Baby Bump Update

Here is the last baby bump update.  I am not allowing you to see me shrink my baby bump back in the same way I grew it... some things are not comparable - growing a life is beautiful, losing a belly may have questionable results :)  So, the last picture was December 22 (38 weeks, 4 days); these are on top.  The bottom pictures are from this morning, December 31 (39 weeks, 6 days) - one day shy of my estimated due date.  I don't know if I am actually bigger in the second picture or if it is just a little closer up... I am anxious to see how big this little one is: 

Last night before going to sleep we went on a hunt for a bathrobe for the hospital stay.  I know most people own one of these, but I do not.  Our first stop was Wal-mart.  When I asked a lady working there if they had robes, she laughed and said, "Probably none you would want"  To her credit, they were pretty ugly.  As we left Wal-mart, the greeter said,  "Go home and get some sleep.  You'll need it for tomorrow."  Jeremy and I just looked at each other.  I am sure she was talking about the big New Year's Eve celebration that most people will be going to, but it seemed like she knew what we were anticipating... a baby!  We ended up finding a robe that will be suitable at TJMaxx.

The baby was having a dance party last night at about 5am when Jeremy and I were both awake, talking.  He was restless in bed; I was having trouble breathing (darn cold!) and going to the bathroom all night.  We talked for awhile before falling back asleep.  He headed to the gym around 7am - good place to go to burn off some nervous energy.  I slept another hour before getting up to wash the sheets.  I am hoping this cold is gone by the time we return from the hospital and we'll want germ-free sheets :)

So, how are we feeling?  We are definitely excited to think that TODAY we will become parents; it is what we have been planning for during the last nine (ten) months.  But we are both a bit nervous about the arrival, too. I say I am not ready for this.  Jeremy then asks if I want to wait a few more days.  I just don't know what all is coming our way.  I mean, I know about babies, the classes made things seem pretty basic, and I have been in the hospital and held a baby there.  But I haven't had to care for an umbilical cord, or bathe a newborn, or wake up in the middle of the night (a couple times) to figure out this breastfeeding thing, or .... The list could go on and on and on.  I am sure like every first time parent, we will learn as we go and hopefully, pick up some good tips/experience at the hospital.  So, this afternoon and this weekend pray for us as we make this adjustment.  I will update the blog at some point.  Jeremy will hopefully be able to at least post a few pics, even if there isn't much commentary.  I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve.

Baby Update

So, we had our doctor's appointment on Monday.  Little Baby Yoh remains breech.  It must not like standing on it's head, and really, who can blame it.  On the other hand, it doesn't sound too comfortable to have your feet at your nose either. We will let you know when the little one arrives :)

Baby Shower

We had our last baby shower with the Bricker family on Saturday.  It was a good time to just enjoy one another again, but get to hear stories, too, of all the memories of pregnancy and baby raising.  I learned Jeremy weighed 9lbs 5oz!!!  What a huge baby... hopefully, ours will be a bit smaller, as I was only 7lbs 14oz.  (I hope I got all the ounces parts right.)  I also learned it is never a good idea to feed a baby too many prunes!  Here are some shots from the shower.  Top left: Jeremy and I with the baby Yoh stocking at my parents' house. Top right: Me and Grandma Yoh and Grandma Ediger.  Bottom left: The room of celebraion.  Bottom right: what boys do during showers (Jeremy was taking pictures and cleaning up dishes)

Christmas

On Christmas Eve, we went to Westerville Christian Church for the Christmas Eve service.  It was very nice.  We have not been in Columbus on Christmas Eve because we are usually back home with family.  We enjoyed the time to spend the time worshipping with our church family. 
Merry Christmas (late).  I realized that my last post was nothing about Christmas, and it has quickly come and gone.  This is how we spent our Christmas season:

On Christmas day, we packed up the car and headed out by about 7:30am.  We had wanted to get to Jeremy's parents' home by about 9am, so we could celebrate family Christmas before Maynard needed to go pick up Jeremy's aunt and cousins from the airport.  It was a rainy morning, but we decided it was better than ice.  When we got there, we waited (as we usually do) for Jennifer to get up and ready for the day before Christmas could begin.  (To her credit, she was up working on Christmas stuff til the wee hours of the morning.)  We had a great time opening gifts one by one.  I find this takes longer, but at least you get to enjoy the process of seeing what everyone thought to give.  Jason gave us a two CDs of group from a local Minneapolis church; they are kinda bluegrass-ish.  I liked what I heard.  He also gave us a calendar that the company he works for makes; he works for Studio on Fire in Minneapolis - click on the link if you want to learn what he makes or what letterpress means.  Jennifer made me a really cool mosaic bottomed serving tray.  I am so impressed by people that can craft something.  I suppose if I tried, I could to, but what a gift to want to do that.  Maynard and Gloria gave us (among other things) a Flip video camera to record our precious moments.  Be prepared... video clips may soon be coming to the blog!

We went to the big family Christmas around 4pm for dinner and celebrating.  It is always fun to hang out with the family.  It reminds me of when my extended family gets together - lots of laughter, much conversation, and a very loud volume!  We had ham, creamed chicken sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, corn, and various other dishes.  We had a best of 3 tournament of Catch Phrase.  And, of course, we opened gifts.  By the time the night was done, it was 10:30pm, and I was exhausted, but happy.

Good Things

On Tuesday, I headed out one more time to pick up a few last minute things.  I needed to get a new pair of running shoes - I know I can't run right now, all you jokesters!!  My old shoes will need to be replaced by the next time I really need them.  When we went out shopping about a month or so ago, the shoes I usually get were $89; I hate buying shoes because they are way to expensive.  I put it off and went Monday to Dick's to look again.  I was pretty excited because I saw the shoes were now "only" $79 (plus I had a $10 off coupon) because the new style had just come out; unfortunately, there were none my size.  I asked the shoe lady if she could call other stores, and basically she said it wouldn't help because there weren't many left - so long $69 for Dick's because of the unhelpful sales lady.  So, Tuesday, I went to Sports Authority where I have bought the shoes before.  I was super excited because I found the shoe there for $69 ANDin my size (only one pair left in my size).  I took it up to the counter and they gave me an additional $10 off from some coupon they had in the paper on Sunday.  Yea for Sports Authority!!!

Jeremy and I went out on a date.  It was our Christmas date, and it was good to get out together.  I feel like we have done a lot together, but it has all been baby focused and directed (classes, travel to showers, etc).  This was just about us.  We went to Brio for dinner; I had crab and shrimp cakes; Jeremy had artichoke crusted beef medallions.  Our food was delicious and the service was over the top!  Literally, the minute we got a crumb on the table, our waiter came to clear it - crazy!  We kept most of the conversation focused on reflection of the year and how we were doing, rather than baby, baby, baby.  It was nice.  We headed from there to the movie.  We watched Blind Side.  (If you don't know the movie, click on Blind Side to see the trailer.)  Although Jeremy is usually not so keen on sports movies (because they are "all the same"), he enjoyed this one.  I am always a sucker for sports movies, and this one did not disappoint.  I loved it.  If you have not seen it, we highly recommend it. 

Baby Bump Update

I am a few days behind on this one, so I apologize, but here it is.. My last picture was on December 14 (37 weeks, 3 days)

My next picture (with black shorts) is from December 22 (38 weeks, 4 days).  There is not a whole lot of visual change in the size of the bump, but there is a difference in my comfort level.  I am still getting around fairly well, but sleep is becoming more difficult.  My hips hurt by 3ish every morning.  It feels like when you are camping out or sleeping on the floor and they are just tender to lay on.  If anyone has a suggestion on how to fix this little problem, please let me know.  Otherwise, I think I would be sleeping pretty well. 

I had the doctor's appointment on Monday - my weekly check-in.  He let me know that I am still not dilated at all, but that is probably due to the fact that the baby was still breech.  He thinks that the baby is in a pike position (or Frank breech for those wanting a technical term) where the butt is down and feet are up at the head.  Jeremy says that at least we know our baby will be flexible :)  I could still start labor, or I could just hang out for a while.  If I start labor (or if I don't) and the baby is still breech, I will be having a cesearan birth.  I was having a very hard time emotionally with that thought/realization, but over the past few days, I have turned the disappointment and unrealistic expectations over to God.  It doesn't help to dwell on it.  He is providing me with healing from that, and I am anxiously waiting for the next appointment (Monday) when we will discuss the actual day of delivery if the baby remains breech.  In the meantime, I am looking forward to traveling to Bricker Christmas and enjoying more family time.

Ediger Christmas

My family does Christmas the weekend before Christmas every year.  It started when my brother's started getting involved with their girlfriend's/wive's families.  By doing it this way, we can enjoy a whole day (sometimes longer) of Christmas together without everyone rushing off to the in-laws' homes.  So, although it was a hard transition to begin with, it is a great thing now.  This Christmas was even a bit different because we are usually at my parents' home, but because of lots of things - dad's back surgery on Tuesday being the main thing - we had Christmas at my older brother's home in Ashland.  Here was our makeshift mantle so mom could hang all her hard handmade stockings:

Jeremy and I headed there on Friday night to join everyone except mom and dad and Luke (who had to work at the fire station).  We had been there about 15 minutes when Paxon (one of the nephews) puked on the carpet.  Well, he was pretty well quarentined after that for the remainder of the evening and the next day.  We and all the kids kept our distance.  It was nice to just hang out after all the little tykes went to bed that evening.  On Saturday, mom, dad, and Luke joined us around 10am, and the Christmas festivities began.  We read the Christmas story, passed out stockings, and let the little kids open gifts - one at a time, which is another tradition.  After the gifts had been opened, we had a lunch of stromboli, salad, chips, jello, and desserts before sending the kids off to bed.


While the little kids slept and the older ones played downstairs, we did adult gift time.  For mom and dad, we had designed 12 challenges in which they would compete against each other to unwrap gifts.  Things like: mold the best reindeer out of play-doh, build the tallest tower, make the most baskets, answer the most trivia questions, and catch the most fish to name a few.  You can see the concentration on their faces in the pictures.  It was an intense competition :)  In the end we had really given them cash to purchase a new couch for the living room.  Hopefully, they won't put off that shopping trip too long!  Mom and Dad had given us frames and pictures from the reunions this summer.  Additionally, dad presented us with money from Grandpa's (his dad's) inheritance.  In memory of Grandpa, he wants us to put some of it toward missions because that is who Grandpa was.  Jeremy and I are thinking about who/what may benefit from Grandpa's desire to be the hands and feet of Christ.


We had a delicious meal - vareniky casserole, fried potatoes, sausage, ham, salad, zweibach, and desserts.  I know some of you have no idea what those things are, but they are rich, delicious foods from my Russian Mennonite background.  Yum!  We headed home around 8ish that night.  We traveled slowly because the side roads were ICY!!  When we got onto 30 and then 71, the roads were good.


I hope everyone has a great Christmas in a few days time.  We are hoping to trek back to the Wayne County area to attend the Bricker side Christmas.  We'll see what the doctor says today and how baby Yoh is cooking!

Baby Bump Update

It has taken me longer than I thought to get this update up, but the wait is over.  Here was my big ole belly on December 1, 2009 (35 weeks, 4 days).

The next set of pictures were taken tonight, December 14, 2009 (37 weeks, 3 days).  Jeremy noted that my belly was very shiny.  I agree.  I assume that is because the skin is streeeeetched out so far.  There has been some growth in the last two weeks.  I find my shirts are tighter.  Some of my t-shirts that I bought about halfway through are almost too little.  I keep tugging at the bottom while teaching, so I don't flash my very sexy midriff :)  So, I had a weekly appointment this week.  It was exciting or lengthier than normal.  I talked to the doctor about our birth plan - which is just a list of things that I would like to happen, but understand that it is not always possible for things to go exactly as planned.  It was good to just have some talking points for once.  The doctor did an internal exam for the second week in a row.  I learned that I am still not dilated - good news for us.  I am hoping to make it through the Christmas weekend.  He checked to see if the head is down.  Because he couldn't tell, I went to the ultrasound room.  I reminded him that I didn't know the sex of the baby, so if he sees something to keep it quiet :)  Well, nothing was revealed anyway.  I did learn that my baby is NOT head down, but is breech right now.  So, it needs to work on turning itself around in the next few weeks.  For all those praying for baby Yoh, that can be in your prayers.  The baby is fine, but if it stays breech, I will for sure have to have a c-section, and I would like to have an experience of the other (or at least a chance).  Either way, I am still hoping for healthy :)  Okay, that was a long update, but since I actually learned something, I thought I would share.  Oh, and it was too rainy for the car seat install on Sunday; so, we'll do it later this week.  I was supposed to pack my bag tonight, but between taking cookies to neighbors, finishing laundry, and relaxing briefly on the couch, it just didn't happen.  Maybe by Wednesday.  Have a great week!

Progress and Updates

Today, we are official graduates of all of our child education classes - labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and taking baby home.  I think these classes have been helpful, but it has made for busy times.  Today we learned how to give a baby a sponge bath, diaper, swaddle, signs of sickness, and a variety of other things that we hope to remember.  Our baby job tomorrow is to install our car seat.  My job by Monday is to pack my overnight bag.  Jeremy says is stressed out because that is not done yet.  (I am hoping that the longer I put it off, the longer it will be until delivery day!)  Jeremy did some running around today - errands that needed to be done.  I balanced the checkbook and looked at how to include baby in our budget for 2010.  I also made supper; some may think this is no big deal - but if you ask my husband, you will realize this is a novelty nowadays!  I also worked on making some of the toffee bars that I will need for the cookie exchange with my co-workers on Monday - I need 99 toffee bars to pass out!!!  (That also means that I'll get 99 cookies from others... these will be given as gifts to those in my neighborhood; no need to eat them all myself!)


A few updates... our little Christmas tree and our nativity set are up and ready for the season. Our church had a live nativity on Friday night.  Jeremy was a shepherd with a little 6 year old (I think?) apprentice shepherd.  The church gym area was set up like a Bethlehem marketplace where people could draw water from a well, create clay pots, buy candy, weave headbands, and visit live animals (goats, miniature horses).  The shepherds were supposed to guide the people to the Christ child in another room of the church.  It was really neat, and the church was bustling.  It made me think about Mary traveling on a donkey when 40 weeks (more or less) pregnant.  I feel for her.  Although I am not extremely uncomfortable yet, I would not want to walk or ride a donkey for miles and miles and miles.  Just a new dimension to Christmas this year.


Jeremy put up the pack n play without any complications earlier this week.  It is in the living room ready to be used.  You can see the blanket hanging over the edge.  One of the women in the special ed department knit it for me.  It matches the colors of the nursery perfectly, and is a great larger size for laying out on the floor. 

Surviving

I will get a baby bump posted soon, but just thought I would send a general update.  Jeremy and I have been busy!  We managed to get some Christmas shopping done on Saturday - yeah!  It is crazy out there... especially the parking lots.  On Sunday, we got together with some of our good friends we hadn't seen for awhile.  They live "out in the country" and it felt good to get out of the city and with friends for an afternoon.  They have a little girl who is two and another little girl who is about 6 months.  The 2 year old, Olivia, is so talkative and fun to interact with!  I wonder what our little one will be like :)  We were able to put up Christmas decorations on Sunday night.  It is nothing elaborate, but at least we have our (tiny) tree up with lights.  We also put up the nativity set Jeremy's Grandma made for my Christmas gift last year - well, we put up part of it.. it is HUGE.  It is on our mantle and looks good.  i will try to post a picture of this as well.  Tonight I had Parent Teacher Conferences.  I only had a few, and they went well.  But the day is utterly exhausting!  I got there at 6:45am and left at 7:30pm.  I was thankful that my assistant principal gave me permission to leave a little early.  I am tired and fighting a cold; she was incredibly understanding.  Let's see... Thursday we meet my older brother for supper and Friday, Jeremy is a shepherd in the live nativity at our church.  We have our last baby class on Saturday; then, Sunday, we get a visit from Jeremy's Florida cousin.  I do believe that we have only one event on the calendar for next week though, and my plan is to keep it that way.  My doctor says - REST, and I am trying to get that accomplished.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Until my next post...

Baby Bump Update

So, here is the newest baby bump picture.  As always, last picture is compared with current picture..

The first pics were from  November 7, 2009 which was 32 weeks, 1 day.

The newest pictures are from yesterday - December 1, 2009.  That is 35 weeks, 4 days.  I am feeling lots of movement all the time.  Luckily, at night, the baby still continues to fall asleep with me instead of kicking me as I fall asleep.... will this be true when it comes out?  My doctor says all looks good.  My measurements still show that I am right on target.  I am feeling good overall, but can definitely tell which days I am on my feet a lot at school - tired back and sore feet.... and a huge desire to just lay on the couch when I get home!  We went tonight to take a tour of Grant Hospital.  It is a nice place, but I think our preference would be St. Ann's.   Why?  Well, it is closer (10 minutes compared to 20 minutes), it feels a bit smaller (don't know if it really is), and parking is free for all at St. Ann's.  Otherwise, they both seem like great places to have a baby.

I told Jeremy that I was driving home from school the other day and realized that if I go into labor before January 1st, I will be taken off guard.  Yeah, I know, that is just an estimated due date, but we continue to plan life as though nothing will happen til then.  And you know, maybe it won't.  But if it happens sooner, we should have the car seat in the car, a bag packed, and a peditrician picked... and be more serious with baby names than our latest favorite - Edgar Allen Yoh!  (Yes, we are totally kidding, and would never seriously saddle our child with such a ridiculous name, but why not have a little fun!)  We have a breastfeeding class tomorrow night, and I have a shower with my co-workers on Friday.  Then, the weekend is suddenly here, and we really need to get some Christmas shopping done.  I hope everyone is having a great start to December.  Until next time.

Saturday... Work Day

Saturday was another home improvement day for us.  My brother (Nate) came up and offered more of his day than we had predicted.  He brought up the oldest two kids, so Jen wouldn't have all four by herself.  Nate and Jeremy started pulling off the bathroom countertop around 10:30 in the morning.  They had the new one installed by 1:00.  They next duty was installing the new faucets.  Then, they began tearing up the flooring and removing the toliet.  This is where they ran into trouble.  The metal ring was rusted straight through and seemed to be unrepairable.  They tried what they thought would be a quick fix from Home Depot to no avail.  Nate left around 7pm, hoping for the best.  We were both thankful for all his help.

In the meantime, I took the two girls to Highbanks Metro Park to go to the nature center and run on the trails.  It was a lot of fun.  They ran and ran and ran on the trail.  I walked - no running for pregnant aunt!  We came home, and they started Barbie and the Diamond Castle movie while I picked up pizza for lunch.  We colored for awhile, watched Finding Nemo, and then they played hide-and-seek while I laid on the couch.  It was fun, but I was totally exhausted!!! 

It was a good, productive day.  An update on the bathroom... Jeremy found the perfect solution at Lowe's, fixed the toliet, installed the flooring, and reset the toliet. Yeah, my bathroom is back for my late night trips to the potty :) 

So much going on!

I'll start with Thanksgiving... We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day.  We went to Salem Mennonite's Thanksgiving day sale.  It is one of my favorite things of the year.  We bought some tasty treats and enjoyed the time to catch up with people.  We moved to my parents' house next for Thanksgiving feasting.  It was quieter than normal - not from lack of kids though.  We got the little boys fed quickly and coralled them upstairs for nap time.  The girls play so well together - no supervision necessary.  We actually had some adult talk time during/after the meal!  We laid around - stuffed to the brim - for a bit before needing to head on to the next party.  We went to Jeremy's grandpa's home next for an extended family gathering.  There were lots of ooohhhs over my ever increasing belly.  We were too full to keep eating, but it was good to reconnect with family.  We returned to Columbus by 8ish than night.  It was a good, tiring day.  (I went to bed by 9, I think.)

In other busy news.... we were able to get new carpet installed from our main floor up into the baby's room on Wednesday.  So, Tuesday night we had a friend volunteer his services to move furniture into the kitchen (which is tile) and our room (which we didn't recarpet).  On Wednesday, the carpet was installed.  It looks good - clean!!!  It is still light colored, but it just feels good.  We rearranged the furniture to have a more spacious set up to eventually accommodate baby stuff (pack n play, floor mat, etc).  I am still getting used to it, but I think I like it.  Our friend returned on Wednesday night to move all the furniture back - fantastic!  We also met with a window guy on Tuesday.  He kept it short, sweet, and to the point.  The price was better than the last place, so I think we are going to go for it and get new windows too.  (The tax credit - 30% - is a great incentive as well.) 

We finished up our labor and delivery classes on Monday.... I am sure we will be pros at it when the time arrives - no problems, no questions, no worries (you can always dream!)  It did help us get on the same page, and we did learn a lot!  This coming week we have a tour of the maternity ward at Grant Hospital and a breastfeeding class to go to.  Having a first baby is a lot of work/education!  I have another doctor's appointment on Monday, and then every week after that until the big day - only 5 more weeks til the estimated date of arrival :) 

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  There are only 4 more weeks til Christmas.  Remember in the midst of all the busy goings to take time for each other and to praise our God for the gift of His Son. 

Recovering

Thank you for prayers after yesterday's blog.  Today was a little better.  I had a chance to talk to some of the problems from yesterday when we weren't both frustrated with each other.  It went well.  Plus in my last period class, a student said, "Mrs. Yoh, why are you always so happy?"  At least I can recover with God's help from a lousy day.

I am excited for the weekend.  I am headed home to hang out with some college friends and celebrate upcoming baby at a shower with folks from back home.  I am looking forward to the adult interaction.  I have no idea what Jeremy is going to do - watch the game on Saturday, I am sure!, paint trim? paint cabinets? relax? clean? Who knows, it will be a few days of bachelorhood re-lived :)  I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thursday

Today was a rough day on the job.  I wonder how kids get the way they get.  There are a lot of good kids out there.  Like the girl who is a problem in a lot of classes, but said to me today, "I like your class."  Or the way they work so hard to learn science that is so hard, even for the average kid - things like: meiosis, homologous chromosomes, mitosis, PMAT, etc.  It is a lot to ask, and a lot of them step up to the plate every day.  There are others that say, "We missed you yesterday; where were you?"  These are the students that keep me going back to school.  It is hard when you give and give and give, and get nothing in return.  You provide structure to the class, give kids second chances, start with a new page everyday, and they accuse you of being unfair and push the limits in any way possible.  Some sleep through class on a habitual basis, and others you wish would sleep because then they wouldn't be a distraction to those wanting to learn.  I think my students are great, even the tough ones.  I know they want to learn because eventually they work.  I just wish it would happen without arguing about it first.  Every day is a new day and I keep reminding myself of that.  I also remind myself that I only have 19 days til Christmas break, and a good chance of having a 12 week break!  Pray for may sanity and patience for tomorrow.  I just need a little more energy to get through this week.  Okay, thanks for reading.  It is not hopeless, just difficult.

Security

Some of you may wonder what Jeremy does when he works security various places.  This photo is courtesy of his cousins who saw him on the job at the OSU vs Iowa game last Saturday.  It looks like he definitely suffering through a little extra Saturday work.  :)  He has been able to be right on the field for a couple games now.  Although he can't turn around to watch the action, he often has a great view on the megatron screens... and come on, he is at the game and on  the field. 

Highlights

So, this week has been good.  Monday started off with a bang.  I met a friend from my Ashland days, Laura, at the Cheesecake Factory for an early supper - salad, white pizza, and vanilla bean cheesecake... yum!  It was good to catch up with her; it had been too long.  After that, Jeremy and I went to our Labor and Delivery Class.  It was the big hospital tour class.  It was good to see the hospital and the process that we'll go through.  And it is a process!  I am used to Wooster Hospital where I have visited many neices and nephews.  There you check-in, get a room, and stay there til you leave the hospital.  Here, you start in the triage room (a tiny, tiny place), then you move to the birthing room (a very nice place from the looks of it), and finally to a recovery room (a little small, but otherwise nice).  It just seems like a lot of moving around.  I am sure it's not that big of a deal, but it was different than what I had known. 

Jeremy had Wednesday off and was kept plenty busy - meeting his old gang for breakfast, getting ready for the Yoh Show on Sunday, hunting for Tofurkey Creme Soda (anyone know where you can this?  He's still looking!), visiting a good friend, and other random things.  It is always nice to have a day off to catch up.  This Saturday he is working the OSU game, so he won't really have a Saturday. 

Otherwise, I am just thankful for the way my daily prayer for energy is answered.  Every morning I wake up and fight to get myself out of bed.  I am just tiiiired.  I ask God for the energy to make it through the day.  This is not because my kids at school are horrible or I hate my job, but I am just tired.  The last two days, I have come home and actually gone for a walk after relaxing on the couch for awhile.  Yesterday, my sweet husband, went with me.  It was exactly what I needed because for some inexplicible reason I was on the verge of tears.  It was good to have someone with me.  So, the weekend is approaching, and I am looking forward to it!  I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday.  It looks to be a beautiful weekend weather-wise; enjoy!

Baby Bump Update

So, here is the promised update on the baby bump..... As a reminder, this was me on October 18, 2009. That was 29 weeks, 2 days.

This is not much farther along than that - November 7, 2009. That's 32 weeks, 1 day. The baby is (on average) about 4 - 5 pounds at this point. It is unbelievable that I only have 8 weeks left. Many people think that I am still small. I remind them that I am tall AND have a long torso. So, that baby has a mansion to roam around in and grow into. Additionally, I feel like I am getting big. It is harder to get off the couch, in and out of the car, and move in general. Really, though I am feeling good. I am tired, but not sick. I am growing, but don't have any serious body pains. I have an appointment in another week, so I'll probably update around that time. I don't know how much a person grows in the last 8 weeks, but I imagine it is a lot.

Busy Week, Short Week

My work week (not Jeremy's) was short - just Wednesday - Friday. Somehow, it has been tiring.

• On Monday, we had an all day inservice, which was actually better than most.
• Tuesday, we had no school due to the buildings being used as polling sites. (The results of the election for Reynoldsburg were not good. Our levy failed for the third try. We will be cutting millions from the district, but $1.3 million from just the high school. I have no idea who/what will get reduced, but it is a bit depressing around here as we wait for news.) I ran around most of the day Tuesday getting things done - groceries, banking, book work, etc. We had the carpet guy come to do measurements so we can get moving on installation soon, hopefully. Then, we headed to small group; it is always nice to connect with people here.
• On Wednesday, I was back at work - stayed late writing an IEP I had procrastinated on, came home to listen to a sales pitch for new windows ... for 2 hours!! Crazy people just don't understand that some people like to think about large purchases before signing up for it.
• On Thursday, back at work - stayed late helping some long-term subs in the department figure out paperwork, came home to write science test.
• Friday - aaahh, Friday. It will be a good day - test and games with the extra time. I am happy for the weekend where we have nothing planned, but where things still need to get done - so I'll be productive, but relaxed :) I hope everyone has a great weekend as well. The weather has been so nice lately - sunshine!

I'll post soon with another baby bump picture (should have been done on Monday, but that's okay). Until next time...

Parents Visit

My parents (as I mentioned in the nursery update) came to visit this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, we hung out at the house. I made turkey-spinach loaf with baked potatoes and salad for supper with peanut butter pie for dessert. We put together the crib and just sat and talked. On Saturday, we decided to go "hiking" in Highbanks MetroPark. It is a beautiful place to walk and a nice change of pace from road walking. Despite the weather, we headed out around 10:45 to the park. When we got there, it was overcast and damp, but not raining. It was a good, brisk walk. Last weekend was definitely the prime time to go walking to enjoy the leaves and the sunshine, but today, it was still nice. We ate at El Vaquero - this is quite possibly our favorite Mexican restaurant in Columbus, and maybe anywhere. After a leisurely lunch, we parted ways. Mom and Dad headed home, possibly to blow leaves into a pile. Jeremy and I to pick out new lighting and sink fixtures for our bathroom. Jeremy is in the midst of installing our lights - I think we chose well. Our fixtures will go in after we get new laminate countertops (date to be determined). Tonight, we will eat pizza and watch either college football or a movie (it depends on if there is any good movie rentals available). I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Nursery Update

My parents came to visit on Friday night through Saturday lunch. They brought a crib and changing table - a nice, used gift from my brother. My aunt had made Jeremy and I a queen-sized flannel comforter for our wedding gift (if you are not jealous with that statement, you should be because a flannel comforter is a little piece of heaven!). She gave my mom the leftover scraps from the comforter. My mom thought she would turn them into throw pillows for our bed, which was a great idea. Three years has passed and still no pillows, but she made a baby blanket out of the scraps instead. It is great - so soft, natural colors, and perfect. I am excited to put it on the floor for baby Yoh to lay on. Thanks, Mom! (You can see the blanket draped over the crib rail.) So, the nursery finally looks more like a nursery. We have a glider rocker, crib, changing table, bookshelf, and dresser.... and one measly picture yet to be hung. So many ask about the theme for the nursery. I have no idea. I don't intend on registering on any fancy bedding, just sheets, for the crib. My one picture has about 9 farm animals on it. I like it, but don't really want a farm animal theme. I would be okay with an animal theme however - you know, wild ones and domesticated ones. My mom has a framed embroidery project with the alphabet and different animals just sitting in a closet at her house. She said I could add this to my wall art. I remember this hanging up when I was growing up, so I'll probably pick that up at some point. (Perhaps she can just wrap it up for my baby shower!) That's it for now. We need to touch up some worn paint on the changing table, but otherwise, the nursery is ready for the baby. Well, almost....

Funny

I forgot to blog about this comment by a student the other day....

At school, students are not allowed to wear hoodies (although plenty of them do). I was in the hallway and passed a student I didn't know wearing a hoodie. I asked him to please put it in his locker. When he didn't respond, I said, "Do you have a locker?' He answered in the negative. Well, of course, this is a lie since every student has a locker, but I decided not to argue that. So, I just said, "Then why don't you leave your hoodie at home since you have nowhere to keep it here." His response (get ready...) "Oh, so you want me to walk to school in the cold without my hoodie and get swine flu?" It left me almost speechless.... I think we really need to let the CDC know that our best defense against the swine flu is apparently a hooded sweatshirt. Keep that in mind if you have been unable to get a vaccine. Just one more helpful hint from the youth of America!

First Class

We had our first Labor and Delivery Class on Monday night. I have been meaning to blog sooner about it, but time has gotten away from me. The class is held at the hospital for 5 weeks every Monday night. There are only 3 other couples in our group, and only 2 of them came on Monday. They are really nice though. Their due dates are 12/5 and 12/6, so they are a month ahead of us. Our instructor is really nice. We did things like write down questions that we had about the last month and delivery. We watched a movie showing a few different births. We learned about the hospital's policy or guidelines for delivery. We practicing breathing through a "contraction" (obviously, not a real one). They say it can help to rub your stomach during a contraction. So, I rubbed my stomach while Jeremy timed my minute long contraction. Then he rubbed my stomach while timing my minute long contraction. It will be interesting when I am in labor how much I want him to touch my belly. In general (like when I am mad or sad), I would rather not be touched... perhaps labor is different. We discussed this on the way home :) We learned stuff though about the phases of labor and what to expect. It was good, but exhausting to go from work and then class for 2-1/2 hours and then back to work the next morning. I was definitely tired on Wednesday.

I had a teacher tell me today that I have really started to "pop" this week in particular. I tend to agree with her assessment. I said that's good because my parents are going to come visit and haven't seen me in person for about a month, so I might as well give them something to look at! Hope everyone is having a great week. It is already Thursday tomorrow; enjoy the last two days.

Weekend

I made it through this week. I went to school on Monday feeling like I was getting a little better, but by Tuesday my head was starting to hurt and my voice was shot. So, I decided to take Wednesday off of work. It is not a typical strategy of mine, but somehow it is understandable to people when you are pregnant :) So, I used the pregnancy card; I don't often do it, but I did. I slept late, laid around, and went out of the house only once. (know it was a beautiful day, but I was sick!) I went to Grove City (about 30 minutes from the house) to stand in line to get the H1N1 vaccine. Yeah, I am now vaccinated and so is little baby Yoh. It was not too bad of a wait because I got there an hour early. As I waited, the line grew and grew and grew; it was a little ridiculous. Waiting outside to go in was not a challenge though because, as I said, it was a perfect day. I went back to work on Thursday and Friday, and I think I can safely say, I am getting better! I decided that every work week should be Monday - Tuesday, work; Wednesday, off; Thursday - Friday, work. I think that is an even better arrangement than a Monday or Friday off. I know that means no three day weekend, but it also means never working three days in a row. Just think about it ...

Not much else to report. Jeremy had a dentist's appointment, went to work every day, joined a local gym, took a bike ride, and made chicken pot pie for us on Wednesday. Today, he is working security at the Buckeyes game. Hopefully, he will stay dry and warm; it is really not a very pretty day. This coming week doesn't bring a whole lot of excitement... painting bathroom cabinets, getting in touch with carpet guy, and small group. On Friday night, my parent are coming for a visit and bringing the crib and changing table from my brother's house. This will be the first nursery thing we have done since this summer. I think it is one more way to adjust to the baby that will be arriving in 10 weeks. That's right, I am 30 weeks pregnant. The baby weighs (according to random books) about 3 pounds and stretches about 17 inches from head to toe. It also can open its eyelids, has eyelashes and eyebrows, can differientiate voices, and see light changes. Keep growing, baby, keep growing!

Baby Bump Update

Well, it is that time again... baby bump time. I have my doctor's appointment tomorrow, and for once, I am a step ahead of the game.
So, to refresh your memory, this was me on September 30th at 26 weeks, 5 days.
I feel like I am really getting big in the last week or two, but maybe it just feels that way. Here is me now on October 18th at 29 weeks, 2 days. I looks more like my baby is just creeping higher up. Who knows what the little tyke is doing! I do know my waist is now bigger than my husband's, and I am definitely gaining weight at each appointment. My baby is also kicking and swimming, and moving. I think he/she is rarely quiet, except while I am up in front of the class teaching. Well, that's about it as far as the update goes. Until next time (2 weeks from now)

Productive Day

Today Jeremy and I went all over the place. I slept in, drank liquids, and am still fighting the temptation to cough and talk without hoarseness. We drove to a carpet warehouse to get the carpet we had been looking at for 1/2 the price - way to cut out the middle man! We can get it installed and all for about $1000 less than the carpet store could do for us. We placed the order. We went to Menard's (save big money at Menard's) in Lancaster. We wanted to check out the laminate countertop for our upstairs bathroom. We found some we liked, but didn't order any. We went out to eat because we were hungry (and in honor of Sweetest Day??) at La Cascada because it was in the Entertainment book. (We joked that those are the only places we ever go to eat - if there is a buy one, get one coupon!) From there, we checked out the shoe selection at Famous Footwear. Oh yeah, in between there we went to Old Navy for some jeans for Jeremy. Finally, we headed home. We got home and relaxed for a brief moment before Jeremy said he wanted to go check out some things at Lowe's. So, I put my shoes back on, and we headed out. We got another estimate on the same countertop and found out you can save big money at Menard's... like $60! (So, we'll have to go back to Menard's at some point.) We found vanity lights we like, as well as new faucets for our sink. We'll get those later. Finally, we purchased some dark brown paint to update our base cabinets in the bathroom. We'll see what all happens, but our home is slowly getting updated....

The good news is that because we were running around most of the day we didn't have to sit and watch the slow, torture on the football field - yeah, you know the game I am referring to. Maybe next week will be better. Hope everyone has a great week.

Yuck

So, I haven't posted all week for a few reasons....
1) It was spirit week at school because of homecoming. This is great idea and I usually love it. For some reason, the students struggle with this week. I think it is different than a normal week and they think that means they get to act different too. For example, they could dress out of dress code for a week IF they were participating in spirit days. This became merely an excuse to wear whatever they want. (Normally, they have to wear dress pants/khakis, and polo style shirt.) So, they were off the hook in class! Exhausting.

2) I started getting a sore throat on Sunday night. So, I fought against that all week - having to talk all day long when your throat is not up to par is difficult and draining. On Wednesday, my throat hurt to swallow. On Thursday, I could swallow, but I couldn't hardly talk, and I could feel my nose starting to stuff up. Blah!

3) We were busy most nights - carpet lady came to take some measurements, small group one night, etc

I am posting today because I have the day off. It was a scheduled day for the school (something about COTA day for professional development in the past; now, a day off). This is why I didn't take a sick day earlier in the week as I may have normally. I have an appointment with the doctor at 11:30am. I am sure it is just a cold because that is what it feels like, and I don't have a fever along with it. My OB wanted me to go just to be cautious. So, if it's just a cold, I am going on a hunt for cold medicine you can take while pregnant. Otherwise, I'll be resting, drinking (water), and enjoying my day off - a welcome day, even if I am sick! I hope everyone has a great weekend. Bundle up, it sounds like a cold one!

Funny Things

Some days I come home from work and tell Jeremy the "question of the day" from my students or the funniest thing I heard. Here are a few from this week...
1. When learning the cell theory (all living things have cells, all things have one or many cells, and all cells come from cells), I had some questions.. One student, figuring all things had cells and therefore all have the same structure, asked, "Do ants have hearts?" Honestly, I had no idea, nor have I ever thought about it. I said, "I think they have a circulatory system, so they must have a heart, but I really have no clue." (Here is the answer, in case you are wondering: The heart - the ants heart is a long tube.It pumps a whiteish blood from the abdomen to the brain.The blood spills out over the brain and oozes through the body to the abdomen.It then reenters the heart.As the blood flows, it nourishes the cells in the antennae,leg muscles,and other organs.) Also, along the cell theory in regards to the third part (all cells come from cells), one student said, "Where did the first cell come from?" Great question, and one I had no answer to. I simply said, "I have no idea." The truth being that God had created what we now know as cells and therefore the first cell came from God, but public schools don't allow for that.

2. Today, I went into a room to talk to a teacher about a student. She said, "Oh, look at your belly!" I hear a group of boys quietly carry on this dialogue in the back of the room: "There's a lot of pregnant teachers here." to which the reply came, "They're getting a lot of action!" I must say I NEVER thought of even THINKING that about my teachers when I was in school. It made me giggle to myself though :)

3. The other day, a student said, "Does it hurt when your baby moves?" My response, "No" "Well, what does it feel like? Does it feel like an alien is in your belly?" "Ummm... yes, I guess it does kinda feel like an alien is in my belly." The next day..."Do you still feel the alien in your belly?" Yes, now on to cells....

4. When learning that a scientist discovered that only animals come from animals and plants from plants.... I explained how we already know that. Animals can't come from plants - we are just as smart as that scientist! One student raised his hand and said, "I was reading on the internet about a woman who got pregnant from a horse? Is this possible?" I explained that this could not be true considering only animals of the same species can breed and humans are not the same species as horses, and this could not be true. I also said that it is easy to read things on the internet and believe they are true, but not all of it is true.

Cinncinati

This weekend Jeremy and I got away. That's right - just the two of us and not on the road to a commitment in another state. We haven't done that since we went to Denver while in Colorado. We chose Cinncinati as our destination city because we hadn't been there together and it is fairly close, but it is not Columbus. We left on Friday after Jeremy got home from work. On the way down, we stopped at Jeffersonville Prime Outlets to see if there were any good deals... none that we couldn't pass up. We arrived at La Quinta Inn around 10pm and settled in for the night.

We slept late (8:30ish), ate breakfast, and left for our day out. We went to the Gap Clearance Store in Hebron, Kentucky first. I had heard there were good deals on their pregnancy clothes and I wanted to check it out. I found a pair of brown pants and two sweaters for only $24 for everything! I need to do a little repair on the sweater (be prepared, mom, to help), but otherwise I think they were pretty good buys. Jeremy did not get so lucky. We headed to lunch - Chipotle... shared a burrito. Then, we went to Newport on the Levee, which is like Easton on the Ohio River. We thought we would check out the movie selection. I wanted to see Fame; Jeremy would have gone, but I wanted to do something we would both enjoy.

So, we decided to splurge and go to the Aquarium. It was really neat. We decided that neither us had ever been to an Aquarium before. I mean, we had been to them at the zoo, but not a place that is nothing but an aquarium. It wasn't too crowded, just a few groups of kids. I found a group of frogs I could kiss :), but I have already found my prince, so no need to kiss them! (I know, but I had to be a little cheesy!) In one place you can go "into" the shark cage. You watch a movie on a screen and stand on a platform that rocks and shakes as the sharks swim around you in the ocean and bump into the cage. It felt very real and convinced me I didn't ever want to be in the ocean in a shark cage. The cute thing is that this little boy - 3 years old or so?? - would stand on the platform and cover his eyes and wait for the shark to hit the cage and then he would laugh so loud; he loved it! In another section of the aquarium you could walk over the alligator tank and see them below you through the glass floor. Another little boy about 3 or 4 stood at the edge of the bridge area and would go to take a step and whimper. He was petrified to cross the glass bridge over the alligators. I asked if he wanted some help; he immediately said yes, and let me pick him up and carry him across. It was very cute :) We also enjoyed the jellyfish room. It had a number of different kinds of jellyfish and really cool tanks holding them. Some of the tanks allowed you to change the color of the light and therefore the color of the jellyfish that reflect the light. Right before exiting, you look above the tank that houses the sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, and fish that you saw from the tunnels and peepholes below. You could look through a periscope to see below the water through the eyes of the fish!

After the Aquarium, we went to eat at Montgomery Inn, a famous rib place in Cinncinati. The one we went to overlooks the river. It was a very unique dining experience because of the river, circular restaurant, and greater experience. The ribs that Jeremy had were (according to him) delicious - juicy, thick, and falls-off-the-bone. I ordered blackened salmon with sauteed veggies. (I don't like ribs or bbq sauce.) My salmon was delicious! As I was eating my veggies, I noticed a strange looking herb on one of my zucchinis. I said to Jeremy, "Look it looks like a bug!" I was just kidding until I looked closer and noticed it really was a cooked bug! (FYI, this pic is not the actual bug, but I do have a pic on my cell phone if you want to see it!) I finished my salmon and left my veggies. When the waitress came to take our plates, I mentioned the bug and showed it to her on the side of my plate. She had a disgusted look on her face and said she would show the manager. When she returned, she had taken my meal off the ticket and offered us each a dessert of our choice. We were stuffed already, but who turns down dessert! So, I ordered strawberry shortcake, and Jeremy ordered profiteroles. Huge portions came our way! My strawberry shortcake was delicious. There were three profiteroles on Jeremy's plate. These are cream puff shells filled with vanilla ice cream (from Graeters) and topped with thick hot fudge. We were unable to finish what we ordered, but it was worth the effort. :) Even with the bug, I would still recommend Montgomery Inn, the food was amazing.

Sunday, we went to IKEA before heading home. We checked out the kitchen set-ups, and I was once again a little jealous. We bought two tiny tables to replace our coffee table, but that was it. We got home around 4pm. Jeremy is at his LIFE group (youth group small group), and I am here blogging. Hope everyone has a great upcoming week.