One more day..............One more week

One more day until I find out if I am having a boy 0r a girl. Daddy, and anyone else, may be grounded from my blog if you don't want to know what the gender is. I don't have a preference. I am a planner so this finding out stuff is right up my alley. I don't plan on starting on the nursery until school is out anyway. I am excited to find out if everything else is okay as well. I was told that they measure the anatomy of the baby as well as tell you the gender. So I will be laying there and Jerry will be standing there for a while I guess. I will post a new picture of "BABY J".............................
One more week until I go to DC with my 8th graders. Am I nuts? probably. Am I going to be tired? most definitely. But I am looking forward to it. I am sure I will have pictures of the trip as well.
Nothing else exciting is going on. Being pregnant pretty much wears me out!!

Happy, happy, joy, joy...........

I guess I had fought the fight long enough. You know, when everyone around you is getting this stomach bug and is miserable? Well, Wednesday I got a foul glimpse of the evilness that is lurking in our schools. I woke up Weds. feeling ickier than normal and by afternoon had gotten sick............... and then never did eat or drink again that evening as the surge of nausea hit me on and off again with vengence. By Thursday morning, I was calling into school, calling my Mom and my doctor (the OB). My OB called me back and had me go to the Women's Pavillion for IV fluids, etc. I called Anne to see if she could take me. She was so excited to be on the other end of the hospital bed. Not in it................. she took great pride in watching me turn green from the first vein not working, watching me look pitiful and just simply not being the one sick. (Of course Anne and I are so close that by Friday she ended up with the same bug and was in the ER on Saturday morning getting her needed fluids.)
After 6 hours, 3 bags of fluids and misc. other drugs, I was given chicken noodle soup, then allowed to go home. Where I proceeded to go right back to sleep for the next 13 hours. I felt like a champ on Friday but Saturday and Sunday I began to feel yucky once again. I hope I am not getting round 2 of this horrible creature. I just got an email from Anne and she has informed me that Arissa now has possession of the bug!!

14 Weeks and Counting..................

Who does this ultrasound belong to? Well, it isn't my sisters or any of my friends.............. it's MINE....................Yes, I am going to be a Mom and Jerry is going to be a Dad. Not part of our plan, but apparently, part of God's.

As of today, I am 14 weeks along and due September 15th. Still waiting on the surge of energy to kick in and the all day nausea to go away. I don't know what I am having yet, but will in 4 weeks. I went to the doctor today and everything was fine. I heard the happy little heartbeat.

As far as everything else I am feeling, it comes and goes. I am happy one minute and scared and embarrassed the next. I know things and events happen for a reason. I will know this reason some day. Not today, tomorrow, or next week, but some day. I can only have faith in God that he knows what he is doing and that I can handle this with help from Him. I will also have help from Jerry, my family, and my friends.

So, if you all have been wondering why I haven't posted as regularly as I used to, that is why. I wasn't sure what to say. As soon as I get more information, I will post and I will keep you posted as the months progress.

Lazy and Busy?

I know I haven't updated in a while....... it seems that when I have time, I have no energy and when I have energy, I have no time. School and Life are keeping me busy. I was hoping to have had more snow days by now, but as the weather pattern would have it, no such luck. Ice storms don't count as real snow days to me. I want to see the actual snow. By now, I bet we are wanting it to get so cold it will snow, or really warm up and be Spring.
On the family front, Anne had her tonsils removed a few weeks ago and is now well on her to recovery. We are so thankful. I know I miss my Anne...... : ) Arissa is now sporting straight hair and looks waaayyyy too grown up for me. You can see pictures on Anne's blog www.peasinourpod.blogspot.com Jerry and I are still together. He still makes me very happy.
I really don't know anything else right now. I just wanted to say that I am still alive and still here.
Thanks for checking in................

Goodbye 2007....Hello 2008

I am cheating and borrowing some of the questions that Anne used in her blog........... Thank you Anne!!!
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Bought a car and had a deer hit it 29.5 hours later !!!!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I don't recall making a resolution last year......
3. What countries did you visit?
Like Anne, I am guessing Hilton Head won't qualify as a country huh?
4. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Money
5. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 10th --- Jerry and I had our first date.................... And Sept 27th ---- the day he said he loved me
6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving on my own............ finding out who I was and being happy with ME!
7. What was your biggest failure?
Forgetting those around me from time to time.
8. What was the best thing you bought?
My car (SUV)
9. Where did most of your money go?
CO-PAYS and Bills
10. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My first Dates with Jerry
11. What song will always remind you of 2007?
"Take me There" by Rascal Flatts (it came out when Jerry and I first started dating: )
12. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier........ way happier.
b) thinner or fatter? according to pictures..............Thinner
c) richer or poorer? what is being richer anyway????
13. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Jerry's family.
14. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I can finally say, without a doubt, YES!!!! He is my blessing.
15. What was your favorite TV program?
Anything on Discovery Health or TLC, although I have come to love "Mythbusters".
16. What was the best book you read?
Since I have no time to read, I will have to say the 8th grade Math Book I teach from.
17. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Josh Turner and the Celtic Women (thanks Anne)
18. What did you want and get?
A caring, loving boyfriend who continually makes me laugh and smile.
19. What did you want and not get?
To win the lottery................ even though I have never bought a ticket.
20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I can't remember......... I think I came home and did nothing. I turned 37.
21. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
if it's clean, and it fits, it works.
22. What kept you sane?
THerapy............. Meds...............THerapy..................Meds
23. Who did you miss?
Yvette
24. Who was the best new person you met?
Jerry
25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
I have to be happy before I can make someone else happy.
26. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"If you're going thru hell, keep on movin', don't slow down, walk right through it....."

My neck is better. After a weekend of being sick and immobile, I woke up New Years Eve Day to discover that my neck was 75% better. Boy was I relieved!! I had to be up early for the cable guy to be here between 9-11 (he came at 10:30) to determine why my internet was acting funky. Cause of problem............... chewed on wires outside of my bedroom, culprit: Maddi.
Jerry and the girls got here about 11:00 to spend New Year's Eve and Day with me. We ended up going to a park in Kingston where Jerry and the girls had great fun pelting each other with the Nerf guns. We each have one and you can only imagine the havoc we can wreak.
Chloe shooting at her Daddy (look for his head)

The girsl attempt to reload and find their daddy.

Jerry trying to reclaim all of HIS darts......... yes they are labeled.

After the park in Kingston, it was to the house to potty and then on to the Harriman park. Jerry and I kicked the kickball back and forth for over an hour............... and were completely whooped. By the time we were done, we were hungry, so it was off to El Canterino's for dinner and then errands. We were back home and relaxing by about 6:30. We watched t.v., the girls colored, and then Midnight came and went............... right in the middle of a show about tornadoes. Oh well, at least Jerry and I were together. Some people I know had significant others that had to work the nite shift.
Jerry left early on New Year's Day to go hunting and when the girls and I got up and got ready, we went and met him on the bluff for a day of 4-wheelin'...............yes, it was incredibly COLD, so it called for multiple layers of clothing, including camo. We went a different way and discovered some beautiful overlooks and trails then ended up at "our" bluff, as the girls call it. Jerry built us a fire and we relaxed and played for a couple of hours. I was sad when they had to leave to head back home, but I am so glad I got to spend those 2 days with them.

Jerry helped each of the girls out on the rock to see the view.

Mr. Camo and Chloe chillin' on a rock.

I took my Christmas decorations off the tree, left those stinkin' lights on there and chucked the tree. I was not going to mess with taking the lights off when they made me so crazy putting them on. By Tuesday nite, my living room was back in order with some minor changes to the decor. New year, new view I say.

I spent Wednesday being a bum and doing a little bit of nothing. I had a doctor appt at 8:20 Thursday morning that lasted until 11:45. Not sure what is going on with me, but I have to go to a neurologist on January 21st for a consult. No need to worry just yet. I will let anyone know when it is time to worry. (sound familiar Anne?)

Friday I had to report back to school for an Administrative Day................ we had 2 wonderful speakers and then lunch and then working in our classrooms. By the time I got home from me and Joshua's various errands and appointsments, it was 6:30. I was shocked to see Maddi in the neighbors driveway walking around, since she is supposed to be on her tie out in the backyard. In a nutshell, she had broken free from the other one, still sporting the clasp and part of the tieout. I spent yesterday morning at Lowes concocting a sturdier tieout, something that I could make. THanks to the young man in hardware, I was able to understand and duplicate what he showed me. I happy with the new tie out and hope that it lasts for a while.

Our students come back tomorrow, the 7th. Ask me if I am ready? As ready as I'll ever be. Plan wise I am ready, mentally I think I need to find a job where it is okay to take 2 hour naps in the middle of the day. : )

Hope everyone's 2008 has gotten off to a good start.......... I can't complain so far. Small blessings are all around us........................ enjoy them while you can.

The Napping Puddle Splasher and the 4-Legged Escapee