Just wanted to let ya know...

We're having ANOTHER baby GIRL!!!! I'm very excited to give Ali a baby sister... and I'm excited to raise two girls- TOTALLY not the way KK nor I would have picked our family had we had the choice... but the more I ponder it, the more I'm likin the idea of having WOMEN rule this household!

I'm never fully understand men (i.e the one I'm married to)

So I went upstairs during my plan period to say HI to my husband earlier today. I was telling him the things I am going to get done over Winter Break while Ali is at daycare. Here is the list I gave him:

1. Clean out the guest bedroom and get it ready to be re-carpeted and converted into Ali's new room.
2. Move and organize everything in the basement so we can turn an area of it into Ali's playroom
3. Clean out the oven

The ONLY one of those 3 itty bitty items I asked him for help with was moving the bed that is in the guest room down to the basement after we dismantle it. I am excited to get these things done and feel a sense of accomplishment on some items that have been nagging at me for a couple months now.

And this is how he responds: I don't want you to make a list of all these things you want to get done over break, just so you can get pissed off when they don't get done. We need to relax over break, that is what it is for. First of all- I have 3 THINGS I want to do! And they are not hard nor monumental items! I did not say- let's re-tile the bathroom or something for pete's sake! And this also gets my goat- why is it rude or jerkish of me to ask his help in moving some furniture (he was huffy about me saying "you can help me with that, right?"). Seriously, that man. Of course, me being prego and totally emotional, this totally hurt my feelings. I told him the 4th thing on my list was going on a date, but I didn't want to have too many things on the list... and then I got up and left. I do not get it. At all.

Wordless Wednesday

A Post of Pics

I buckled down and uploaded the most recent pictures from the camera... so I decided to do a random post of them to fill ya'll in on the happenings at our house:

Here is a picture of me from yesterday- 19 weeks along. I cannot believe how big my belly is getting, and so quickly! YIKES! But I love the sweater dress! It is super comfy and stylish... Sorry for the bad angle- I had to use the self-timer :)

... and see Jack, our dog, in the background? He is going to live with my mother-in-law.hopefully some time this week ( I will post about THAT tomorrow)

My mom (i.e. Nana) bought this little table for Ali over the weekend. She insisted that Ali have her own craft/drawing/eating area... and she was right! Ali loves it! She sits there all the time, and loves to man-handle move it all over the house. And see her baby sitting on the table? That was my "baby Lauren" when I was growing up; Ali LOVES it- baby has taken the place of Elmo... warms Momma's heart!

I just love this pic of Ali's piggie tales- we call her shrek baby :) Her teacher at daycare did her hair pretty on Friday- so cute! And the reason Ali is not paying attention to the camera? Because she is watching Elmo videos on the computer- KK got her turned onto that- nice job dad- she now begs and throws fits for them!

Farmer Ali- notice the rain boots tucked under her overalls- a friend gave us the boots and Ali will not take them off- I have to hide them because they fall off easily... And she loves to wear her winter hat too!

Our dorky, yet childproof, Christmas tree. As you can see, Ali wants to touch it sooo bad- she thinks the round ornaments are balls that she must get her hands on and throw.

Here she is running away when I asked her if she was trying to touch the Christmas tree-

lil stinker!

This last picture is of Guy Michele (pronounced GEE) holding his favorite fan- Ali! Guy is a 7"1' player on the team that KK coaches. He is such a sweetheart- he is from Monaco and hardly speaks any English, but he loooooves him some Ali! And she loves him too! So cute to see that big guy holding our girl :)

Monday challenge

At least it's the LAST MONDAY before a much-needed Winter Break! Believe me, I am counting the days til a 2 week vacation from work, 9th graders, and annoying co-workers.
It finally snowed here last night- bringing the temperature gage up to a balmy 25 degrees for today... which surprisingly doesn't ache in the bones as bad as the 9 degree weather we were experiencing last week. At least now I can wear my cute maternity sweater dresses and not freeze my tush off! (Which I did take a 19 week pic of this morning... will upload and share later!)
We did, however, watch an awesome presentation today as a school. It is called Rachel's Challenge, and it was started by the family of Rachel Scott, the first student killed at Columbine High School back in 1999. Rachel would have been the exact same age as I am- and her message of spreading kindness and compassion, one person at a time, really hit me. I was really inspired by how much she felt and how deep she thought about impacting the world with the simple act of kindness at such a young age. I hope the impact the presentation had on me affected my students the same way. I hope my students can think about how they treat one another- and be compassionate that everyone comes to school with a different set of problems weighing them down each day- and that they are expected to get beyond those problems to be a "normal" high school student.
The presentation made me really regret the times I was not kind as a teenager. I remember being hurtful to my peers- and I remember people being hurtful to me. I hope that by telling my students this- we really opened up some good dialogue in class today- that they will be impacted and make a difference. It really makes you think about what you say and how you say it- I especially feel this being a teacher, and being a teacher of impressionable 9th graders.

One thing Rachel's Challenge challenges people to do is write down their goals. Since being married to KK, I have never sat down to write goals that I want to accomplish in my life. Nor have we discussed goals for our marriage and family.Tonight when we have dinner, this is a discussion I am planning to have with him (he was at the presentation too- I'm excited to hear his thoughts!)
I really encourage you to go to the Rachel's Challenge website and see this amazing girl's mission. It surely brought a new light to the holiday season- and reminded me to treat ALL people (especially my students) with kindness and compassion- every single day.

C..Co..Cold!

The picture above is what I am using as a focal point to keep myself from freezing to death. You know what the fore casted HIGH temperature is today where I live? 15 DEGREES!!! Seriously, 15 degrees! That is only 12 degrees higher then my FREEZER! It's achingly cold. Horrifically cold. Like going to your car after school hurts your fingers down to their bones- and the only thing that can warm them up is running them under hot water when you get home. It's bad; so bad, that I need to buy a bag of chips for my Christmas party tomorrow, and I'm seriously debating getting out of my car one more time then I have to at the grocery store. Maybe I can order them online and have them Fed-Exed? :-)

And other then being cold, I am finding myself exhausted. That's the only word I can think of to explain my current mood. Like all I want to do is sleep. I think it's mentally and physically. I love my husband, and I love being married to a coach. But having him travel for 4 day weekends, 2 weekends in a row, makes me sad. It is hard to be a single, full-time working mom- I salute you people! ..and of course I need to remember that I am 4 1/2 months pregnant... and I need to take care of my body not just for me, but for our little bambino growing in my tummy. So only 2.5 days until Friday, and I am going to pick up my baby from daycare, go home, do something easy and fun like bake some cookies- veg out and watch some Christmas movies... and go to bed at 7:15 when I put Miss Ali down. Rest and relaxation- man that sounds sooo lovely!

... So for today, I will just change my desktop background to this:

...and wish I was laying right there! Stay Warm, bloggy friends!

Hair in Flames!

Sorry everybody, I am so busy running around like my hair's on fire, I have no time to post! KK was gone Thursday through Sunday- same thing again this week... we had my parents and brother for dinner last night; I've got a meeting at school till 4:30 and then my teen pregnancy support group at church at 5:00- open gym for softball tomorrow- a ladies' Christmas gathering on Thursday!!

YIKES!

The Picky Eater and 17 weeks prego!

My daughter has become a finicky eater. My 28 lb, 99th percentile for weight 15-month old, has decided she will only eat what she wants- mainly carbs (can you blame her?) She has sworn off all meat that I can tell- no turkey, ham, hot dogs, lunch meat, bologna, nothing! She is still eating some fruit and a number of vegetables- but it is seriously hit and miss.
I know many people all over the world survive without meat in their diets- but this is not a way of life I have ever experienced or had the desire to. So this momma is struggling with dinnertime- what in the helk to I feed this girl to make ME feel better? Is she getting enough? Or is she going to be starving to death? Last night, for example, Ali at some veggie chips and green beans. For Dinner. That's it. She refused the turkey and bananas I offered- incredible.
And this morning, she did not eat anything! We offered her apples and waffles and even tried a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ... and I ended up throwing a granola bar at KK on the way out the door- hoping he could get her to eat a little something in the car on the way to daycare.
The good news is, I guess, that she is still eating, and of course drinking milk (her favorite) so I know she's getting some nutrients. I am just out of ideas on how to feed her a well-balanced meal, or if at this point I should even worry about it...

And on my other baby front- I'm 17 weeks today! Whoo hoo! It's AMAZING to me how fast we are moving along in this pregnancy... Ali keeps me so busy that I don't have time for the days to drag by- it's awesome! I'm still feeling good and growing daily- I go to the doc today after work; I'm anxious to hear the heartbeat (that sound never gets old) and see how much we've grown :) I'm guessing quite a bit since Thanksgiving- hee hee... Here is what my "preggo forecast" is for this week's development: www.baby-gaga.com
Don't be too shocked but... your baby is EVEN bigger than it was last week, not to mention getting cuter, and smarter every day! As you’ve come to expect, there’s no shortage of growth and development this week: your fantastic little bean stalk has added yet another half inch to their overall height-- making them nearly half a foot long! Their little limbs have reached (or are within one week of) their relative proportions, and will continue to grow evenly with the rest of the body after this week. Reactive listening has begun for your baby, even though their ears are not yet structurally complete or fully functional. Meanwhile, different parts of their astonishingly complex brain are developing to process your little one’s hearing and other senses, (you know, sight, smell, taste and touch). Mind boggling factoid of the week: if you’re having going to have a little girl, her ovaries have already produced millions of primordial egg cells, which, within a few weeks, will develop into actual eggs! Phew… just wait till she’s a teenager eh?

Back to the Grind

It is amazing how fast 4 days flies by when you have a 1 year old! I was so looking forward to having 4 days off from work. I had all these plans to get my house cleaned down to the floor boards, get my Christmas decorations up, make Christmas cards, etc... but it just doesn't work out that way with a child! Not that I'm complaining - we had a blast spending time as a family- but man, things change when kids enter the picture :)

And from Wednesday's 15 month checkup:

Ali weighs 28lbs 14.5oz- 99th percentile :)

Ali is 33 inches tall- 90th percentile for height

And the doctor was super impressed with all her words- and oh yes she told her almost all of them non-stop the entire appointment!

Dr. P said Ali is perfect and so cute and she asked to give her kisses, which of course I let her!

So to the old man who said "My, she's a husky one, eh?" in Cabela's yesterday- she's a big girl for her age, and she's smart and happy and cute! So shove it!

Snow!

It snowed over the weekend (don't worry, it's all melted now).. and Ali had her first official romp in the snow. She had a blast, and absolutely loved it- which made me excited for the winter season... normally I'm not a big snow person, but seeing the winter weather through a child's eyes sure changes your perspective.

Needless to say, Ali had a blast and cried when I was too freezing to be outside anymore and we had to go back in. I was bummed when it all melted the next day, as I can't wait to use her red wagon that Gramma got her last Christmas And not to worry- we live in North Idaho- snow is inevitable :)

On Sunday evening, we went to my parents house for pizza and to take the Gabourie Family Picture for my parents' Christmas card.

My family is just lovely- I can't think of a better word to describe them. I love and cherish each of them so very much. I am so thankful that they live only 7 minutes from us and that we can spend as much (or as little) time together as we want. My family is awesome- Griff and I had a wonderful upbringing, and I am so glad to share that part of me with KK and Ali.. and baby on the way! Ali just loves Grammie and Papa, we have so much fun with them. The way my parents and brother love KK also makes me so thankful for them- it's just a big, happy fam-dam!

This weekend we are heading downtown for the annual Holiday Parade and tree lighting. My dad also rented a room at the Coeur d Alene Resort, so we get to spend the holiday weekend on a mini-vacation! I'm so excited to just "get away", relax, spend time with my family, and celebrate the holiday season! KK's birthday is Friday, it will be great to celebrate it that way! He's also got a Thanksgiving Basketball Tourney, so we will be action-filled and super fun! Can't wait!

Apparently I only post on Thursdays

Ali is so stinking full of life these days... I captured her at her finest the other night. She does not like to wear clothes anymore, and even though it is currently only around 30 degrees outside at night in North Idaho- she doesn't mind at all! As long as she's got her Elmo slippers on!




And just for fun- here's a picture of me at 15 weeks- I took it myself this morning, so it isn't the BEST picture ever- my bangs are terrible! And I went to work like that!
Anyway... the baby belly has definitely made itself known to the outside world! (Still not in maternity clothes yet- I'm hangin on by a thread!)


I'm thinking it's another girl- not for any "motherly intuitive " reason.. mostly just because we are hoping for a boy- and God is funny like that! Poor KK is going to have to get used to a houseful of women! (My theory will be proven right come Dec. 21- that's our 20 week ultrasound!)
Anybody else want to make a guess? You've got a 50/50 chance!

Thoughts for Thursday

• Yesterday us teachers had a workday, so the students did not come to school. May I say, it was awesome! I got so much work done (thank God), plus it was a nice refresher to be away from the little angels for a day!
• A student that I totally had problems with - i.e. he told me to "shut my mouth" one day, on another day he told me to "F*&^ OFF" another day, has checked out of our school and transferred to another- PRAISE GOD! You could not imagine what a breath of fresh air that is for me, and how much easier it makes teaching that class, allowing my full attention to the students who deserve it (did I also mention it is a remedial English class? - yeah, not good).
• Another student (male) has a behavior problem that I am not sure how to control: he passes gas during class time- all the time! I think he does it to be funny, or just does not have any manners... I'm contemplating a call home, just not to sure how to handle that one. 14 year old boys never cease to amaze me!
• My daughter is hilarious- I put a little potty in her bathroom, just to show her it's there, and let her get used to the idea that one day she will go to the bathroom there. Last night, I had her all ready to hop in the bath, and I ran back to her room to get her PJs before putting her in the tub. When I came back to the bathroom, there was Ali, crouched down in front of her potty, holding on to it for leverage- so she could poop on the floor, right in front of the potty! Apparently she has yet to understand the concept of the potty ! hahahaha- gives me a good chuckle every time I think about it!
• This morning, Ali had her baby in her booster chair, and was pointing her finger in the baby's face, giving her the "what for"- not sure where she learned to ream out a person like that from- I'm not a big pointer, I don't think? But from the looks of it, she's sure gonna make a bossy big sister!
• My mother-in-law has found a way to be at our house every night this week. Fabulous. Of course she's just "dropping by" quick- just to drop off something.. yeah, it never works out that way- the woman usually ends up sucking at least 30 minutes of our evening, not like we don't work full time and have 1,000 things to do... not to mention my hubs left this morning for a tournament in Wyoming for the weekend AND had a game last night, so she pretty much sucked all the time we had to be together- lovely. She's on this kick that Ali needs to be wearing chords because they're just "so cute" and she loves her chords (this is coming from the woman who has overalls in every color imaginable). Here's the thing- Ali's chubby thighs make it real hard right now to put her in anything besides stretchy pants and sweats- so the woman is buying Ali boy chords- which equal ugly in my book. My daughter does not need to be running around wearing boy clothes, especially when she has a million other pants that work! GET A LIFE, LADY! cause I'm gonna loose it if you don't leave our family alone!
• I have not gained any weight since my last doctor visit- whoo hoo for me! I'm still wearing non-prego pants with loose tops~ some are tighter than others... but I'm really trying hard this time not to get to chunky.. I have this fear that losing the weight after the 2nd child will not be as easy as it was with the first.. and believe me, I've still got a long way to go to be toned again! HA!
• I can totally tell I've got the emotional pregnant hormones running strong lately- I cried about a cell phone commercial yesterday- and was bawling in tears reading about the Christmas family my 9th graders have adopted this holiday season- and I mean, like sobbing- what is wrong with me?

Phew- and there's my brain thought waves for the morning- glad I got all that out :) Happy Thursday everyone!

November 11, 2009

Thank You to Our Veterans. To those who gave their lives, and those who served, and are serving this country so that I could be free, and raise my daughter in a country where her freedom is not taken for granted. Thank you is not enough to say! Happy Veteran's Day!

Pretty Interesting ...

Introducting Baby #2

Yesterday was my 12 week ultrasound/appointment! I'm actually 13 weeks along.. and they moved my due date to May 8, 2010. Everything went perfect- the baby looks perfect and healthy and so sweet- I can't wait! Seeing this baby on the ultrasound made me so excited for a tiny little bundle to hold and cuddle- not that my 14 month old isn't a sweet lil cuddle bug.. it will just be that much fun to have two babies to squeeze! I'm so looking forward to this meeting this next one- we are so blessed!

15 things that change when you have a Baby

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

How much is that Doggie in the window?

I must update all you Mommies who gave me great advice that I am proud to say that it only took one night of Ali screaming bloody murder- and not being picked up by her mean momma and daddy... and she got it! The kid is back to sleeping through the night- Hallelujah!

And we had so much fun on Halloween- Ali went around with our neighborhood friends and watched them trick or treat from her wagon. She wasn't into going up to any houses, and she totally didn't care! Our housing development is like Trick or Treat Central- there were so many people out that I had to take the wagon on the street because the sidewalks were full! Ali just loved to watch all the kids walk by her in there costumes- she laughed and said HI to everyone, it was a blast! She's such a fun-loving, mellow kid... I'm thanking my lucky stars for her every minute! We also had warmer weather for Halloween night(rare for North Idaho) so we didn't have to worry about bundlin up in jackets... it was a balmy 50 degrees people!

And please excuse the food all over Ali's face (and hanging from her mouth) in her pictures... she has recently taken to NOT smiling for the camera, and not really looking at it without some sort of bribery- stubborn lil thang!

After trick or treating, we went back to our friends' house and Ali helped everyone hand out candy. The highlight of the night was when Elmo and Cookie Monster came to the door- I sooo wish I had brought my camera because Ali was in awe. She just stared at them, mouth hanging wide open, and kept repeating Elmo over and over. From that point on, whenever the doorbell rang, she would run and look for Elmo- priceless!

..switching gears...

Tomorrow we have our 12 week ultrasound- let me just say I cannot wait to see that little bug wigglin around in there- and hearing the heartbeat for the 1st time.. there's nothing in the world like it!

As for MY growth- I'm reaching that in-between clothes stage to the point now where I only have about 4 pairs of pants that fit and I am in to some smaller maternity tops. Maternity pants are waaay too baggy so I'm pretty much screwed on that part. I hate this point of pregnancy- I just want to move forward already... but I'm the unfortunate pregnant lady who just looks chubby - you know, undefined muffin top waist- till I'm about 6 months along. I finally told my students that we were expecting so they wouldn't gossip that Mrs. Knowles is gaining weight at an unquestionable rate! (believe me, it happens- )

Thoughts for Thursday!

• Hoorah! Ali slept ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT last night! It was fabulous, and you cannot believe how refreshed I feel!


• The night before, however, was a LIVING NIGHTMARE. Ali cried/screamed from 11:45-12:45... and I held strong and let her cry it out! My husband cursed me out and had a little hissy fit, but we made it. It was so horrible, just laying there praying she would go to sleep... but hopefully she has learned and last night's bliss will continue! (I'm holding my breath!)
• We have a birthday/costume party today after school, and Ali is going as a doggie! I put a little bow on the top of the costume (thanks, Lindsay!), and it's super cute! I can't wait to post pictures.


• My (slightly off her rocker) mother in law wanted to dress up like a GIANT ELMO! and show up at Ali's Harvest Party on Friday. I quickly put the x-nay on that idea. Seriously, that woman can be crazy all she wants, but she cannot spread the crazy onto my daughter and her poor, unsuspecting friends. The woman doesn't get it- sure, dressing up for Halloween is fun (although I do not personally choose to partake) but a giant elmo is not only weird, it can be seen as kinda creepy.. oh yeah- and CRAZY!


• As of yesterday, we are sitting at 12 weeks preggo! I am feeling great, have my energy back, and am so excited for next week, when we get to have an ultrasound and listen to this sweet baby's heartbeat!
• Ali's new best friend (besides the beloved Elmo) is my baby doll from when I was little. Her name is Lauren, and Ali loves her so much... it warms my heart that she cuddles the baby that I once loved so much- she's just like her momma- a little mother hen!

Crying in the Night

Ok - so I completely agree with you wise Mommas out there in that we should let Ali cry it out. Now, I have to convince my husband of this fact.

However, I think that Ali's problem is bigger then just having a desire to be in our bed (which, as much as she rolls around in there, I don't think she really likes it or gets too comfy).
Case in point: last night, I really paid attention (i.e. woke up enough to have my wits about me- remember, I'm a heavy sleeper, so my hubs is usually the one given me morning reports of the crying incidents) when she woke up. She was not crying, she was SCREAMING. Like crying as if she was left alone in a dark subway station. And when KK went to get her, she was sitting up in the corner of her crib, clutching Elmo. When he brought her into our room and set her between us in bed, she continued to SCREAM. I reached over and brought her to me, and she wrapped her arms and legs around me and cried for a good 5 minutes. I finally soothed her enough to get her to lye down, and took her back to her crib after she calmed down, where she slept soundly for the rest of the night.
I think the kid either has some serious separation anxiety, or she's afraid of the dark, or she's really stinkin manipulative.
Tonight, I'm going to try and put her night light back into her room, give her a squirt of Motrin, and see what happens.
I do think a bit of it is her wanting to be with us, but there has to be a reason she's screaming bloody murder at 1:00am!

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday, everyone! I know I say this too much- but I cannot believe how stinking busy my life can be! I'm hurrying after another hectic school day to write this post so I can go pick up my sweet little wiggles...

I do have some good news to report- I petitioned to our on site technology man, and he has allowed google reader through the security proxy at school! So I can once again read your blogs on my lunch break- hoorah! I so look forward to that little treat during my work week!

I am also feeling less annoyed since my last blog, so that is definitely a plus! Unfortunately, Ali is not feeling less annoyed about being a big sister(hee hee)

Actually, she's going to be SUCH a good big sissie! She loves her baby dolls- she pats them and rocks them and sings to them. And this weekend she held an actual 6 week old baby and was very gentle and gave him lots of kisses- SO CUTE!

We are doing pretty good in our neck of the woods- just plugging along through life! Ali and I carved a pumpkin on Saturday- well I carved, she tried to eat and squish all the inside of the pumpkin. I let her go crazy (but couldn't take a picture because I was too messy!). She was squishing the insides of the pumpkin, throwing it around the table, and just laughing her little buns off! We had so much fun... I've been waiting my whole adult life to have someone to carve a pumpkin with-before Ali I did it myself! So this year was definitely fun and memorable. I did get a picture of her trying to pick up the big orange "ball":

Otherwise, we've just been hanging out and enjoying being a family. One thing that I must complain about- Ali will not sleep through the night! I do not know if it is teeth, or just her being ornery! It is so hard to tell when she is teething, as she normally does not show any "teething" signs. So every night, she wakes up and cries in her bed, and her and daddy have a "fight". He goes and gets her, she then wriggles around our bed for awhile- he yells and her to go to sleep-puts her back in her crib... and some nights she'll stay there, and others she'll wake up in about 3 hours and start the process with him over again. I cannot figure out if she's got him bamboozled, or if she's really being woken up for some other reason?

Life's little Annoyances

Here's my list of complaints for the day, because it's definitely a Monday!

• Google Reader is BLOCKED at school- why? that is so stinking dumb! So now, the only time that I can designate to read my beloved blogs... I DON'T GET TO! I'm so peeved about it- this district has gotten downright outrageous with everything they block. I mean, I'm using MY time to read- plus- what's wrong with reading blogs? How is it not conducive to my professional development! I feel like my job has become my 2nd mom... always taking away my fun! So I'm really sorry that I haven't read your blogs in awhile- when I am home, where NOTHING on the internet is blocked, I have unfortunately no free time/me time to read my lovely Google Reader... so until then- I love ya and miss reading all your fun stuff on a daily basis! (P.S. does anyone know a different reader I can use that is like google reader?)
• I'm also annoyed at my dear, dear husband, and his lack of the ability to help me around the house on a daily basis. Seriously, I DO EVERYTHING! Dishes, laundry, toy pick-up, bath time, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning- YOU NAME IT! His only daily chore? Feeding the dogs and getting the mail, re-freaking-diculous! I might smother the man in his sleep if he doesn't start carrying his weight around our house!!
• Pregnancy nausea is rearing it's ugly head and making my life (just a tad) miserable. Not to mention that neither my daughter nor my husband (see above) seem to give a crap that all I want to do during these spells is drink water and sit down... fortunately it A.) isn't very bad and B) does not happen often or last for very long
• The H1N1 Virus is scaring the crap outta me! I am around sickly, yucky, scummy high schoolers all day long who do not cover their mouths and certainly do not practice correct hygiene throughout the day. Believe me, I've got the Lysol and hand sanitizer flowin in my classroom. It will be a blessing if myself and my family make it through this flu season unscathed.
• I have been on hold with Sallie Mae for the past 45 minutes, this is after having my call dropped 3 separate times. And you know what I'm calling about? I just need their dang fax number because the one listed on the website is wrong!

For crying in the night! It's definitely a Monday!

Been Awhile...

I feel the need to apologize that I have not kept my blog updated (not that I've had any complaints or that anyone out there really cares- HA!). But I must tell you- I'm stinkin busy! I do not even hardly touch the computer when I am at home- that time I spend cleaning/preparing/chasing/playing/sleeping (a little bit). I mean seriously, with a 1 year old, you don't get a chance to just sit and give your attention to an inanimate object like say, a computer. And work- oh work has been draining and crazy madness. In fact, I shouldn't even be writing at this very moment- I should be grading the stack of papers staring me down on my desk- but I feel the desire to justify my absence in the bloggy world.
But let me tell you- being a working mom whose husband coaches until 6:00 every night takes ALL of my time and energy- seriously! It's crazy!

But- back to our little announcement- we're so excited to be having baby #2! This baby is due May 12th- so I am officially 10 weeks along today. And let me tell you, it is just as exciting and happy feeling as it was with Ali. It is different however, in that I don't have a lot of time to sit and think about the fact that I am pregnant- Ali and my job take most of that free-thinking time! I have been feeling good- I was a little nauseous about 2 weeks ago, but that passed quickly and was not bad at all- I'm so thankful that I have easy pregnancies! I just hope this baby is as smart, sweet, animated, and full of life as sweet Alison is- am I jinxing myself and asking too much!? But yeah- this is a great new chapter in our lives, and we are looking forward to making our family complete. Although I have noticed this week that my clothes are ALREADY starting to get tight- and I'm not too ready for that yet. Perhaps it's because I am STARVING all the TIME!!! Seriously, I have 4 FULL meals yesterday- incredible! I'm trying hard not to be a chubber wubber... however, I feel this is the last time in my life I can eat whenever and whatever and however much I want, so I'm taking full advantage! So there!

Ali has an Announcement!

It's Friday!

TGIF, and it couldn't come soon enough! KK and I are going to P.F. Chang's for dinner tonight (YUM-0) and then to see Jason Mraz in concert. I am really looking forward to a night out with my hubby! Our neighbors are going with us- it should be a fun double date!


And.. I'll leave you with some cute pictures that I FINALLY got around to downloading:

My two sweet babes!

Ali and her two lovies - her soccer ball and basketball... the silly girl sleeps with um! She's a girl after our own hearts :)

In the ready position!

Have a great weekend!!!

Sweet, Sweet Sleep!

Hoorah! We dosed Ali up with Motrin before bed last night... and we ALL got a good night's sleep! I was in bed by 8, asleep by 8:30, and up and ready to rock at 5:00! Ali slept like a champ- from 7:15 - 5:45- that's our girl! I'm guessing it must be those molars, cause when I was ticklin her yesterday I got a peek in the mouth- and looks like we've got some swollen gums and bumps up top- did I mention that I hate teething?

A Cry in the Night

Sweet Ali Baby has not been so sweet as of late. Well, just at night, and it's not really her fault. We hope. The poor doll has woken up for the last 2 weeks, off and on. Just crying and crying! And not like, I'm whining cause I want my mommy and daddy cry, like I'm scared or hurt... different then I've heard before. Last night was the worst- she cried even after I went and picked her up and brought her into our bed, which usually calms her enough to fall back to sleep. Last night, she had to sleep ON me. Not fun, especially when you're super tired and your baby is a sweat factory! She finally went back to sleep, after crying for a bit and finally settling down so we could put her back to bed in her crib... I just can't figure it out! She isn't irritable at all during the day- no pulling on the ears... what is it!? This motherhood thing is such a guessing game! And now we're losing sleep- the worst! I'm hoping it's just teeth- you can never tell with Ali because she does not display the usual "teething symptoms"- teeth just seem to pop outta nowhere.
It's a mystery.... and hopefully it ends soon- cause KK is about to loose his mind, he's so tired! Too bad he's not like me, I can fall back to sleep in an instant and sleep through pretty much anything.... poor daddy!

Wordless Wednesday

My Sweet Man

Last night, watching KK and Ali play together on the floor, I got teary-eyed, just thinking about how thankful I am for my little family. They were so cute, Ali would bring books over to Daddy to read- he was laying on the floor- then do the trick-move on him and jump on his tummy. It was so cute, she was laughing so hard and so was he~ it's so awesome to watch them interact and really start to play together.

We're so lucky to have such a sweet, mellow, funny, happy little girl. Yesterday, her teacher at daycare told me that she has become the clown of the whole school- and that everyone just cracks up over her funny facial expressions and words all day long- hilarious- wonder where she gets that from?

And then last night, when KK and I were getting in to bed he said "Oh, I need to go in and say night night to Ali, make sure she's covered up... she has to hear that I love her every night." Ok- melt my heart! What a good daddy Ali has- we're so lucky :)

I suck at this

I have a hard time blogging lately- it's just the last thing I wanna do lately. I think I'm just trying to get used to working again ( that sounds, terrible, I know) but when you go from playing with a 1 year old all day, everyday, to being expected to think on your feet, lecture, answer 1 bagillion questions from high schoolers- it's hard to make the transition! Plus, the last thing I wanna do when I get home from school is sit down at the computer, when all I really wanna do is play with my baby girl! So this post is coming to you from my school computer, and don't worry, I'm not wasting valuable teaching time- I'm on my plan period!

So, just to give you and update on our lives as of late...
At Ali's 1 year appointment her stats where:
Weight: 25lbs 8 oz
Height: 30 inches
And I don't remember her head size - but Dr. P was super impressed with her vocabulary and commented on how observant our little sweet girl is, and of course the doc had to kiss Ali's chubber cheeks- which are getting smaller by the day- boo!

Ali loooooovvvvvvves her daycare, teacher, and all the fun activities, as do her momma and daddy. Seriously, that place is awesome. She is singing songs at home (well, trying), she loves to color and always comes home covered in dirt and art supplies- which means she's playing her heart out all day long- I love it! Her teacher is amazing- every day when I pick up Ali she squeezes her and tells her she loves her(the teacher) and Ali gives her moochies, I just love that she has such a nurturing place to hang while we cannot be with her.
And the funny story highlight from last week (since every day there's a new story- our little clown!) Last week the whole school was having circle time to learn some new songs, and Ali got up, went and sat in the middle of the circle, and clapped and laughed for all the singers- apparently she thought it was all for her! What a little ham!

Everything else is going fine- we are just exhausted trying to get back into the routine... but life is good, God is blessing us- and I can't wait to share some good news with y'all as soon as it becomes public knowledge!

1st Day of School

Well, first day of teaching down- only 179 days left! HaHa- no really, today went pretty good and I think my classes are going to be OK. I still have 3 more classes to meet tomorrow (I teach on an AB Block Schedule, so I see different kids every other day), but anyway, hopefully all those kids were as delightful as today's, and I can get through another school year relatively unscathed.The only blip in my day was that our assistant principal of curriculum came and asked me to drop my Young Adult Literature course and teach a Make-up English class instead- which is basically a throw-back for kids who have failed an English class and need the credit. I of course said that I would teach it, and I start on Thursday, so tomorrow will be spent scurrying around trying to get a skeleton of a schedule figured out. The good news is the class does not have a required curriculum, so I can basically teach whatever I want- and I'm gonna! Swine Flu essay and Secret Life of Bees, baby! (k- that was a kinda dorky, English teacher-ish thing to say)

I am, however, exhausted! You would not believe how much talking all day for 45-60 minutes straight after not really doing that all summer long can tire you out! I mean seriously, I feel like I could fall asleep standing, right at this moment!

(Ali must be exhausted from her day at daycare too, because she went to bed about 6:15 tonight!)

So ya, hope all are well out there... if my blogging gets (more) sparse, it's cause my butt is busy and tired- I'm back to the working world, people!

Oh, and I wanted to share some of Ali's 1 year pics- sorry about the big ole-copyright across um, but you get the idea of how stinking cute my girl is! What a ham!

What a great trip

First off, may I say BOOOOOOOO that I have to start teacher meetings at school TOMORROW! Where did the summer go already?

I'm back from San Antonio, and may I say I had the most fabulous time visiting my BFF Rose.

Rose is having a baby boy in October, and all of her friends flew in to S.A., Texas, where her and her husband are currently stationed with the Air Force. It was a fantastic time- I went sans my family... and Rose's mom and sister flew in, along with a handful of friends from the Air Force, and some neighbors that Rose has made friends with since moving th

ere in October. (And if you want to see one of the gifts I gave her, go here to see Lindsay's awesome craftiness!)

I was visiting Wednesday through Sunday, which is never enough time for me to spend with my sweet Rosie, but I still enjoyed my visit, and our time together, so very much. That time is so precious and means so much to me, we don't get to be together as much as I wish we could- and now with both of us being moms soon... I just hope once a year will be good enough!

Thank the Lord for the power of the internet, cell phones, and skype!

Without further ado... some highlights from the trip:

Of course you can't go to San Antonio without visiting The Alamo! (look close, I'm standing in front of the door with a navy blue shirt and khaki Bermuda shorts... and I pf course have my hands up- whoot woot!!)My super stinkin cute best friend... I mean, c'mon- 8 months preggo and she's not even wearing maternity clothes- give me a break !

I love that baby in her belly!

Coyote Ugly- and YES I DID get up and DANCE MY BUNS OFF on that Bar! Cause you know I still can party like a rock star!

Like I said before, I had the best time- it was definitely the highlight of my summer. I was so glad that Rose's friends were all able to come, and that we where able to throw her a wonderful shower, and that we could all get together and show her just how much we love her and her upcoming family.

I also asked Rosie to be Ali's Godmother- something I've been wanting to do for a long time and had to wait to do it in person.

Most of all, visiting Rose made me remember the importance of having her in my life, and just how special she is to me. It reminded me that, no matter the distance, or how busy our lives get, that she is a top priority and reminding her of that is of utmost importance.

She is my heart within my heart. I love her with all I have, like a sister, and I am so glad God brought her in my life and that we continue, 8 years later and a million miles apart, to stay close and find the humor and joy in all parts of our lives. She is a gift, and I can only pray that one day my own sweet baby girl will find a best friend she can love as much as I love My Rose.

So Far behind!

I haven't blogged ANYTHING since Ali's birthday party and her birthday... and I'm so stinking busy because I leave tomorrow to TEXAS to visit my best friend of all times, Rose! She's having a baby in October, so I'm going to squeeze the belly and celebrate at her baby shower! I'm so excited- and sad to leave my baby girl and her daddy behind... but when I get home on Sunday, I will for sure catch things up on here, as well as post Ali's O-sO-cUte 1st year pics!

Hope all is well in this world!

Alert! Alert!

What did Ali decide to do on her 1st Birthday???

That's right- she's WALKING ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!!!

1 YEAR OLD!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET ALI BANANAS!

Oh how I love you, my baby girl. This year has easily been the BEST year of my life! You bring joy to me, and well- everybody- who you come in contact with. You are a sweet slice of heaven- and you were so worth the wait and have reminded me of that every single day!

You are almost walking, big girl- any minute now your brain is going to connect with those legs and you are going to take off!!! You've also started singing the e-i-e-i-o part of "old mcdonald".. and it's my favorite thing ever!

You will never ever know the depth of my love. You'll never know how thankful I am for you. You're the best thing ever, and even though it might annoy you, I'm never going to spot squeezin and kissin you all over!

I love you, my sweet girl. Happy, Happy Birthday. You hold my heart.

Your Momma luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvsssssssssssssss you!

Now let's go play at the park and have some ice cream!

A New Bathroom for Ali!

Ali's bathroom before:

And Ali's bathroom after!

Now how much fun is that!? :)

Cabin Weekend!

KK, Ali and I all headed up to the family cabin for the weekend. We took a short trip and left Friday, came back Monday. To tell you the truth, that is actually the perfect amount of time to spend up there when you have an almost 1 year old. There isn't much for the poor gal to do yet- as soon as she starts walking (seriously, ANY MINUTE NOW) it will be a lot more fun for her, and for her momma and daddy! :)

But on Saturday we took a day trip into Montana and stopped at Kootenai Falls. They are absolutely amazing (as you can see in my pictures below)! We had so much fun hiking down, and we went across this really neat, but kinda scary, long bridge that stretches across the Kootenai River. The bridge is a swinging bridge, and only 5 people can be on there at once. It's waaaay high up, and creeped me out if I really thought about it. I felt bad for KK, he had Ali in the backpack and said the weight distribution made it kind of eery walking across that thing! Ali, however, did not seem to be scared at all! She loved it and was so good on the hike- she's such a fun little traveler- we're really lucky if I think about it.

And here's some pictures of our trip:

KK and Ali getting ready to go across the bridge

The gorgeous Kootenai River, from the bridge

Daddy and Ali crossing the swinging bridge

Ali playing in the rocks- and maybe trying to eat some!

Me and Ali hanging out on the beach by the river

And even though packing up a whole lotta crap for every scenario you think a 1 year old is going to need or experience while at a cabin 36 miles from the nearest town is sometimes a pain in the butt. And trying to keep said toddler occupied somewhere where there are a basketful of toys to play with and not much for a crawling baby outside is not always the most relaxing time... what being at the cabin with my husband and my daughter gives me is a chance to breathe it all in and be so thankful and really reflect. The past year of our lives has been amazing, totally different than anything I could have ever hoped for, and just perfect. Ali is going to turn one in a week and a half and looking back, I have squeezed joy from every moment I could. I have lived in the moment with her and taken advantage of all our time together. The time does fly, like people say, but I don't want it back, I don't need it back. I'm thankful for it, and thankful that I've got a million more memories to make with her and that she is here to fill our lives with so much joy. I wake up looking forward to the next moment or milestone with Ali. I look forward to playing with her, teaching her new things, and experiencing life with her. I am totally blessed and am the first person to realize that. My life and each day is a gift. I am spending that time living it- not wishing for it back... and that's an awesome place to be!