.

Trying to Look Pregnant . . . Not Fat

It seems that currently the only pregnancy condition that is plaguing me is my increasing size. I haven't gained a lot of weight--only about 8 pounds, with only 1 in the last month since I've gone back to work. All of the weight seems to be centralized to my tummy. My size 8 pants have no hope of fitting (my one desire is to fit into them again post-delivery--we'll see how that goes). I'm slowly making the transition from larger size 12 and 14 pants into maternity pants. I have to admit the maternity pants feel so good. Here's hoping that continues to be the trend.

I'm in that weird in-between stage, while I'm getting a baby-bump, it's a small one. For anyone who doesn't know me, I look a bit plump in the tummy. And that is just not the message that I want to convey. So, until I have a bump that is definitely baby, I'm camouflaging as best I can. However, my previously flowy (pre-bump) tops are not so free-flowing these days. And, I'm just not big enough for maternity tops. Wearing jackets helps, but it's 90+ degrees around here, so jackets aren't always an option.

So, some days I embrace the bump. My co-workers know I'm pregnant. It was their judgment I feared for the first tw0-weeks back at work when I hadn't made the announcement. And, as I thought, afterwards I had a few come up to me and say they thought I must be pregnant because I had definitely put on some weight around the middle. One friend even confessed that when she saw me she had decided that if I weren't pregnant, then she was going to have to do an intervention. (I bet she'll help me get back into those size 8's.)

It's the students who don't know about my joy. For some reason I do care what 16 year-old girls think of my waist line and profile, but I guess time will tell them that I am pregnant. Hopefully, they'll be disgusted by my size and make wise choices. (And I bet the judging eyes of high school girls will be another motivation to get back into those size 8's. However, is it sad that I've already had the thought: I'll never wear an 8 again, I'll be happy to wear a 10. Am I already admitting defeat?)

Dave and I want to photograph the bump, but haven't come up with a tasteful way to do that just yet. (I hate my face in profile. And detest my often double-chin; I can't imagine what that chin is looking like these days.) But, we'll find a way. And in a few months, I'll be wistfully nostalgic as I remember the days in September when I was so small.

Riiiibbbbbiiiitttttt

(No we didn't add a frog to our "menagerie" of pets. :) I was surprised at how many people thought we'd adopted a cat. But I couldn't resist being mischievous and adding this picture when I found it when looking for frog.)

It seems one of my pregnancy side effects is hiccuping like a frog. Thankfully, Dave thinks this is cute. I hope that continues to be his reaction to this sound. I only seem to hiccup at night when I'm at home. How embarrassing to emit frog sounds at work! (Though I'm sure my day will come.)

Dave teased me a bit when I started hiccuping. Especially since in our week 7 sonogram the baby looked quite a bit like a tadpole. Rest assured, at the week 10 sonogram, the baby was very much baby-like--all the way down to sweet little baby toes. (Toes I concentrated on so much that later I couldn't remember if the baby had arms. I comforted myself by thinking that I surely would have noticed the lack of arms until I was able to ask Dave if the baby did have arms. I didn't think Dave would appreciate being awakened at 3am to help me remember, so I waited until it was time to get up before posing my question.)

I'm quite fortunate in that I've had no morning sickness. I've felt queasy a few times--usually at night. Heartburn does plague me. I'm glad that Tums is an allowed medication. I've discovered the new Tums Smoothies; they're much less chalky than regular Tums.

On a side note, spell check tells me that "hiccuping" only has one "p" at the end. But the rule is to double a single consonant when adding "-ing" to a word. Hmmmm.

1+1=3

Dave and I are finally letting the cat out of the bag . . . it's been killing us these last few weeks . . .
We're having a baby!!!!!!

My absence of posting on the blog is mainly because I like to think of nothing other than the sweet, new life that is growing inside of me, but I couldn't tell. Plus, I did spend a lot of time sleeping this summer.

So, now you know.

This weekend marked the end of the first trimester, so we feel pretty safe in telling our news. Of course, your prayers for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby are certainly appreciated.

My due date is March 15th, but the baby measured about a week bigger at the 10-week sonogram. So we'll see. My brother and I were both about 8.5 pound babies. Dave's brother was a 9-pounder. While Dave was a preemie, he was 18 inches long. So odds are, this could be a large baby.

I feel pretty good, not quite myself, plagued by heartburn, tired, but thankfully, no morning sickness. I've gained about 7 pounds, and my pants don't fit. I've bought a Bella Band to help with some of my pants. I'm wearing skirts with elastic. I'm quite happy that loose, flowy tops are in fashion.

Dave is quite attentive; he giggles when I emit a frog-like hiccup/burp. He has stocked my bedside table with snacks so I don't have to get up at 3am to go to kitchen to eat. (Thankfully, I haven't woken up hungry in about a week.) Dave has had to take over my upstairs bathroom remodeling.

So, that's what's new with us.

One of our Favorites

With all of the Colorado and baby news, I temporarily forgot that we have now come to the end of our summer of concerts. The night before I left for Denver, Miranda and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the American Airlines Center.

The show was really good. Easily one of the best concert that I have seen the last several years. Other than the fact that we had to endure an hour of Steve Winwood, we had a great time. The special effects and lighting were their own show in themselves. From what we witnessed on the video monitors, Mr. Petty seemed to be more than a bit stoned - but it didn't affect the music at all. Somehow I would bet that wasn't the first time he has performed when not sober.

The crowd there was a bit older than we were used to. Maybe it was the high price for the concert tickets or maybe we are just getting old....Who knows - but for once, we were the younger ones in the crowd. The tickets were good. They were around half court on the floor with the stage at the end line. We had a good time, but ended up paying for the late night when the alarm sounded early the next morning.

Rocky Mountain Adventure

Our weekend trip found me as far west as I've ever traveled. The beauty of the mountains in Colorado is enchanting. The landscape was so different from anything I've ever seen. I see why people decide to move there. While the weather in Golden was a bit warmer than we were hoping for, the mid-80s were quite pleasant with no humidity.

Dave had a great time fishing, while I enjoyed relaxing. Dave and I have hung out with Matt and Rene a bit in DFW, but Saturday afforded me the opportunity to get to know Rene. She and I share a love of reading. She loaned me a book when I finished the book I had brought and found myself without a back up book. (I always pack a back-up book; I'll blame it on pregnant-head.) We also like a good deal when shopping.

Matt and Rene cool off in the creek in downtown Golden. The park downtown seemed to be a popular place to cool off on the hot summer days.

Posing with the elusive bronze trout.
Dave and me in front of the famous Coors plant in Golden.
The driftboat that Dave and Matt fished from while on the Colorado River.

Colorado Trout Fishing

Over the holiday weekend, we visited our friends Matt and Rene in Golden, CO. We had a GREAT time, and the hospitality of our hosts was greatly appreciated. Hopefully we didn't wear out our welcome because I could go back tomorrow. Numerous times during our trip I found myself just staring at the huge mountain ranges and beautiful vistas. It is truly an inspiring place to visit (or to live if you are lucky enough). Golden is a great little town situated at the base of the Rockies. It has a quaint small town feel, but is still close enough to Denver for convenience.

I of course did some fishing while we were there. It was our first time in Colorado, so the trout fishing was a bit of a learning opportunity. I learned a lot and was able to catch a few fish too.

Clear Creek Brown Trout - the first fish of the trip.

Nice Brown Trout caught during our guided trip on the Colorado River.

Matt's lunker Brown Trout - easily the biggest of the trip. I think he caught the world record whitefish too. :)

Clear Creek Brown Trout

Clear Creek Rainbow Trout

My New Favorite Picture

This was taken on Sunday morning while Miranda accompanied me on a short fishing trip on Clear Creek in Colorado.

We will of course post complete details of the trip later, but I had to share this one.