What I See When I look down

My stomach is getting huge! There's still four more weeks to go ... yikes.



A few days ago, we had Aaron's parents and sister over for the evening! It was a lot of fun. There were three doxie's and a chi running around, so the cats called it a night ... for the whole day.



And I made some DELICIOUS "Fruit Cookies." It was actually supposed to be fruit pizza. However, I didn't have a roller ... and apparently wasn't clever enough to use ANY THING ELSE THAT IS KIND OF CIRCULAR to roll out the dough. So, I made fruit cookies instead. They came out absolutely amazing. Too bad they aren't at all healthy!

Resolutions

It's that time again!

Resolutions for this year are as follows:

Lose 50 lbs (which shouldn't be difficult since 40 of that is Baby weight)
Stop cussing (Must be a good Momma!)
Stop Procrastinating and MAKE things happen
Take more pictures!

So, I've decided that I'm going to try and keep up with the picture taking on the blog. I'll post a new picture every day! Minus the days that I'll be in the hospital with the baby ... when I come back after that I'm sure I'll have TONS of pictures to post .... so it should even itself out.

So, I leave you with a cute one! Liam says HELLO AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I hate my J-O-B

Go figure, right?

After four (read: almost six) years of college, I'm seriously re-thinking what I went to school for.

The school that I teach at is still considered a "suburban" school ... but is actually more of an "inner-city" school. Think Freedom Writers without the eventual respect and love coming from the students and you've got my every day life!

Seriously, I was actually told a couple of days in "This is like Freedom Writers, except we're going to tear that White Bitch up." Awesome.

Can you imagine how this is sucking the idealistic life force right out of my very soul?

Here's a couple of phrases that I hope YOU never hear at your job:

1. You should be teaching somewhere in The Woodlands. (Me:) What is that supposed to me? (Student:) You don't belong here, Miss.
   
2. I hope your baby dies
3. Shut the *@(& up, I don't care what the *@(& you think.
4. (Fingers in ears) NAH NAH NAH ... I'm not listening to you ... (Yeah, that's right ... I teach a bunch of babies posing as ninth graders)
5. My mom can kick your ass.
   

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Needless to say, my stress level is through the roof. I keep getting told that my next year will be so much easier. I know it will be ... but it doesn't make this year all that much fun.

Luckily, I'm on Christmas break right now. I'm still enjoying one more week of vacation before I go back. During this time ... I'm supposed to write this huge report about each of my 32 possible failures for the semester. Apparently, the English department is only allowed to have a 15% fail rate. So, we have to completely justify all of our failures. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to write "Sits and stares at me with contemptuous looks while not turning anything in" on the form.

How am I supposed to pass someone that doesn't turn anything in? How am I supposed to justify that they've learned something ... when they can't show me anything that they've done that proves that they've learned it?

I keep getting told "Well, if you fail them ... they are just going to end up dropping out because they are going to get frustrated." Hm, maybe if they turned some work in (some EASY work, mind you) then they wouldn't get frustrated. Some of the students can't even read very well ... and here they are in the ninth grade, because other teachers have just been passing them along. Lovely.

So, there goes all of my faith in the public school system. I'm seriously considering home-schooling Liam with this cool program that they have up here. It's classical education at it's finest ... and I've always said that Liam sounds like an intellects name.

I got a J-O-B

Like a real one. One that utilizes my degree and everything.

About three weeks ago, I was called in for an interview at a High School in Spring. I thought that I did OK in the interview, given that I was unable to wear a suit because of my protruding belly, and even laid it all out on the table. I let them know that I was due Feb. 1st, which they all seemed thankful about.

I assumed they seemed thankful, because now there was an excuse not to hire me. I asked them when they would be making their decision. They said Friday.

Friday came and went ... twice.

Last Monday, I got a phone call from one of the administrator's that I interviewed with. She said how impressed she was with me ... blah blah blah. I was waiting for the "But, we've decided to go in another direction" like I've heard numerous times over the months since graduation.

But instead, she offered me the position. I accepted.

Now, I'm simply waiting on all of the formalities. My background check is still being ran ... they are trying to decide where to put me ... etc.

But, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I've picked up my copy of Harry Wong, I've studied the thing from front to back, now lets just hope that I will be able to implement the procedures that will make me a successful first year teacher.

Oh, and did I mention that my schedule is going to be a pretty nice one? I'll have 3 weeks before Thanksgiving holidays ... (week off) ... three weeks before Christmas Holidays (two weeks off) ... 2 to 4 weeks (depending on Baby) before my maternity leave (6-8 weeks off) and then 10 weeks back before the end of the school year. And I'll be sitting there with a full year of teaching credit!

Sweet.

Hopefully.

I'll keep you posted.

Liam's Playlist

I'm trying to come up with songs to start playing to Liam whenever Aaron or I listen to music. The music should be calm and soothing ... to keep my heart rate down so that Liam will know that I am in fact calm and soothed.

The plan is ... that I will play these songs to him from here on out and I'll also play it while in labor and delivery. And HOPEFULLY, it will keeps things nice and calm throughout the entire process.

I really would like to have a lot of songs (Like hours and hours worth) and right now we are sitting at 2 hours and 15 minutes. So anymore suggestions?

Here's what we have so far:

Can't help falling in love with you - Elvis
Make you feel my love - Adele
At Last - Norah Jones
Somewhere over the Rainbow - IZ
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
Sea of Love - Cat Powers
Better Together - Jack Johnson
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Run - Leona Lewis
Fade into you - Mazzy Star
Come What May - Moulin Rouge ST
Your Song - Moulin Rouge ST
Beautiful Boy - John Lennon
To Zion - Lauryn Hill
A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion
Simple Man - Shinedown
Blackbird - The Beatles
In My Arms - Plumb
Return to Pooh Corner - Kenny Loggins
Have I told you lately that I love you - Rod Stewart
Miracle - Celine Dion
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) - Dixie Chicks
Danny's Song - Kenny Loggins
Edelweiss - Julie Andrews
First time ever I saw your face - Celine Dion
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
Don't Cry Baby - Madeline Peyroux
With or Without You - Keane
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer
This Woman's Work - Maxwell
Winter Song - Sara Bareielles & Ingrid Michaelson
Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers

Give me your suggestions!

When I think about ...

Do you ever sit back and wonder how life can get so good? And then immediately get really worried and think that something bad is almost ... in the line up? Real soon?

That's how I've been feeling lately.

Honestly, I don't know how my life could get any better right now.

• I graduated from College in May
• Bought a new car in May
  
• I found out that I was pregnant in May
• We are closing on our brand new built just for us house in October
• We are having our baby at the beginning of the year next year ...

Besides the fact that petty items like Harry Potter and the Time Traveler's Wife coming out in theatre's was pretty dang cool too.

So, where's the strings? I mean, I really hate thinking of things like that. I am so very thankful for the blessing that God has bestowed upon me. But ... all of the bad stuff that has happened to me in my life ... is it just waiting around the corner to surprise me again? Or, is it finished for a while?

So far, I can say that 2009 is one of the best years of my life. It's definitely been the one with the greatest milestones!

So, I guess ... check back in December ... just to make sure ... but yeah, 2009 is number one so far!

When I think about how perfect my life is ... and then I feel Liam kick ... a huge grin plasters itself across my face.

Thank you, Lord.

Feeling him move inside me

I'm 20 weeks pregnant now. Almost 21 weeks pregnant. Half way there! But, so far ... I don't want to ever stop being pregnant, I don't think.

Sure, I want to hold my little man, I want to know if he's going to have blonde hair like his great and grand-father. Or if he's going to have brown hair like his daddy. Is he going to have brown eyes ... or light colored eyes like me? Will he have my lips ... or my eyes ... or will he be the spitting image of the amazing man that I can call mine?

But, I love feeling him move inside me. I love knowing that I am never alone. He's always there ... right below my belly button. Even as I type this, he's pushing against my stomach in quick successions, and it makes me smile every time. I feel like I was born to be pregnant. It's been amazing.

So, yes ... I'm half way there ... and then there is the rest of my life that I get to spend with the sweet little boy that is growing so big inside me. But, right now ... I'm perfectly content with his little jabs to remind me of God's little miracle.