Welcoming 2012!

I'm excited to welcome 2012, but really... 2011 was a great year for us!!

January 2011 - I was in the interview process for my current job... sort of.  We had pretty much written off hope that I was going to get it, but technically I was still in the running.  We also decided that it was about time to try for a brother or sister for Nicholas.  Nicholas started his new preschool.  I was nervous because it was his first time not in a Christian preschool, but also excited because I could tell this school had a lot to offer.

February 2011 - I actually started my first full time teaching job!  It was a nightmare to walk into.. the long term sub had done practically nothing and I really thought the kids would hate a teacher coming in and making them work.  Thankfully, that wasn't really the case at all. 

March 2011 - We booked our first family camping trip! 

April 2011 - We were waist deep in our house hunting and getting a little sad that we hadn't found the perfect home yet.  We didn't know at the time that it just wasn't really in God's plan for us to buy right now.  Now we're thankful we didn't buy because we're hoping to leave California in the next 2 years or so.

May 2011 - Nicholas turned 4 years old!  I still can't believe he's 4 and now he's going to be 5 before we know it.  He's went from the little boy who scared me because I thought he was speech delayed, to a curious and inquisitive little man who is always asking how things work. 

June 2011 - We went on our first family camping trip!!!  We spent 3 days in the Sequoias and had so much more fun than I even expected!  We met other families, played in the snow, hiked a bit, and really just enjoyed taking in God's creation.  I felt like it was such an awesome opportunity to teach Nicholas about how great and amazing God is.  The last day of June also brought s surprising discovery... we were pregnant!  I say surprising even though we were trying because on the way home from camping Jon and I actually talked about it and I told him that I was 100% sure we WEREN'T pregnant that cycle but we'd try again in July.

July 2011 - July wasn't too exciting to the average person, but to an AVID teacher it was great!!  I got to go to my first AVID Summer Institute and I had a BLAST!  I got to know my AVID team a lot better, learned so much about the AVID program and just enjoyed it so much overall!  It was great (aside from morning sickness)!  It was also the first time that I had to leave Nicholas and it really gave me a taste  (albiet, a VERY small taste) for how hard it was for Jon to leave Nicholas.  Even just week away was hard.

August 2011 - This month brought a lot of excitement... first, we got to see our little guy for the first time and make sure all looked well!  The heartbeat was strong so we finally felt comfortable telling the world that we were expecting!  We also started a new school year, so I got to start a year fresh from the beginning!

September 2011 - Jon hit the 1 year mark at his new job!!!  FAI has been such a blessing on our family.  They are an amazing company that, in a selfish corporate world, really cares about their employees and their families.  Jon works with wonderful people and I hope we can stay with this company for many many many years to come!  We also found out in September that the little one was, indeed, a little BOY!  He made it perfectly clear.  Took Nicholas a while to adjust to the idea (he wanted a sister)... but once he did... he named his little brother and got super excited!!!

October 2011 - Jon went on his first big ride supporting "Off the Front."  A bunch of guys from FAI did it as well so it was a fun time with friends and a great workout for him!  I was there for my first Homecoming Week and we had a great Halloween!  We went to ZooBoo and Pump It Up and a church event before Trick or Treating and ending the night with some great friends!

November 2011 - As small as it may sound, my favorite part of this month was making our first Operation Christmas Child Box with Nicholas fully involved.  In the past he's gone with me and kind of helped, but this year he totally understood what we were doing and was SO proud to carry it to drop off by himself and tell the women there that he had made a box "for a little boy far away who has no Christmas!"  It was wonderful!!!

December 2011 - This month has been great!  Despite getting some bad measurements with the specialist, we also found out that light bedrest works and keeps my numbers where they should be.  We had a wonderful Christmas!  We were able to see family we hadn't seen in years and celebrating Nicholas' last Christmas as an only child.  It's hitting me hard right now that we'll have another little one in the house in about 2 months!

So that's it... we're thankful to God for 2011... with it's ups and downs and excitement and disappointment... 2011 gave us a renewed sense that God's plan is perfect for our lives.  We saw our little guy grow and learn so much in such a short time, and we saw God's majesty in his creation of new life!  I can't wait to see 2012 with it's excitements (new baby!), stressors (sibling rivalry?), and new adventures!

SO happy!!!

I am so happy!!!!  Today I had an appt with the Peri and we got great news... the bed rest worked and I maintained all my measurements!!  I stayed right at 2 unless she put pressure on baby, and then I just went down to a 1.8.  He went ahead and kept me on bedrest another 2 weeks, so I'll be off the first week back.  I'll see him and my normal OB in 2 weeks and we'll figure out where we go from there! 

I just feel so much better!  For a while there I was getting myself kind of worked up and paranoid about the possibility of having this little guy very soon and having a long NICU stay.  Now I feel 100% confident that we're fine!  God has given me some GREAT doctors who are taking good care of us.  I'm not sure if I'll be staying off work past the 13th, but it's all in God's hands.  God has all of us under His wing and it's going to be great... I'm pretty sure we'll be welcoming the little guy sometime in March! =)

Christmas :)

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas!  We were extremely blessed!  We got to spend Christmas Eve with Jon's side of the family.  I think that was the most people we had been able to get together in at least 6 years!  It was amazing to see everyone all at once!  Christmas Day was spent mostly with my side of the family, and it was also just awesome!  We've gotten really spread out over the past few years so anytime we can get together it's great.  Nicholas ended up with a friend on Christmas and it was great to see him get to play with a little guy his age!  Despite the world throwing Santa in his face, he still remembered that Christmas is about the Baby King Jesus. 

Jon was awesome and got me exactly what I wanted... a breadmaker!!!!  Woo hoo!!!  I didn't ask for a super expensive one (he even found the one I wanted for way cheaper at Target!) because I don't plan on baking bread every day... but we keep talking about how much we want to make our foods from scratch and focus more on "real" food... so I really wanted to try out bread!  Jon and I made the first loaf Monday night when we got back into town... it was a total disaster.  I tried again this morning thinking maybe we just messed something up... total disaster again.  I finally went online and found out that while the reviews on the MACHINE were good.. the reviews on the recipes that came with it were horrible.  So I found a new recipe online and tried that.  It turned out great!!  Now I have a great recipe for our sandwich bread!  Even Jon was impressed!  I feel like a dork because I can't wait for lunch tomorrow just to make a turkey sandwich :P

Other than that, Nicholas and I are just taking it easy this week.  He is loving having mommy on light bedrest because it means he can play more Wii during the day than usual.  Normally I'm super strict about him playing, but with me needing to hang out on the couch for the most part, I let him play more because it's something I can do with him.  He goes back to school next week and I'm sure he'll be super thankful for that :)  Today I saw my normal doc and she said that things look good... I'm measuring a bit small but as soon as the specialist says that baby and fluid measure fine, they aren't going to worry about it.  Thursday we'll see the Peri and find out if light bedrest is making an impact or not.  Hopefully it's helping me maintain because if it is, getting this kiddo to full term should be a piece of cake!  And like I've said before... knowing God's irony, he'll probably come late!

Kind of scared...

I guess the good thing about posting here is that nobody really reads it.  I don't post my updates to Facebook, I think I only have 10 followers, and I don't seek out new readers, so it's kind of a "safe" place to vent.

That being said... I'm kind of scared.

Tonight I was doing the math.  About 3 weeks ago my normal OB said her goal was to get me to 34 weeks... still early, but late enough that we aren't likely to need help breathing aside from maybe supplemental oxygen.  No transfers to Madera Children's.  At the time, she was worried because my measurements were at 2.9... now we're at a 1.9  When I went yesterday about a minor concern (that, thankfully, was nothing) she reminded me about my Tuesday appt and finished with "make sure you keep it, we need to check for dialating again then."  She also reminded me that if I have concerns, I can't go to my "normal" hospital... they don't have a NICU.  I don't know why, but it hit me that she brought that up... honestly, until she said something it never occurred to me that our planned delivery hospital can't take him yet... not for another 7 weeks.

Anyway... I did the math and realized... 34 weeks is only 5 weeks away.  They're concerned I could be having this little guy in 5 weeks.  FIVE.  Oh goodness...

Of course, he could easily go OVER due.  If we can get my measurements to maintain I could easily end up a week or two past my two date... something that in my last pregnancy would have been stressful but this time around I'll welcome.  And really, I can totally see God doing that... worrying us from 26 weeks to 36 weeks when we'll get the "all clear" and then him taking another 5-6 weeks to come.

I don't really feel ready... not the emotional but the literal.  Jon and I talked tonight... I know my measurements made him nervous but what made him more nervous is the fact that my doctor is concerned.  It's kind of normal for me to be nervous but when the medical professional is concerned it's just different.  Anyway.. we talked about getting the desk moved to the bedroom soon after Christmas and then getting the nursery semi-put together.  Not so much because he needs it done before he comes home (he won't sleep in his crib for the first few months anyway), but because we don't want that on our plates after he's born.  I ordered his crib/dresser/changing table tonight.  I feel awful because I will be of absolutely no help at all putting it together... maybe I can keep Nicholas occupied with Mario Kart on the couch...

I already feel guilty that I'm ruining plans.  No Zoo Lights for us... mommy's doctor said no walking like that.  No CALM... too much walking.  No mini golf this week... too much activity.  Heck... if it involves mommy doing much other than sitting/laying down... it's been nixed.  But I'm so scared of meeting this little guy before it's time... it's just not worth going against what the doctor's said.  I'll probably feel silly when he comes late... but it's also scary to go see the Perientologist every 2 weeks and watch the number get lower and lower.

Anyway... I'm looking forward to Christmas.  I know I won't be able to really play with Nick and his new toys, but I'm super excited to see family and especially for Christmas morning.  We'll read the Christmas story, of course, but then we also have a little box that will get opened first to remind us that the best present ever was God giving us our Savior (or, as Nick calls him, the Saver).

The Things Nicholas Says...

"Oh my goodness, you're going too slow... like a hermit crab!"  (Nicholas, talking about someone on Mario Kart who was going too slow for his liking)

"Yeah Mommy, He's the Saver!"  (playing the Jonah game and Nicholas referring to why Jonah should have listened to God in the first place)

"Mommy, do you know how much I love you?" "Very all the time!"

"Don't worry mommy, you can lay down and I will not whine because I have a good heart and not a spikey heart!" (referring to my laying down while we played Candy Land Castle... good heart v. spikey heart referring to a Sunday School lesson about how we have kind hearts when we let Jesus in)

"I wish Daddy was still just a little sick so he could stay home again."  (Jon got to work from home yesterday because he was still so sick, and Nicholas loved just having him in the house, even though he knows he can't go in the office while Daddy is working from home)

To be continued...

December Updates :)

Wow... another post in less than a month?  I'm proud of myself!!

So last time I posted I mentioned that we had our first not-so-great measurements with the doctor-from-a-bad-place.  She had measured me at 2.5.  My OB was kind and (after I broke down sobbing in her office) referred me to a new Perientologist at Children's Hospital in Madera.  Their office has been absolutely amazing.  They got me in within a week and, because they actually took the time to measure me properly, I measured at 2.9.  That was a little low for where I am in the pregnancy, but nothing to be all that concerned about.   No restrictions or limitations.  We felt immensly better... though I admit I was a bit peeved... we also found out why my body is especially difficult to measure... when it took the u/s tech 15 minutes and then she gave up and called in the Peri and they explained why I'm difficult to measure, it made me angry that the original office never spent more than 3 minutes getting a good number.  The Peri said that as long as I stayed above a 2.5 at my 28 week measurements they would release me to enjoy my pregnancy and just see my normal OB.

Anyway... we went back on Thursday for what we were hoping would be the last appointment with them.  Unfortunately, I didn't stay above a 2.5 and actually dropped down to about a 1.9.  Doc was concerned and put me on "light duty/bedrest."  He said at this point there's no need to lay down all day, but gave me some strict limitations and guidelines on what he wants me doing (and not doing) and we go back again on the 29th at 30 weeks.  I talked to the powers that be at work and gave them a head's up so they would know what's going on in case I do get pulled from work.  Thankfully, I started a 3-week Christmas break yesterday so I've got a good 3 weeks before it's even an issue.

Other than that, things are going well!  I'm getting paranoid about not being ready for Baby Monkey to make his appearance.  I know that, in reality, babies need very little to come home.  Carseat, diapers, wipes, and boob... we'll be fine (and those things we have).  That being said, it's scary to feel like we have this long list of things to pick up.  I'm about to order the crib/dresser/changer and I'll grab the bedding and probably his swing after the 1st.  That alone will make me feel better.  Once we get the office transformed into a nursery I'll feel more prepared.  I just feel guilty because, well, now I'm not much help in the process.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  We're really enjoying preparing for Christmas and especially teaching Nicholas about how Jesus is the most awesome gift we've ever been given!!

Happy (one day early) Thanksgiving!!

Happy (one day early) Thanksgiving!

I'm so thankful for the two sons God has given me.  Nicholas is doing wonderfully overall.  He loves school (and cried when I told him he would be missing this week to come to Bakersfield) and is doing well there.  He just blows my mind regularly with the little things that he picks up and I love it.  I can't believe he's starting kindergarten in less than a year!  They only have half day kindergarten at his school, so at least there's a transition period for the mommies ;)

Baby Brother is doing well... he moves constantly and is kind enough to let Nicholas feel him a lot.  He actually moves a lot whenever Nicholas talks to him, which makes Nick feel special.  We had our last baby ultrasound about 5 weeks ago and he was measuring exactly on track, just like his brother did... so it looks like once again the 4'11" woman is going to look horribly massive come the end of February. :P  We are having some mild concerns.  I've been being watched for incompetant cervix and while my measurements have been great, a week ago we had our first not-so-great measurement.  Unfortunately, that also came with a horrible experience with the specialist so today we see a new specialist and take some new measurements.  If they're the same we'll probably just keep seeing the specialist every other week.  They're just concerned that my body might not hold him in as long as he needs to be.  My normal OB said we'll shoot for 34 weeks minimum.  I'm nervous and paranoid, but I'm also trying to remind myself that God created my body to carry this child specifically... that He handpicked this little boy to be our second son... and His will is perfect and must be carried out to the fullest. 

Work is going fine.  As usual, I love what I do, dislike the politics and semantics that come with it.  I know every job is like that, but it kills me because the politics and semantics are hurting our kids' education.  God has used this job as a wake-up call to me.  He's shown me what lack of discipline turns kids into.  Yes, that sounds harsh... but I see every day how important these early years are to Nicholas and Baby Brother's future.  I know my parenting isn't approved by all... people think we're weird for having Nicholas call people by Mr. & Mrs. Lastname even when they're fairly close friends... people think we're horrible because (maybe once every 6 months) Nicholas gets his bottom spanked.  I don't know that everything that we're doing is perfect... but I know that we approach everything we do with Nick with prayer and requests (and begging and pleading shamelessly) for wisdom.  So far, we're confident that we're doing what God wants us to do. 

Do you ever wonder where exactly God wants you? Or feel like you're not quite there yet?

I feel like that lately... it's a weird "what next?" feeling.

So this blog might turn into more of a devotional area.  The format that I like for devotion is SOAP, Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.  I'm realizing that, frankly, unless I'm willing to give God ample amounts of my time, it's unfair to ask him to direct me.  You build relationships by spending time with people... a relationship with God won't strengthen if I don't give Him time and read His word.  So if you notice SOAP posts soon... that's what it's for :)

Back on the wagon...

Wow... October... I guess life went a bit crazy?

Really, it feels like "crazy" is an understatement.  In early November a friend from the credential program messaged me on Facebook and said "Hey, I noticed a job listing on EdJoin for Fresno."  I checked it out and applied, but at that point I had JUST finished orientation for subbing and figured I'd be subbing until *hopefully* getting a job for the 2011-2012 school year.  In early December I got a call requesting an interview, and then got a call saying the 2nd interview would be during Christmas break.  When nobody called come January, I just assumed I wasn't chosen.  Lo and behold, I DID end up with a 2nd interview and then went before the Board of Supervisors.  In a complete surprise... I started teaching on February 9th!

It was a hectic transition... I was teacher #3.  They had their original teacher, and then a long term substitute who literally did absolutely nothing.  But all things considered, it went very smoothly.  I was pinkslipped March 15th, like thousands of CA teachers, but my district was able to retain me and I will be returning in the Fall!!  I get to teach World Geography, World Geography Accellerated, and AVID (YAY!).  I seriously am SO excited!  I'm spending this summer getting a lot done and I just can't explain how overjoyed I am to be working!!!

Nicholas is now 4 years old.  He just finished what I like to call the "what happened to my sweet little boy" phase that we do about every 6 months, haha.  It seems like every 6 months or so he goes through a few weeks of being more disobedient and whiny, but we just handle it like usual and it fades away.  We seem to be back in the "nice, sweet Nicholas" period.  He's doing very well in pre-school and it's so cool to hear him talk about all of his friends at school.  I can't believe he starts kindergarten next year!

This summer is going to be packed.  This week we're camping, next week Nicholas & I will be back in Bakersfield for Bible Camp at our old church, then a week off before an AVID conference, another week off before an ELD conference, one more week off and then we're back at school!

Overall, God has just been very gracious to us.  He's given us a great son, both of us great jobs, and He's teaching us patience through looking to buy a house.  We serve an AMAZING Father!