The Gender Reveal (& other fun info)! [21 weeks]

To jump straight to Gender Reveal Party details, scroll stright through the 21 week update.  :-)

How far along: 21 weeks / 1st week of the 6th month

How big is baby: 10.5(ish) inches long (length of a full-sized carrot) 

Maternity clothes:  I bought some shirts at a big Old Navy sale, and was also given a large box of maternity clothes from my friend/coworker Charlotte.  I've been wearing some of those, but I have *yet* to get the much-needed maternity pants.  So the belly band and rubber-bands have been getting quite a bit of use (and also bottoms with elastic).

Sleep:  I've been sleeping through the night without getting up, which is AWESOME in itself!  (Though Nic tells me I toss and turn so much that he often thinks I'm awake.)  BUT I've also been having some pregnancy dreams.  I was actually quite a vivid dreamer pre-pregnancy (we're talking 2-3 per night that I could still remember in the morning), so dreaming in itself isn't all that strange.  What IS strange, though, is dreaming that I'm taking tumbling classes while pregnant and feeling scared that I'm going to fall on my stomach.  It's kind of fun to be thinking about little baby in my dreams.  :)

Gender:  This is the exciting part!  We had our Gender Reveal Party last week Monday (see end of post for party details), and it was AWESOME!  Through the party, everyone was able to find out that IT'S A GIRL!!!   Hurray, no more keeping secrets!  And her name is...

AUDRA KAYTE WILLIAMS!

How we picked the name:  Audra:  Nic and I both really like the name Audra.  It's been on our list since we first started thinking of having kids and talking about names.  Truth be told, though, I just couldn't decide.  I knew I liked Audra, but was it the one?  What about Kinley?  And Danika?  And Alyson (Ally)?  How do you decide on a name to last a LIFETIME?  Then, after we'd been talking about names for a while, the talk in the kitchen happened.  Nic and I were both in there, just standing (I think waiting on the microwave) and he did something that confirmed her name for me.  Out of excitement, I hugged him and said something like, "Babe, I'm so excited to be a little family with you!"  And he said, "Yea, just you, me, and (points to my belly) Audra."  That was the first time he called our baby by name with such conviction and intent... not as a suggestion, but as a statement.  My heart melted inside me.  Yes, that was it, no more wondering.  Her name is Audra.
      It's fun to think of baby Audra (which is what we call her), toddler Audra, elementary-aged Audra, middle and high school aged Audra... college-aged Audra (Lord help us), adult Audra, Mom Audra, and old lady Audra... it's a name that we feel can withstand centuries. We think it will fit her perfectly.  Right now as I type these words, I'm wondering how many times in my life I'll type the name Audra.  It doesn't flow freely from my fingertips YET but I know it will eventually.  :)
Kayte:  My mom's middle name is Kay, which she also gave to me.  I always knew I wanted to keep the 'Kay' tradition but I also wanted to put a spin on it and make it my own.  I thought of a lot of different options: Kaycey (after my brother's middle name Casey), Kaylee, Kayla, etc.  But the one I REALLY liked best was KAYTE.  Something about it is so feminine and cute, and now elegant (thanks to Kate Middleton); I just LOVE that name!  In fact, I thought of Kate for a first name, but decided it would fit more perfectly as a middle name with Audra to carry on the tradition.  And so it is.  :)

Movement:  About 3 days after my last post, I was laying on my stomach on our bed, playing on the computer.  I felt a little rumble, which demanded my attention.  At first I thought it might be gas (let's be real, it happens).  But then, I felt it again.  Each time, it was for only a few seconds, but I knew it was different from what I'd ever felt before.  The next day I felt it again, but only once.  For about half a week there, I was feeling it only once a day for just a few seconds.  Then toward the end of that week I would feel it twice or three times.  Now this week, I feel her multiple times throughout the day, but each time it's only fore a few seconds.  Almost like she's just shifting position to get comfortable and that's it.  I wish she would keep moving!  I know as she continues to get stronger I'll feel her more often and for longer periods of time.  It's the coolest thing for me!  Before I was pregnant, I'd always ask my pregnant friends what it felt like.  Some have described it "like a floppy fish" and some say "like a butterfly fluttering its wings."  For me, I guess the closest one would be the floppy fish.  Not like a little goldfish, that's too small.  More like a long fish you'd catch in a lake.  It just moves around so you can feel it in your whole stomach (well, uterus).  I know that's kind of weird to think about (because Audra will DEFINITELY be cuter than a fish) (yet will possibly come out equally slimy), but it's the best I can do.    

Belly-button:  Still an innie.  Is it weird to say I kind of like the look of it when it's stretched tight over my stomach?  Now if only I can make it look that tight AFTER being pregnant...

Exercise:  My goal of 3-4 times in one week was not met.  But 2 times in one week was!  Better that than nothing.  :)  Yesterday when we got to CrossFit, I put on my heart rate monitor and went to warm up.  I was surprised to see that my heart rate was already 155 before even beginning!  I tell you, I guess growing a baby and giving it blood and oxygen and nutrients and HOUSING it really does require a lot of work from your body, and particularly your heart.  It didn't make me not work out or anything, it's just shocking for me to see; I'm not used to it.  It WOULD explain the being more out of breath lately and how it's generally harder to breathe even when I'm just sitting in a booth at Cattle Barron eating my salad and NOT working out.  The CrossFit Mom workouts that were TOO easy in the beginning are just perfect right now.  I can complete the Advanced workouts and get a small sweat going, when before I felt like "What was the point in even coming? This was too easy." 

What I'm loving:  LIFE pretty much!  I love:  1) knowing the gender and calling her AUDRA!,  2) that we found a doula I think I'll love, 3) Nic being happy and excited for Officer Training (see next post), 4) the kids, particularly my "hardest" class being such a joy to teach lately, 5) feeling her move, 6) the fact that Nic put in his two weeks and they were actually happy for him and his future (HUGE relief for him), 7) all the travel plans we've made (also mentioned in next post), 8) registering for baby stuff!, 9) our sweet families and friends that are so eager to be there for us and help, what a blessing!, and 10)  being HEALTHY right now!  I've got so much to be thankful for, and I really am just one happy girl right now.

What I'm NOT loving:  1) the fact that breathing is getting harder, 2) people I don't know putting their hands on my belly... not cool..., 3) the lack of exercise happening despite the great desire within me, 4) that Nic is leaving exactly one month from today (see next post), 5) the HOURS of grading ahead of me this weekend, 6) Nic still working nights (but only for two more weeks!), 7) feeling hungry all the time even though I KNOW I just ate and can't possibly need more food, 8) how much all this cute baby stuff costs, 9) the lack of motivation to do house work, 10) having 3 months and 3 weeks to meet AUDRA.

What I miss:  My husband!  Our schedules were so opposite last week:  I had SMART board training right after school (which is when we usually have dinner together before he goes into work), then he had a staff meeting after he got off at 7 AM (preventing the 30 minutes we have together before I go to work).  It was about a 48 hour period that I didn't get to see him, yet he was in the house and one point and so was I.  It pretty much SUCKED.  I know I'll (obviously) go much longer without seeing him after he leaves for Officer Training, but that'll be different:  at least I'll know he's out of town.  It was no fun having him so close but yet not here.  :(  Thankfully he doesn't work too many more days until he's finished at the hospital here.  It will be nice to go to bed at night with him a few more times before he leaves.



The Gender Reveal Party! 
Hosted by:  Erin Vaubel (whom Nic met in nursing school) and also Lindsey Harkey (also a friend from Nic's nursing school) helped a lot.

Party Details:


Cast Your Vote:  I got a cheap chalkboard from Hobby Lobby and partiers put a mark for their prediction.  More people thought boy!

 
"What do the Old Wives Tales say?" Game:  I found this idea on another blog, and it worked out perfectly!  See the link for the Old Wives Tales we used.  (FYI- the Old Wives said it would be a BOY!)

Guess the arrival date:  This was one of Erin (the host)'s ideas.  She had a small chalkboard and people wrote when they thought the baby would arrive, judging from our due date of June 4.  These pics are of Erin and Lindsey, since they helped so much & it was Erin's idea.
These are also great photos to see one other thing we asked of guests:  wear blue or pink to cast your prediction. 

Food:  I had a "rainbow" cupcake theme in mind, and I think it turned out pretty cute!  To drink, we had the classic sherbert-ginger ale punch (but we also added ice cream to make it creamier).  We also had a counter of my cravings... just because I thought it was a cute idea and I didn't want all of the sweets to give people a sugar coma.

The Big Reveal:  Erin and Lindsey did a REALLY awesome job making the cake.  A few days before the party, Erin and I met to party plan- at which time I told her the gender.  She told Lindsey to get some cake assistance, but the two of them and Nic and I (well, and our doctor and ultrasound tech) were the only ones that knew!  After we played the Old Wives Tale game, everyone gathered around the cake/cupcake table (we took off the punch bowl) and Nic and I cut right in!  The grandparents and Nic's sister's reaction was priceless.  SO FUN to have everyone find out at once!

 The icing completely covered the inside, which reveals the gender...

 Excited to tell everyone...

 The cake was pink!  IT'S A GIRL!

So there you have it!  All the fun details of how we told everyone we're having a sweet little GIRL!

Sorry this post was so long, but I hope it found you well!

I've Just Begun Havin' My Fun (yeah) [19 weeks]

So much is happening at once, it's hard to keep up with it all!  I read my friends blogs and see all of their pregnancy updates and I feel shameful!  I have been SO NOT on the ball with this!  ...and I SO wanted to be!  So here's the first update (of hopefully many):  the good, the bad, and the ugly.

How far along:  0-19 weeks (this update should be interesting with so much to cover!)    

How big is baby:  Obviously started as a twinkle in Nic's eye, and is now anywhere between 6.5-9 inches!  Wowza!!!  Tuesday's ultrasound informed us that baby is around 10 oz right now!    

Weight gain/loss: Not exactly sure about this one... I think prob around 7 right now.  I do know for sure (thanks to the appt today) that I gained 2 lbs within the last month.

Stretch marks: None yet!  Which is amazing since my boobs feel ginormous and are itchy all the time!  I put Vitamin E oil on the high stretch zones (when I remember, which is about 2-3 times per week)... I hear it works out pretty well!     

Maternity clothes: Around weeks 16-17 I noticed it was harder to button my jeans.  Maybe it was the baby, maybe it was all the delicious homemade food my mother-in-law made for all of us.  ...regardless, things were getting a bit tight in there.  At that point I started leaving them unbuttoned and using a rubber band or hair tie, looping it through the hole and around the button to give me some extra room.  That's still what I'm doing now, though, truth be told-- I can barely ZIP them now.  I think here in the next few weeks I'm going to have to get some maternity pants.  Lucky for me, I have quite a few long shirts that completely hide the button/zipper area, so I've been getting away with it. 

-ALSO- my mother in law bought me a belly band, which has really come in handy.  I'm able to leave the pants unzipped & unbuttoned (though I still like to use the rubber band or hair tie to keep them from hanging open) and I can cover up that area with the belly band, which looks like a shirt (for times when I don't have a long enough shirt) and also smooths out any muffin-toppage that may be happening.  (Not that it does.  ...I'm so sorry for that horrible image in your head I may have just created.)  The band has been EXTREMELY helpful.     

Sleep: In the beginning, I was waking up SERIOUSLY 2-3 times a night to pee.  I am not exaggerating!  I found it hard to go back to sleep as well, because... well, a baby is EXCITING!  Around 14 weeks, we got brand new furniture (so the little wiggle worm can have our old stuff), along with a Tempurpedic mattress.  I kid you not, my bathroom usage has cut from 3 to 1 and sometimes zero!  I'm pretty confident that this is due to the fact that this new mattress puts less stress on my body, and therefore my little one isn't pushing as hard on my bladder.  I'm finding it easier to go back to sleep now, too, which is nice.  :)

Week 18 I had a pretty nasty upper respiratory infection, which left me super drained and made it hard to sleep (coughing, phlem, wheezing, the whole fun thing).  Since that's been over, sleep has been blissful.     

Diet/Cravings:  Well, in the beginning I couldn't get enough tater tots!  ...with ranch dressing!  Yummmm!  Then there was a while when I would eat whole pineapples by myself.  Now, I'm pretty much just craving nutritious food.  We had been eating a really well-rounded diet for months before getting pregnant, and after we found out I just ate whatever I wanted because I wanted it SO BADLY.  I started to feel the sluggish effects of not eating healthy (or is that just called being pregnant?!?), so I've started trying go back to our old ways.  So far, so good!  I feel better about what I'm taking in, knowing it's good for me AND BABY!

Gender:  At first, we wanted to wait.  Then I decided the new mom in me wanted to know for planning purposes.  Nic still didn't want to know.  And he made it VERY clear that he didn't want to make a big party out of it. 

~WELL~ We found out  the gender on Tuesday and will be revealing to friends and family on Monday!  The original plan was to just have a dinner and cut into a gender cake.  Then I started thinking about how week nights are bad for a lot of people since their kids have sports, meetings, etc... so then we made it a Saturday thing.  Then decided people shouldn't have to pay for dinner, so now it's just a little 2 hour shindig.  So far [today is Thursday] we've got about 20 people total who'll be there (including us).  We'll have a table full of tots, pineapple, and cheese (of course) for my cravings, also a table for the cake and other nicely colored sweets.  Pics and updates on the gender reveal in next post.  :)

Movement: At our 16 week appointment, the MD said I should feel it any time.  She also said, don't be alarmed if I don't because some don't feel it until after their 20th week.  There are times I think I feel it, but then I talk myself into thinking it's gas or me being hungry.  I just can't tell!  So, I'm going to say no... but when I do, you'll know all about it!

 

Belly-button:  I believe one of my childhood friends had a sister who used to tell me my belly button was like a black hole:  it never ended.  And I have to say, I think I agree.  Who knows how far that thing goes in there?  You need a flashlight to even get an idea of the depth of this anomaly.  I hear that eventually in pregnancy, all innies become outies... but I'm having my doubts about whether mine actually will or not.  Again, I'll keep you updated!

 

Exercise:  I've done CrossFit Mom the whole time.  There were about 3 weeks there (15-18) that Nic's family was in town and we were quite busy with Christmas stuff, so I didn't work out.  And I missed it.  When I did manage to workout in the 1st trimester, it was usually only 2 times/week, which was quite a change from my normal pre-pregnancy 4-5x/wk.  Then those 3 weeks of ZERO working out made me pretty sad and gross feeling (and remember, that's the same time the pants stopped buttoning... didn't make me feel so great).  This week I did two workouts, and I'm hoping next week I can get up to 3 and eventually keep it at 3 or 4.  The workouts are meant for preggo ladies, and I have to say- I love it!  At first, the low intensity was a shock to my hard-working CrossFitting system.  But now, it's JUST what the doctor ordered!  (And yes, she has OKed these workouts!)  

I've noticed things that used to be extremely easy are getting harder and harder (like just trying to lift the bar above my head).  The effects of this are elevated heart rate, which I keep track of on the monitor I wear.  I take VERY frequent breaks to let my heart rate drop and then resume activity.  It's usually in the 150s to high 160s as I'm working out but 170s make me nervous... mostly b/c every time it's that high I'm also getting to be out of breath. I mostly just listen to my body and when I feel like I'm pushing it too hard, I slow down or stop all together to get a big breather.  There has been a lot of new research about working out and pregnancy and I find it all very fascinating.  I have no plans to quit any time soon!  :)     

What I'm loving: Actually looking pregnant!  People are starting to comment on my belly.  It's nice to be out of that stage when the kids say, "Miss, you look fat!" (and yes, they have seriously said that) to the stage when they say "Miss, I can tell you have a baby in there!"  But of course, adults are noticing now too.  The in-between stage made me feel awkward, but I feel like enough people have assured me that it looks like a baby bump and not a fat bump.  So I.am.happy.  :-P      

What I'm not loving: Keeping the gender a secret right now!  I am such a spiller of exciting news!!    (You will know it whether you wanted to or not!  One year, I even ruined Nic's surprise I had planned for him... I wanted to whisk him away & not tell him where we were going, but before we even left town I presented him with the concert tickets.  Sigh.  This is the way I roll.)  Tomorrow I can FINALLY tell my parents [b/c they'll be on a cruise during the reveal] but Monday is still SO FAR away!!!     

What I miss:  BEER!  MARGARITAS!  Hot chocolate with BAILEY'S!  I'm making myself sound like an alcoholic here, but trust me, I'm far from it.  I just enjoy being an adult and partaking in very delicious, very RELAXING adult beverages.  For now I am settling with smelling Nic's beer (or his beer-breath, if that's all I've got.  I just realized that probably sounds disgusting to you.  But oh that sweet smell...)     

Sickness and Symptoms:  The very first thing I noticed was my boobs hurting.  That's actually what convinced me to take the tests.  After that, I was nauseous during the rest of the 1st trimester.  I never had to befriend the porcelain throne, but man did I feel like hurling on some kids sometimes.  (I even told one particularly annoying kid to leave me alone before I puked on him.  ...probably not my best teacher moment...)  I was really sleepy (which is strange for me b/c I'm normally a night person), and went to bed around 7:30 or 8.  Around week 14, I started feeling those round ligaments stretching.  To me, it felt like stabbing sharp pains in my lower abdomen.  But they'd be gone as soon as they came.  Oh, and since the beginning (and I read that it would be this way throughout), my skin has been quite a bit more oily... which makes me break out more, and can really be noticed in my hair if I'm extra grungy and decide not to shower (which I would never do...).  That's just lead to staying on top of washing my face and showering, since all of those things help rid me of the oils.  So far so good!  (And I'm also becoming a very huge fan of spay-in shampoo for Saturdays... [I mean, um, never mind, I wouldn't need it since I'm showering all the time...].)  Oh yea, and pretty much anything cute with a baby makes me cry.  Or anything cute in general.  But that's all the more reason for Nic to laugh at me.  ;)     

So there you have it!  The next one should be significantly shorter since I'll have less ground to cover.  I have to say, it's been quite uneventful as far as sickness, pains and negative side-effects are concerned.  And VERY eventful as far as excitement and planning are concerned!  I am loving every minute of this pregnancy business!  And most of all, I cannot WAIT to meet our baby!!!

...December and There's Reason to Believe... [16 weeks]

Ok, well... that little goal of writing twice a week- yeah, that didn't happen.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot this thing existed.  Not only did I not post twice a week, I didn't even post ONCE a week, or AT ALL for that matter...for four months!  So I'm sorry, and I agree- it's been too long!  I'll try to get better.  :-/ I promise I have a good excuse (and I bet by now you already know what it is)!  

THE BIG MOMENT:
About a month and half into the school year, I decided I couldn't take it anymore.  I'd read about the symptoms, and they were spot on.  After Nic went to work, I took the test and didn't really expect the outcome that it gave (despite the aforementioned symptoms).   Instead of 1 line, there were TWO!  So you guessed it, WE'RE PREGNANT!  Nic and all of our families, of course, are elated.  We knew some sources advised on waiting to tell family and co-workers, but, um... we didn't really do that.  We told our families the same day we found out (because I'm really REALLY bad at keeping secrets), and I told my best work friends within that first week.  My reasoning is that I WANT my support system there for us, should something go wrong.  I don't really want to keep something like this (good or bad as it may go) to myself.  So anyway, the day we found out was one of the most exciting days of our lives (I think it's safe to speak for him on this one), and even now- a few months later- it's all pretty surreal.

THE DISBELIEF:
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY.  Isn't that something that other people do and I only dream about?  It's a similar feeling to the one I had when I realized we were really getting married.  Marriage... that's for other people.  It seemed so unattainable for me, and then I met Nic and it happened and it was real and unbelievably amazing!  And now, a baby!  It's still hard to believe that WE will have OUR OWN BABY!  Something that started from nothing, is going to grow into a huge baby, that will one day be on the inside of me- and the next day, will be on the outside of me.  How strange.

THE BABY & THE JOB:
The due date is June 4.  Yes, to those of you who are teachers (or think along the school timeline) that means I have the lovely pleasure of being pregnant almost the whole.entire.school.year.  JOY! (Could you sense the sarcasm?)  There aren't many things I can think of that are more miserable than having 28 8th graders, at their peak of adolescence (and corresponding attitudes), trying to TEACH them things they DON'T REALLY want to learn, while experiencing all of the pain that pregnancy brings.  I've already gone through the first trimester (which meant I felt like puking on them at times) (too bad I couldn't, b/c I bet that would teach them to not mess with me), but I anticipate the 2nd being much better.

THE 1ST TRIMESTER:
I would be lying if I said my 1st trimester was completely miserable.  I feel very fortunate in my pregnancy thus far.  I haven't thrown up once (although the all-day nausea wasn't really that fun), and although I fall asleep MUCH earlier now, I don't feel like the baby has kept me from doing the things I most want or need to do.  Score on that end!  I look forward to my energy level picking up even more in the upcoming weeks.  (And for those of you who may be wondering, yes I'm still doing CrossFit, but have begun doing CrossFit Mom workouts.  Google it.  :-) )

THE CONFUSING MATH:
Anyone who knows much about having a baby knows that the math is quite confusing.  We've always been told it takes 9 months for a baby to come, right?  Well, we found out we were pregnant at around 6 weeks, and now we're at week 17 (tomorrow).  And we all know that 4 weeks x 9 months should equal 36 weeks (which would make the due date at the beginning of May) but they actually put the due date at 40 weeks (beginning of June).  So, in my opinion, all of the talk about 9 months just makes things confusing to people.  The kids ask me on nearly a daily basis how far along I am and when the baby's coming.  It's confusing for them to hear that I'm starting on my 5th month this week, then they count on their fingers and and the end date comes out all wrong.  Yea, I'm with you there, kids.  Sometimes math is hard.


OK, enough baby talk.  Let's talk about other things!

THANKSGIVING:
We had "Thanksmas" with my family in Missouri.  It was SO great to see all of them!  It was my parents year to host the BIG family, so that was just some icing on the cake.  Our big Christmas gift this year was an AWESOME camera which we love.  We spent quality family time dancing with the X-Box Kinect, putt-putt golfing, and of course- eating!  :)

(Nic & my brother... I wish I had gotten their faces; this was BEYOND hilarious!)

POST-GRADUATION:

• Nic graduated and found a job at a hospital here in town.  I knew he would-- he's too great to pass up!
• He got commissioned as an officer into the Air Force just this very weekend.  My parents came into town and my dad (a retired Army Colonel) swore him in.  It was quite a special time for him (and us).

• Of course, there's more to this Air Force story, but we'll have to wait until the time is right to tell you all about that.  :)

Given the length of this post already, Christmas posts will have to wait until next time.  (And I promise the next will be more recent than the last!)

I hope this finds you all happy and well.  Feel free to comment so I know you're actually reading!  :)  Take care!

~*Stefanie*~

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

This is a special time in Nic and I's life as a married couple.  I know other young couples go through similar events and changes, and that we're nothing new to this, but I'm sitting here just thinking... wow, this week is is a pretty big one.

He gets all blushy when I talk about him in front of his face, but at least if I do it here, you can't see him!  :P  I can't say enough great things about my husband.  He's asleep right now so he'll be ready to go for his final in the morning.  Did you catch the big word?  FINAL.  IT'S HIS LAST WEEK OF NURSING SCHOOL!  This time last year, we had just moved to Texas and every day we were working like crazy to get the house and my classroom put together before the kids started school and Nic started his program.  Here we are, a year later, and he's in his last week and I'm preparing for my second year of teaching.  He's really put in A LOT of hard work with this program (understatement of the year!).  He's practically lived in his books and on his computer, and somehow has pulled it off with awesome grades and still a smile on his face.  Now let's just keep our fingers crossed that he lands a good job (preferably in an ICU to prep him for a Nurse Anesthetist program)! I'm SO PROUD of Nic and all that he's accomplished in one year.  Seriously, think about it... he earned a whole degree in ONE YEAR!  How INSANE is that?  (Did I ever mention he's also really really cute and funny, and incredibly sweet?)  ♥

This was taken the day he found out he got accepted into the program:

Going in for his first clinical shift (yup, he's EXCITED!):

Annnnd one more to show that he actually has hair now.  ;-)

The anticipation for everything has gotten us quite excited.  I can afford to be awake right now because, even though tomorrow is a work day, I've still got just A FEW days of summer left!  I can't believe how fast it went by, and also can't believe all of the things I still have to do before the kids come.  So within the next week, Nic will *officially* be finished with school, and I will *officially* be starting again.  Isn't that the way things usually work?  So we're sort of just sitting back and relishing this time we've got- me still with a bit of summer and him with assignments slowly tapering off as they get finished.  I think about this time NEXT YEAR and how we'll likely be in our new home in Hampton and how we get to work like crazy to put the house together again, and how I get to work at making new friends all over again as well.

Speaking of friends, I can't tell you how many times I've thanked God for all of the AMAZING people we've met (and already knew) here in Texas.  It was a treat, first of all, to be near Nic's family and get to spend more time with them.  But it's just icing on the cake that I work with some really stellar people.  I mean REALLY stellar people.  These are honestly some of the funniest, sweetest, most outgoing, and sincere people that I've ever met.  I've enjoyed eating lunch with them, planning with them, working for them, and seeing their faces every day.  Teaching can be hard (another understatement of the year), especially in a school like ours.  And while I don't think I ever really voiced it to them, they made my first year teaching a lot smoother than it could have been.  They were there for me to talk to, to lean on, and to make me LAUGH on my best and worst of days.  Part of me wonders how I ever got so LUCKY.  And also part of me wonders if I'll EVER be this lucky again in Virginia.  I really am looking forward to school starting again so I can see everyone EVERY DAY, not just on sporadic little dinner/lunch/pool dates. 

I love days like this, when I know the next few days will be full of lots of FUN.  Tomorrow's plan involves a POOL with some fun NURSING STUDENTS (celebrating 1 Final down), working out and then MORE FRIENDS in the evening...  Saturday will again include friends in the evening, and Sunday will include brunch with Nic's parents, POOL again, then celebrating a friend's birthday in the evening.  Monday and Tuesday?  Well, they're the last two days of summer and I'm sure I'll be filling them with something fun!  I know there's no real WORK in my very near future, and even on Wednesday when it all starts back up again... there's STILL fun in the plan (I'm hearing something about a team-building ropes course? Yippee!!!).  I love knowing I've got plans to see people I really love spending time with in the very near future.  Ahhhh Summer.  Ahhhh end of Nursing school (it's great to get my husband back!). 

Life.is.good.  ♥

Missouri Trip- July 2011

So... maybe my plan of posting a couple of times a week has kinda failed.  Miserably.  BUT, at least I have a good excuse:  I was in Missouri visiting family and friends!

As mentioned in an earlier post, my brother got married!  The night before the wedding, the wedding party all went cosmic bowling.  As usual, my game started out with some beginner's luck, which made me really happy and giddy inside, and ended with some no-longer-a-beginner-and-you-suck-at-bowling scores, which made me sad.  But considering I've bowled less times than I have fingers, I'd say I did alright!  More than anything, I enjoyed playing on the same team as my brother, and getting to know his Best Man, Travis (Jessie's brother-in-law). 

After Cosmic Bowling, I stayed the night with the girls at Jessie's house.  It was nice to be around them and get to know them, even if it was just a little bit.  They're all really sweet girls.  It's times like those that make me wish I'd walked away from college with better girl friends.  I'm not sure how many times I've wished I hadn't had my head so up in the clouds and around a boy, and wished I would have spent more time with good GENUINE girls.  I almost get teary-eyed thinking about what great friends people can be to each other.  I love that they have such good friends to share their special day with. 

The next day, I went with the girls to get their hair done.  Isn't little Kylie SOOOOO adorable?  Possibly one of the most hilarious kids I've met, as well.  (At the reception this girl was THE Dancing Queen.  I mean this girl can CUT.A.RUG.)

(Photo by Katie Shea.)

Saturday, July 23rd, Brian and Jessie tied the knot.  The ceremony was absolutely BEAUTIFUL.  My favorite part (that I SO wish I had thought of for our wedding!):  when they washed each others feet to symbolize servanthood and putting others before themselves.  It was really touching. 

The reception decorations were also, of course, AMAZING.  The night was truly magical, and most importantly- I think the bride and groom had a BLAST.  I'll post some of the professional pictures once Bri & Jessie get them up, but until then I'll have to make due with just a few.  (I somehow managed to be too engaged in what's going on to remember to take pictures, so these were taken by Katie Shea, one of the bridesmaids.)

They honeymooned in JAMAICA and just got back yesterday.  Excited to hear about their adventures!

Monday, Nic and I headed to Columbia to get the remote start to my car replaced.  I can't say enough nice things about Sound Performance.  They upheld their warranty with ZERO questions or issues.  It's really nice and refreshing when businesses actually DO good business, you know?  We had them drop us off downtown in The District to kill some time while they got it installed.  Who knew four hours could go by so fast?  We had to stop in at Lollicup, so we could grab a couple of snows (since there's not one in TX).  Then we walked around in the scorching heat, delighting in our ice-cold drinks.  I swear, I felt- for just a second- like I was Carrie Bradshaw, walking the streets of NYC, browsing the shops, drinking my drink, wearing my cool shades.  Yes, I REALLY enjoyed walking around downtown.  We ate lunch at The Rome, where we used to go about once a week, and will always be a favorite of ours.

After we got the car back, we headed to Les Bourgeios since we had plans to meet up with some Columbia people.  Despite the fact that nobody was able to make it to the winery in the end, Nic and I had ourselves a great time.  We split a bottle of wine and dreamt about the future, discussing fun things like moving, babies, traveling, and US and OUR LOVE.  ;)

Despite the fact that we had a gorgeous view of the Missouri and a cool bottle of wine, we were getting eaten by mosquitoes and the bees seemed to smell the sweetness of our wine.  We decided to take the party indoors- to Addison's- where we split the famous Crab Rangoon dip and then the Creamcicle Cheesecake.  (No, that's not on the CrossFit diet, and YES the calories were TOTALLY WORTH IT!)  It turned out to be one of my most favorite Date Nights that we've ever had. 

Thursday I had dinner with my Jeff City girls (who ALL made it!).  Afterward, we had dessert at Culver's and then a few came over to watch a scary movie, just like old times. :)  It's nice to have friends that you've known since the beginning years of elementary school.

Jenna & Aubrey

Rachelle & I

    Jenna, me, Rachelle & Aubrey

The rest of the week was spent with mom and dad, and also I got to see some good friends, Ashley and Jared Jones (wish I had a pic). 

My stay was longer than Nic's (he had to get back from some clinical shifts) because I wanted to be sure to attend the 2nd Annual Run for Hope 5k.  The money from this 5k goes to Hailey's Hope and also March of Dimes, both causes that are now more important to me than they used to be. 

Rachelle Glavin is my very best friend in the whole wide world (she's wearing the grey shirt & black jacket in the pictures above).  I was her Maid of Honor when she got married, and she was my Matron of Honor when I got married.  I've known her since elementary school, and we have too many fond memories to count.  Even today, despite our busy schedules and lack of talking like we used to, when we're together it's like no time has passed at all.  So Rachelle and her baby, Hailey,'s story became more personal than others I've been told.  It would take a while to tell the whole story the way it should be told, but PLEASE check out the link to hear her inspiring story. One result of her story is that there is an annual Run for Hope 5k in Jefferson City, to remember Hailey and to remember to have hope.  I was honored that I was finally able to be in town to support my dear friend during this time.

 
SO... that's what's been happening since my last post.  Weddings, visiting Columbia, time with friends, time with Rachelle.  A lot of busy-ness, a lot of EATING, and a lot of seeing people that I love in Missouri!  Now that I'm back, it's time to get back in the swing of eating right, working out, and posting here more often!  School starts in just a few weeks, and I'm itching to hit the pool right about now seeing as there are only a few more days to make that happen. 

I hope this finds you well, and I hope you leave a comment so I know you read this!  Take care!

Don't make me think too hard about this.

Being a teacher is full of perks.  First, there are the occasions when kids actually listen to and (dare I say it) ENJOY their time with you, then there's also that added bonus of you filling their heads with knowledge they didn't have before.  There are those times when kids say really funny things that you then get to share with your boring-cubicle working Facebook friends (Male Student:  I peed on the stick, so I know it's not mine).  And of course, working with people who experience the same student body throughout the day gives you an instant bond; and if they're of like mind and humor, that's even better!  Oh yea, and there's that little two and a half month(ish) thing you get called SUMMER.  Where you get to STAY HOME.  But you STILL GET PAID.  (I felt guilty about it at first... but then I quickly got over it.)  Of course, like any job, teaching definitely has it's stressful moments (sometimes lasting weeks), but it's not a bad gig if I do say so myself. 

Since it's July 16th and all, I haven't really been getting near as many stress headaches as I used to during the school year.  It might have something to do with there being a lack of... stress.  That's not to say that I've been doing completely NOTHING (only about twice or 3 times a week).  I've attended a few trainings, learned some great things that I plan on using in my classroom when school starts again, and even taken some kids to Student Council camp for a week.  But all of those things have been pretty fun and enjoyable endeavors.  For the most part, summer has been... well, what it used to be:  relaxing, pool-allowing and fun-having.  It wasn't until recently that I began to get a stress headache, and it came from a very unlikely source.

Ever since the Totaling My Saturn Incident of 2008, I have been in love with my gold Chevy Equinox.  And to this day, none of the before-mentioned stress has been the actual Equinox's fault.  It's always been comfortable, reliable, and most importantly- cute.  (Obviously all very important traits of a vehicle.)  ;)  So when my lovely vehicle WOULDN'T START (this happened while I was away at StuCo camp), well, some investigating had to be done.  So we took it to a trusted local auto shop that Nic has used as long as he's been in Lubbock.  They're one of those places that will look at your car for free, and even give you little dinky equipment pieces for free, and will tell you honestly- you COULD get X replaced, but realistically, it'll last you Y more miles, and you'll be fine not getting it done for a while.  So we trust them, right?

Let me back up a little before I go on.  We had a little financial hiccup with summer not being part of the academic year (affected Nic's student loan), then traveling to a friend's wedding in MO + me being home and spending more $ = us being low in the funds.  So we waited until after Pay Day to get the car taken in.  Not a big deal, we have two cars.  EXCEPT NIC DRIVES A STICK SHIFT.  So that was STRESS HEADACHE #1:  Learning to drive a stick shift.

There MAY have been one time, shortly after *learning* the stick, when I stopped for a red light at a busy intersection AND COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO GO AGAIN.  I did everything Nic taught me:  pushed in the clutch, made sure it was in 1st, let the clutch out slowly... but IT JUST KEPT DYING.  I kept restarting the car, and when the cars behind me started honking and going around me, well, I got a little panicky.  I could feel the sweat on my forehead forming and my heart-rate started to rise.  There MAY have been one moment when I, in that state of panic, ACCIDENTALLY TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THE HEADLIGHTS.  Yea.  It was that bad.  It must have been the Grace of God that got me going again; I definitely didn't know what I'd done to start moving again. (The rest of the drive was spent going down side neighborhood streets.  It took me over 20 minutes to go what usually took 10.  But I got there ALIVE.)  Nic was sure to go on some review drives with me after the Scary Incident on 50th until I felt comfortable going out on my own again.  I eventually got the hang of it.  In fact, I ACTUALLY LIKED IT!  I felt COOL driving a stick (even it it was on a Subaru that *kind of* resembles a STATION WAGON).  I liked feeling coordinated and having a skill that not everybody has.  It took me a while to get there, and yes, gave me a STRESS HEADACHE, but I finally got there.  Sigh of relief.

So I learned how to drive a stick (Stress Headache #1), and then we took the car in.  We finally got the car back, with some very disturbing news:  the remote-start had a huge short in it and practically caught on fire when they tried to get the car to start, which then drained the battery in its effort to find power, so they had to take it all out.  Let me re-state:  THEY TOOK OUT MY EXPENSIVE REMOTE-START and also REPLACED THE BATTERY.  I couldn't decide which I was more sad about:  having to pay for a new battery (OK, not THAT big a deal) or the fact that my expensive remote-start was gone (the fact that TX doesn't get cold enough to need it is beside the point!).  So we paid the mechanics and left the auto shop, only to discover that also, MY STEREO SYSTEM WOULDN'T WORK and NEITHER WOULD MY KEYLESS ENTRY.  Ok, quadruple frown.  That's 4 things now that had been affected by this incident!  I wouldn't really care all THAT much, except (as I said in my last post) my brother's getting MARRIED, which is going to require a drive to MO.  13 hours in the car with no music?!? Please no, please please no!!!  So, in order that I not fall asleep on the long drive... also, so I don't go INSANE, we went to a local car audio business to get the stereo looked at.  STRESS HEADACHE #2.    

"Well, first off, there'll be a $40 diagnostic fee for what we find."  "When they took out the remote start, they must have been in a hurry, because they yanked out some wires needed for your stereo, and possibly wires needed for your module to work as well.  You'll definitely need a new stereo (at least $140), and possibly a new module ($120).  It'll cost $65 for them to install a new stereo, and $75 more if you want them to hook it up to the steering-wheel.  We can discuss the cost of module installation if you actually need one."
OK this is the conversation I'm having.  Alone.  Me and the audio guys.  Nic's at a 13 hour clinical shift at the hospital, and I have no idea what to do.  First, the problem is I DON'T GENERALLY LIKE SPENDING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY WITHOUT MY SPOUSE PRESENT.  Second, Nic is able to install stereos... maybe I should just wait, ghetto rig the music for MO, and let him install it?  Third, if he installs it, would it work if a new module is needed?  Fourth, which stereo would I choose?  Fifth, do I really need that extra $50 cable he mentioned? Sixth, I ALREADY PAID THE MONEY FOR A NICER STEREO LAST CHRISTMAS AND NOW I'M HAVING TO BUY ANOTHER ONE??  Also, why is everything SO freaking expensive, and WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?  I ALREADY PAID FOR THESE THINGS AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY AGAIN!!!  I kind of felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when the house is spinning around her and nothing is very clear.  I would have loved to just plop down on my bed and take a long hard nap and when awoken, everything will have worked itself out, all bright and colorful and beautiful.  Alas, there was no bed.  And no time for napping.  I'm pretty sure that from the moment he told me what I needed & what it'd cost to the time my head started hurting was approximately 0.764 seconds.  And one more thing- the front right tire has a nail in it.  !!! :( 

I tried to call Nic, but he was too busy to answer.  Tried to call my parents and explain, and luckily, they were able to give some advice.  I think they felt bad that all of this was happening.  The remote start was a gift from them for my birthday (granted, I chose where it got installed), and that was the thing that stemmed the problem.  Also, they knew that we couldn't help the series of events.  They decided to do one of the kindest, most unexpected gestures:  they offered to pay for the new stereo and installation.  Wait, what?  You want to WHAT?  But WHY?  ARE YOU SURE?  No... you don't have to do that.  It's really ok.  REALLY?  But WHY?  So after some prodding, they told me to go ahead and get it done.  (Haha I had already told the guys that I'd come back on Monday with my husband; they closed up the car & the wirey mess, only to have to open it all up again after my parents' sweet news.)  So mom and dad came to the rescue.  Nic and I definitely COULD have paid for it, but that's a pretty decent chunk of money to us.  Not to say that it's not for my parents, but they make just a *little* more than we do, as they've been working a *little* longer in their lifetimes... plus, they love being sweet to their children.  In the end, Vision Audio felt sorry for my depressed, frowny little face and decided to cut me a decent deal on a few aspects of this whole thing.  I felt good knowing that mom & dad weren't shelling out an amount that, frankly, was quite ridiculous.  ...only an amount that was SLIGHTLY ridiculous.

In the end, I walked away with this beauty:

 

She looks gorgeous, and sounds AMAZING!  THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!!  And while I waited, I called my remote-start company and found out that it has a LIFETIME WARRANTY!  While in MO, I'll stop by and *hopefully* get it replaced!  :)

So, the drive to Briboy's wedding will be a LOT more enjoyable now!  I leave the day after the day after tomorrow (i.e. in about 3 days) and couldn't be more PUMPED!  The actually wedding is ONLY A WEEK AWAY!

So the moral of the story is, you can even get headaches during the times you most anticipate to be full of relaxation.  But even then, if you can stick through it SOMETHING good will likely come of it (learning a new skill or getting something new are a few good things).  So how about you- any sources of stress lately disrupting your fun in the sun of summer?  Was there light at the end?  How'd it go?

Hey, Blogspot, it's been a while!

Ok.  It's been so long since I've blogged that I couldn't even remember how to log in.  How to LOG IN... Wow.  I've been reading a great blog written by Emily Cassee (what a random and gloriously wonderful thing to stumble upon while doing a nightly Google search!), and it's definitely inspired me to get writing again.  I love reading her stories about random and often very hilarious things, and I'd love to chronicle my life just the same.  Wouldn't it  be nice to look back and reflect on all those things that happened?  Well, it would be... IF THOSE WRITINGS EXISTED!  Seriously, guys, this is pathetic.  I don't think I can even call myself a "blogger" at this stage in my non-blogging career.  My last post was written in February- 5 MONTHS AGO!  So as I was laying in be at 2 in the morning (long story)... (ok- Nic and I took a nap too late in the day therefore I couldn't fall asleep), reading Emily's blog, I liked how she recapped the time lapse between blog entries.  She just included a list of important things that had happened since the last time she blogged.  Where would I EVEN begin?!?  How about here (in no particular order of importance):

1.  School's out for the summer!  (DUH!)
I successfully completed my first year of teaching!  At a Title I school, at that!  The feeling of walking into school on the last day of the academic year was... well, exciting, sad, and mostly triumphant!  It's amazing how those little fireballs who got under my skin so many times ended up being some of those that I'll miss the most.  It was a bit hard watching some of those crazies leave middle school for the last time.  A lot of them still need so much guidance, and I really will be curious to know how they are and what they're doing in 4 years.  (Hopefully graduating high school!  But realistically... yea.)


2.  My husband has been accepted into the Air Force Nurse Corps!
As if you haven't already seen all of my jubilated Facebook updates back in May, Nic was one of the 22 (out of over 130!) candidates selected for the Air Force Nurse Corps!  This is what it means for us:  First, Nic will finish his degree from the Tech accelerated Nursing program mid-August.  Near the end of February, he'll report to Commissioned Officer Training in Montgomery, AL.  (Where my girls at???)  Around the beginning of April, he'll report to the Nurse Transition Program in San Antonio (I'm SOOOO looking forward to visiting & strolling along the River Walk and visiting the Alamo!), where he'll be until around June.  I'll miss his cute face a RIDICULOUS amount, but I know he's going to have a blast.  Hopefully they'll have wi-fi... We ♥ FACE TIME!  When he gets back from way down south, we'll pack up our stuff and be on our way to LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE IN HAMPTON, VIRGINIA!!!!!  While living in the same place as the in-laws has been A-MAZING (to put it mildly), I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tired of landscape like
 

and

There's just an unbelievable amount of dust and dirt here!!!  

Pretty much the most interesting thing, geographically, I've experienced was this phenomena:

 That's right, people, that's a DUST STORM!  I remember the first time we went out during one, I commented on how red the sky was and how creepy it looked.  Mr. Lover Lover informed me that that the red color was, in fact, dust.  EWWWWW!  I was further informed that should it rain at that particular moment, it would RAIN MUD!  MUD WOULD FALL FROM THE SKY.  MUD, like in a MUD PIT!  Unbelievable.

So can you blame me for being UBER excited for July 2012 to come so I can see:

 

and

                  BUT MOST OF ALL...

the beach will be about 10... YES 10 minutes from our HOME!!!!!!!!!

Ok, enough gloating.  (Can ya tell I'm excited?!?)

3.  My baby brother's getting married!

Yes, little Briboy Casey is twitterpated.  And you're right, he's not a baby.  He's only 22.  ;)  Her name is Jessie, and they've been dating since summer of 2007.  (Sidenote- they have the EXACT SAME BIRTHDAY.  How amazing is that?!?)  She grew up in J.C. as well, which is convenient for them to have their parents all bundled up in one Fabulous Family Spot.  She's insanely cute (she runs MILES every day, so you KNOW she looks good!), and has a heart of pure gold.  One of her greatest desires is to help children in Africa (she has a fun foot tattoo to symbolize this passion).  I love the love (and let's be real- the structure, too) she's provided for my brother while they attended school in Cape.  She got a job teaching Kindergarten (I'm TOTALLY JEALOUS of that, btw) and I SO look forward to hearing the cute little stories she'll have to share come fall.  (Mrs. Monda, why does my dog lick his butt?  Mrs. Monda... I made an oopsie!  Mrs. Monda, she took my... she took my... she... [bursts into tears].)  Just thinking about that job makes my heart swell three times its normal size.  Such FUN!  To top it all off, they have a cute little townhouse with HARDWOOD FLOORS, a beautiful doggie named Gracie, and they're going to have one of the most ROCKIN' weddings known to man.  I can't wait!

4.  We started CROSSFIT.

For those of you who don't know what CrossFit is, you need to Google it RIGHT NOW!  It's only the most insane, glorious, make-your-body-hurt-like-its-never-hurt-before workout!  After (unsuccessfully) trying P90X a couple of times (mid workout, I tended to "need" a drink or "need" to answer that text.... I mean I tried my hardest, most of the time... ok I just cheated.  A lot.) we decided we SERIOUSLY needed something to kick our arses into shape.  Nic has the goal of making a perfect score on his physical fitness test at COT, and we'd heard a lot about CrossFit- mainly from his brother in law- and decided to give it a whirl.  That was last Tuesday and my.body.hasn't.stopped.aching.since.  The gyms are pretty minimal (not like a Gold's Gym, Wilson's or Bodyworks).  Just you, the weights, the workout, and the timer.  The CrossFit coaches explain the workouts and set the time and you do your best to try to complete it in the set amount of time.  Of course, they have accommodations if you're old (hehe jk!), out of shape (like me) or maybe both... but the main thing is that you really give it a go.  Over time, your cardio will increase, your strength will increase, and your hours you stay awake into the night with your spouse will increase.  ;)  HAHA!   But seriously.  I can already feel my arms and thighs getting stronger, and I so look forward to the day when I can seriously ROCK that workout and look like the other girls that have been doing CrossFit for a while.

So there you have it!  Quite a bit going on, but lovin' every minute!  I have goals to update this layout, but mainly, to update MORE OFTEN!  I promise not to forget you the way I have in the past, Blogspot, and I hope you can forgive me.  Take care!