From zero to 60 in no time flat...

That's how quickly our office/ guest bedroom has been transformed into a nursery! We made the trek from Jersey to Delaware yesterday, since it is the home of tax free shopping. Our mission: to find a crib and dresser in our price range that matches my ever picky tastes. My sister mentioned a children's furniture store. After checking the website, and Bryan mapquesting directions we were off! The trip is relatively easy, unless you decide to try and circumvent the traffic right over the Delaware Memorial Bridge, like we did. After driving through some of the more "colorful" areas of Wilmington we somehow found a round that was actually on the mapquest map. After a few more turns, ta-dah Closic's Children's Furniture! I get nervous walking into these places. Suddenly I feel like I'm a little kid, when in fact I have an opinion of what I like and even more of an opinion of what I don't. They were great there! We gave them our ballpark and we were able to spend less without them trying to sell us more crap than we need. So here's our crib and dresser: Imagine them both in white!

From Closic's we took a bit of a detour. Friendly's was calling! Who doesn't love Reese's Peanut Butter cup sundaes?? We then attempted to surprise my parents and family friends as my mom was housesitting in PA, but that didn't quite go over as well as anticipated so somehow about 2 hours later we're on the way back home. That is until we saw IKEA on the side of the road! Backstory a bit: Bryan HATES Ikea. He hates the idea that people go into the store and actually purchase entire rooms from rug to couch to picture frames. So, as I suggest IKEA for a new single bed, I thought he'd laugh. Yesterday, he had a change of heart. He saw IKEA as I do- a great place to purchase inexpensive furniture that requires some sweat and an allen wrench but overall worth the cheap price. We did the grand tour, as is the only way to shop IKEA. After dancing with the notion of purchasing another metal daybed because it was only $59, we settled on this. Not too bad right, for under $200. While the bed isn't too snazzy, the storage underneath is sick! Really I think the baby's entire wardrobe can fit in the deep drawers. If my crafty side comes in play, I may even paint the wood orange or green to match the bedding! Of course that wasn't the only thing we bought. We have a snazzy new desk lamp that's about the size of a bottle of soda shining on the computer. Plus new wooden hangers, 6 lightbulbs, a red circular rug for the kitchen, and we found a blue elephant for the baby! Now, it's time for Bryan to whip out the allen wrench and attempt to assesmble this bed, because the boxes really clash with the Christmas decor in the family room!

Can you believe viability is only 3 days away?

I mentioned to Bryan that my doc sister has a 24 wk. preemie in the NICU that she sucessfully intubated. It was as I was saying this that I realized, Wednesday we are 24 weeks. Baby could come and survive and while I told Bryan I found it exciting, inside I could not wrap my mind around it. Bryan, meanwhile, went into an immediate panic. Making another list of what we need, complaining that my shower location is not booked, barking at me to set up a tour of the hospital, as well as enrolling in baby readiness class.
This pregnancy has been a dream thus far. Really, besides my huge boobs and ever growing stomach, nothing else really has changed. In the first trimester, I kept waiting for the morning sickness to come. Days turned into weeks turned into nothing! It was also during that time that I was sure I would miscarry. I remember thinking to myself, "now don't get too excited, you could loose it any day". Just like the morning sickness, that day never came. No extreme tiredness, no moodiness, no crazy cravings- everything has been good. While I normally consider myself an optimistic, I still think something is going to hit me. I keep knocking on wood. My mom said that the healthiest she ever felt in her life was during her 3 pregnancies. I'm guessing I'm following her lead. Hopefully my labor will be short like hers too!

Chicken Pox and Head Lice and Runny Noses- Oh my!

Friday started out as any other day. I got dressed in my new long sleeve t from Gap which honestly feels like pajamas, made the commute up the turnpike and rolled into school. Everything was going normal. My kiddies were a little crazy, be it a Friday that's nothing new. I was sitting at my desk correcting some papers when our school nurse stepped in with a piece of paper in her hand. "Nothing really to worry about, but I just wanted you to read this" as she hands me a letter from a mother of a student I had had last year. "I wanted to write to inform you that I think I may have chicken pox. While we're not 100% sure, I thought it would be in the best interest of everyone if I let you know.....please let Mrs. S know since she's expecting." CHICKEN POX on an parent?!? I didn't even think about worrying about the possibility of that. Luckily my kiddies had Spanish so I was able to sneak to the office and call my OB. After calling the other office, I finally get in touch with the OB coordinator and try to explain my story. It went a little something like this:
"A parent of a former student may have chicken pox and I'm wondering if I should be worried". I say
"The student shouldn't be in school if they have chicken pox!" Says the nurse.
"It's not the student, it's their parent."I say.
"The parent should know better than to send in a student who has chicken pox!" says the nurse
Deep Inhale hear then slow exhale by me
"The student is fine, it's her mother that may have chicken pox!"
"OHHHH! Sorry. If you had the chicken pox and your tests early on would show your levels you should be fine. "
Sigh of relief from me
Nurse says "Let me go check your file to see what your levels were like early on".
Insert cheesy hold music here.......
Nurse comes back "Yeah, you never had that test. So we you come in next week, I'll give you the paperwork for it. But I think you'll be fine!".
Great, one more thing to worry about....but the day gets better.
I get back to my room and things go on in their usual crazy manner. The nurse comes in via intercom asking to see a certain student. Student heads down and within five minutes she comes back on asking for his things. Weird, right?
Ha ha, there's more. She then says that he has some houseguests on his head and could I send down some of my kiddies to get checked. The four letter word that brings fear into every heart of elementary school teachers has come into my class- LICE! Luckily all the kids, myself and my student teacher were clean, but it didn't stop us from itching the rest of the day. It ended up this child and his entire family had it and the nurse said she had never seen them such large ones before. Nice, I win the fattest lice game!
The day continues and my nose starts to run. Normally, this situation could be handled with any number of OTC drugs but not now, not with baby on board. So here I am, with box of tissues next to me sniffling away. I've heard vitamin C helps, I wonder if there is such a thing as too much orange juice?

"Everything looks perfect"

Those were the words the doctor uttered after looking at all the frames from the ultrasound. Our baby is developing fine. We're only a few weeks away from "viability" and it's really starting to feel more real. I have started to feel on a regular basis this kid kicking me. Speaking of kicking, let me mention this child's measurements thus far. The head, stomach, etc.. all measured about 21 to 22 weeks. Exactly where I am, that is until the tech got to measuring the leg bones. Surprise- 24wk. 4 days! We thought that was long,until the tech measured the arms- 25 wks. I think we can safely assume that is going to be one long baby! At the end of the session the tech punched in all the numbers and gave us an estimation as to how much the baby weighs at 21 weeks. Typically babies are about 3/4 of a pound. Not our little porker! All ready, they're saying it's 1 1/4 pounds! I should also mention that's with me being on lovanox- a blood thinner whose only side effect is low birth weight! What does that mean- can you imagine how big this kid would be if I wasn't on the blood thinner?!?
With each week, I'm getting more and more excited. Before we know it, April will be here and we'll know whether it's a boy or a girl. Until then, it's orange, and green, and yellow!

I'm not always goofy...

As I was driving the long commute home today, I think it honestly sunk in that there is a real living being growing in my abdomen. Over the past few weeks I have started to feel him or her kicking and moving around. It's honestly so surreal. In just 4 months there will be a little person depending on me (and Bryan) for all it's wants and needs. While I'm really excited about meeting him or her, I am terrified of the unknown. I feel like I have huge shoes to fill. My parents are and have always been fantastic. People at work have made comments that I'll be a natural with children. What if I'm not? I realize babies don't know any better, but I do. There's so many "what if's" right now as we patiently wait for these last 19 or so weeks to pass.
I realize having a child is going to change everything, but what will this mean for me? I have been defined by my job these past 7+ years. I have my routine, my friends, my classroom, and students. I know, well pretty much, what each day is going bring. I am confident in my role as a teacher. I know I am good at what I do, and I know I'm effective. I make a difference and I enjoy myself daily. Now to understand that in a few months I'm abandoning this for a new job. Deep down, in my heart I know everything will be fine.
I know I am going to screw up things when this child is born. I will make mistakes and the kid is going to cry. I am going to cry and maybe Bryan may even cry, but I know, deep down, it's going to be worth it. This child is going to be the best surprise we never planned for!

Ode To My Breasts

I know, I know- I'm posting twice in one day...but I really need to get this off my chest. (Hehehe!)
Once upon a time you were perky and firm,
As I look down now, my stomach will turn.
You once could be cupped by a hand, so nicely,
Now all these damn, new bras are so pricey!
My cup runneth over and over some more,
I'm worried my nipples will drag on the floor.
It's miracle, I know to be carrying a life,
To have a great husband, to be a good wife,
But honestly ladies whose breasts got so big,
Did you really think this was part of the gig?
To look like a native in National Geographic Mag,
And to think when it's over that's when they'll sag.
So fondly I bid farewell to my girls once small,
Now I work on my balance to prevent any falls.
So now my perky breasts will remain just a ghost,
Until I look back and laugh at this post.

Thanksgiving Rewind

For the fourth consecutive year, Bryan has taken it upon himself to cook dinner. Of course, I his ever loyal sous chef, took my role seriously. Really, imagine all the extra time it takes for him to peel carrots, sweet potatoes, and to chop celery and garlic? I am indespensible! I can't lie, he makes a mean dinner. The turkey was yummy, and I can't stop raving about the sweet potatoes and corn bread stuffing. My parents and his mom got along swimmingly as usual, and my 24 year old brother, spent less time on his cell phone than I anticipated. We truly are lucky to have so many good things to be thankful for this year. The only thing missing besides Casey in Korea was my sister.

However with that being said, this negative turns into a positive today. Why, you ask? We get to do Thanksgiving dinner again today! I've taken to calling it Thanksgiving part deux. My super talented and intelligent sister Jeanna is a first year resident at DuPont Children's Hospital and yesterday she was on-call. It was weird her not being here, but as I'm typing I know she's making the trip up looking forward to the cornbread stuffing, asparagus, and the divine Death by Chocolate cake that we indulged in yesterday. Yippee! Two times the food.

Why Blog?

So, why am I here writing? I mean everybody blogs now, right? Even people who I don't think can even read let alone write are blogging. So, why me? I'm just an ordinary girl living in Jersey trying to figure out life. Where should I start? How about the guy that did this to me!
It's amazing that somehow I ended up married to a wonderful guy who shares in my twisted sense of humor and makes me laugh endlessly. I met Bryan the first week of college at we've be together since. It's really weird if you think about it. I found my soulmate at Boland Hall dorm, the same place where countless freshmen lost their virginity, drank abundantly, partied hard, and began their college careers. When I tell people we've been together that long, they laugh. That's pretty much the two of us- always laughing, even when it's inappropriate. This kid really has no chance in normalcy!
Along the way to here- pregnant me it went a little like this: we graduate, I get a job teaching first grade, Bryan decides to do the law school thing, we shack up together, he passes the bar (both the actually Legal Bar and a few drinking establishments....but that's another post altogether), he got a job, we get engaged, I started grad school, we get married, he gets another job, I kept teaching, he gets another job, we move to Central Jersey, I almost die...really... (another future post), we spend a year blissful, we plan the delayed honeymoon (another future post), and then I pee on a stick and it all changes. I'm knocked up waiting for the arrival of our child while attempting to finish my Master's and Bryan is considering what way his career should go. I won't lie. While I'm excited to meet this little person that makes me pee all the time, I'm also scared to death about what having a child is going to be like.
I guess I'll end it now with a quote from my mother-in-law repeated multiple times over 2 or was three martinis the night we told her she was going to be a grandmother. "Babies are a Blessing".