"Mom Would Be Proud"

That's what my sister said last night as she and I were finishing up our art project for the baby's room. But wait -- I haven't even updated about how we are coming with the BABY'S ROOM! Here it is:

Joe has been VERY hard at work! Last week he worked hours a day on that room. I am very proud of him. When I got home from the baby shower the crib was put together and the dresser was half way there. It looks SO different! He continued to work on the dresser while Steph and I washed and organized (sort of) all of his clothes. All we really have left to do is hang the curtains, paint the closet doors and put them back in the room, and paint the door. Here are some updated photos:

Our Crib -- we really like the triangluar posts! It was the deal breaker for me. You can also see my pillows inside the crib and the quilt folded on top. More about that quilt to come!

The changing table and lamp shade. Also -- the car seat!

Our closet full of shower goodies! Again -- we feel so blessed for everything!

About half of the clothes we got from the shower. The other half -- Joe and I have been accumulating since we got married.

Here I am the morning of the shower. Doesn't look like the baby has much room to squirm! I went to the doctors on Friday and he said that he would induce me a week before I am due. My parents are going out of town that week -- so I am going to ask if it could happen the Friday before (on the 13th -- wait -- maybe that's bad luck!)

Now for the art project. I wanted to create something that would hang on either side of our window. I love the green walls -- but it's a lot of green. Stephanie and I went shopping on Friday for everything that I didn't get for my shower. We were talking about making some sort of abstract art. As we made plans the project just kept getting bigger and bigger. They were having a sale at Michael's on all of their stretched canvas. I bought three 16x20 canvases and set off to work. I recognize that the piece we created isn't the typical "baby's room" piece. But I LOVE IT! I also love that my little man's mom and aunt made it for him. Joe hung it up this morning ... and I think that it is great! The colors seem to work so well together and it is a fun piece to have. Steph said that he would be inspired to be an artist ... like Mozart! (I looked at her funny and she laughed -- then said: "Or Van Gogh").

And finally, I had a couple of friends come over today (thank you Lynsey and Beth) to help me start quilting my tetris quilt. I had never quilted before -- sure I have tied quilts, but not quilted quilted. We set to work and got about half way done! They are coming over again on Tuesday night and I hope to finish it then. I am going to have Joe put a stitch or two in it as well so we can say that "Daddy helped".

Overall I am quite pleased with how our room is turning out. I can't believe that I will be a mom in two weeks! That is unreal to me! I am crazy excited and super nervous. My big project for this week will be to get my substitute folders finalized and clean my house! (and finish my quilt ...)

SO SO SO SO THANKFUL!!

Last Saturday I had my first baby shower --- practically the only one I will have (they will be having a small one at school in April ... ) I am so thankful for everyone who come to support me and my little one! It was so great to see so many of my friends and family that I haven't seen for awhile.

thank you thank you thank you thank you

for all of the wonderful gifts you brought! Joe and I are so thankful! We feel much more prepared (and nervous) for our little man to come. We will go shopping to finish everything up this weekend (which isn't much!) and we are ready to go! We cannot express how thankful we are to have such great friends and family!!! We love you guys!!

You've Gotta Love Middle School!

Today I'm teaching in my sixth period geometry class. They are a fun class -- that often will really get into the lesson. Today we were answering questions and they were making funny "ooh ooh -- call on me" sounds. It was funny -- but starting to get a bit out of hand. I told them that I would only call on people not making obnoxious noises. They all laughed and we kept going (some didn't drop being noisy!). I laughed and said: "You're lucky I like you guys." A nice boy in the front looked at me and replied: "YOU'RE lucky we like YOU!!"

That's probably true.

No More Pulling

One of my favorite TV shows this summer was "It's me or the Dog". Victoria Steelwell went to different homes in London and taught dog owners how to control their dogs. Our dogs aren't too bad. They have their quirks ... but they are honestly getting much better! One problem is that our pups love to go for a walk and they love to pull! Daphne will often look back at us as to ask ... "UM can't we go any faster??". It wasn't much fun to walk her because she pulled so much. One thing that Victoria told these dog owners was to get their dogs a non-pulling harness. It connects under the dog's chin so that if they pull it turns their head and they get uncomfortable -- thus eliminating their pulling. Joe and I bought Daphne one of these harnesses and I tried it today for the first time. I literally was able to walk her with two fingers. Her leash rested on my middle and pointer finger. We were able to enjoy a nice walk together -- until my belly got heavy -- my ears got cold -- and it was time for me to go home. Now we just need to buy one for Copper! YAY!

I've Never Been Tagged Before!

Every time I see this tag I hope no one will tag me ... 25 things seems like a difficult task! BUT thanks to Mandee ... Here goes:

25 random things about me:

1. I talk to my sister about favorite problems that I get to teach in my geometry class -- like the one about the guy running his airplane into a cliff or Olivia helping her true love get away from the pirates!!
2. When Joe and I were tutors at Snow College we would come home and talk about the problems we had that day. We would help each other solve the ones that we couldn't figure out!
3. Speaking of tutoring at Snow -- we took the Friday afternoon shift because all of the singletons wanted to leave -- no one was in the lab so we made up the game 3D tic-tac-toe -- instead of using x's and o's we would pick our favorite letter from the greek alphabet.
4. I am an animal fanatic! My Grandpa Fautin practically had a farm in his back yard -- cows, chickens, turtle, dogs. I love the little ones!
5. One day Joe and I were at the park across from our house. We saw two beta fish in cheap walmart containers. I figured that some punk kid put them together hoping that one would kill the other, but because they were so confined they didn't have the strength to fight. I couldn't let these fish die so Joe and I took them home, went to walmart to buy all of the necessary FISH tools and put them in our bathrooms. We named them Wakka and Tidus.
6. Wakka and Tidus are two main characters from one of my favorite PS2 (play station) games ... Final Fantasy 10. There are a couple of video games that I really like -- and can't put down. This is one of them!
7. When Joe and I discovered that we wouldn't have enough money to fly to Hawaii for Jake and Cody's wedding -- (we were WAY bummed!!) we took part of the money we did have saved and bought a PS3.
8. I bought Joe the PS2 for his 25th birthday. I said I bought it for him -- but really it was for me. I got Dance Dance Revolution ... a Jen game!
9. When I type I feel like Elmer Fudd. I try to spell a word correctly -- I even try a couple of versions of the word -- and if I can't figure it out ... I just change the word.
10. My 15 year old brother has a better vocabulary than me!
11. I hate the game Boulderdash. I politely played it with my inlaws for years ... but now I refuse. Hate the game!
12. I also don't like the game Scrabble, Upwords or Boggle. I do like fast action card games -- or strategy games ... Liars Dice is my favorite -- unless people lose on purpose. That's rude!
13. Some of my favorite memories with my brothers and sister is sitting around the kitchen table playing games. Our current favorite is "Things" (HILARIOUS!)
14. I like to wear Flip Flops all year. I will wear them unless there is so much snow on the ground that I can't make it from my car to the school without stepping in it. I don't get cold often.
15. My principal hates that I wear flip flops ... but tells me indirectly. I know she doesn't like it ... but I can't help myself. (I figure that if the rest of me can't be comfortable ... at least my feet can!)
16. I often take off my shoes when I get into my classroom. I put them back on before the students arrive (usually). One time I put them behind a door and then the door was propped open. I didn't find my shoes until about 2nd period!
17. I don't like it when the numbers haven't been cleared off of the microwave after something has been "nuked".
18. I like to talk. My students know a lot about my husband ... and other members of my family!
19. My favorite super hero is Spiderman ... and my good friend who is cleaning my classroom right now has a spidy shirt on!
20. Speaking of cleaning ... I hate to clean! I know where things are when they are in piles -- not if they are put in their proper place.
21. I hate getting ready in the morning. Hate it. I rarely put on make up ... and I keep my hair short so I don't wear a pony tail every day. It is starting to get long again so I CAN put my hair up. I figure if I have a baby ... pony tail days are necessary.
22. I have a student (who I actually really enjoy teaching) that has taught me a lot this year ... When I said I wouldn't finish the school year he threw his hands in the air and cheered. I was out in the hallway and he said a naughty word -- not knowing that I was standing right beside him (that was funny ... he was SO SO embarrassed ... his punishment ... I teased him for quite some time!) and threw a small nerf UofU ball at my back when I wasn't looking. I was fuming at the class. He honestly thought that throwing the ball would cheer me up!
23. I have always been attracted to red heads. When I saw Joe with a Calculus book and red hair ... I was hooked. Something inside just knew that he was the one. It took him a bit longer to make the same decision. We are a good pair.
24. I was the kid that stayed inside for recess to do extra math problems from the back of the book. I have always love math!
25. I like to take pictures of myself making funny faces. Or I'll take a picture of myself to see if I look good that day. There are a lot of snap shots of my face saved on my computer. This is ironic since I rarely care what I look like -- and don't take much time worrying about it! ...

RANDOM!

I tag Joe ... he can post on my blog if he wants. Joe is the most random person I know (love ya) ... and I am more than curious to see what he will say!

Did I Wash My Hair Already?

Have you ever been in the shower - wash and rinse your hair - then wonder if you have already washed your hair. You then re-wash it ... just in case.

On Sunday I was eating my breakfast. I took my prenatal vitamin and kept eating. After a couple of minutes I looked at my diabetic pill and wondered if I had already taken it. I usually just pop both at the same time ... I know I didn't take them together but couldn't remember if I took one after the other. I took the pill and just hoped that I hadn't already taken it.

When I tested my blood sugar at the beginning of Sunday School it was low -- 48ish. My numbers are supposed to be 70-120. Luckily I had grabbed a bag of cashews and started munching. I know that cashews are primarily protein -- but I was hoping that the 17 grams of carbs would be enough to last until after church. I tested my sugar again right before the class was over and it was up to 58. Better ... but not good enough.

Joe, Stephanie (she came to church with us) and I packed up our stuff and headed out. I had to eat something ... I was feeling shaky and I didn't have any other snacks. The whole day I was running low on my levels. I had mashed potatoes, corn and chicken for dinner -- very starchy -- and my blood levels were still low ... in the 60s or something. It was obvious to me that I had taken two pills ... oops!

I guess that two is not better than one! It just proved to me that my diabetes isn't all that "bad". When I got my prescription filled for the first time the pharmacist was surprised at the low dose and mentioned that my doctor might be increasing the dosage. The Diabetic Nurse also was surprised at the low dosage. I am grateful that it is controlled easily ... I have a friend at work who was restricted to no more than one fruit a day. I can practically eat what I want as long as I am taking my meds --- and only one of them!

Crazy Week

The last seven days has proven to be out of control! There are good times, there are bad times .... here it is in a glance:

We got the news last week that our kid is huge (deep inside I already knew that ... ) and so Joe and I (mostly Joe) have hit the nursery project hard. He could come any time! This week Joe bought and cut the crown, bought doors for our upper house (YAY!) painted the crown and base, attached the crown and base to the wall and did the finishing work on the crown. All he has to do left is touch up paint, finish the base ... and set up the crib! The end is near. I have had a crazy week so all that I was able to accomplish is to finish the window treatments, make my lamp shade, and ... cut out material for another quilt. (SO SO CUTE!! It is airplane themed ... I will post pictures when it is assembled!)

THREE out of FOUR days this week I stayed past 6p.m. at school! Here is why: STUDENT LED CONFERENCES!! I hate them. Basically instead of having normal Parent Teacher Conferences we have the students put together and present a portfolio to their parents. There is value in them -- sure ... but I truly feel like there is WAY too much work for the teacher. In the past week I have graded over 200 tests and 200 projects. Now I am fast -- but averaging 2 minutes per test (at least ... ) that is 800 minutes! (about 13 hours). The projects that we are putting inside of the portfolios (all of the math 7 classes did the same thing, all of the geometry classes did the same ... ) were created for the sole purpose of being inside of the portfolio. I tried really hard to put meaningful comments on each project -- but it takes SO much time when you are moving on with your curriculum. I average grading 1000 papers a week -- since we give homework daily, (that doesn't include all of the mounds of "late work" that I get daily. Probably 50 a day -- which I have to hand correct myself. That takes a lot of time. I don't feel this burdened any other time of year ... I hate student led conferences. When the night actually arrives I don't get to talk to that many parents. I enjoy talking to the "A" students and gushing about how good they are doing. I don't enjoy talking to the lower students as much (awkward conversation) but I like being able to make a plan to help the students. At regular PTC I see close to 100 or more parents. At SLC I see ... maybe 20. I am tired ... and have been grading projects all morning. I really don't think that it is worth it.

SO our week has been full of getting ready for baby ... and SCHOOL. Thanks for listening to me vent. May this week be easier than last ... but since SLC are a week away ... I highly doubt it!

... Like a Weed

You have heard the phrase: "He's growing like a weed". I just didn't understand that this could be accomplished BEFORE birth. Here's how my day has panned out ...

I had an appointment with the diabetic nurse at 10. I got there and it didn't seem like she had read my charts. She didn't know if I was taking insulin injections ... she didn't know if I was on medication ... or anything about me. We sat there and she told me everything that was told to me the last time I was there. I kept thinking "you have got to be kidding me ... I took a day off of work for this??"

My ultrasound was at 2:20 so I hung out at Joe's work and corrected papers. (His co-workers kept looking at me as if to say "you don't look like Joe!"). Dr. Merrill scheduled another ultrasound to see how big this kid is. Between my diabetes and Joe's birth weight (11lbs 9oz) we knew he would be big. Rayma got to come ... it was a good Grandma moment for her. It was fun having her there. I was pointing out thes spine and the ribs and his head. I'm a pro.

Normally 33 week babies are about 4lbs 5oz. She measured the head and started asking questions ... when are you due? How big were you? I knew then this kid would be huge. She measured the belly and femer and he is a whopping 6lbs 7oz. Holy Cow! Holy Cow!

They updated my due date to March 23rd. I bet I go around the 10th though. They are going to start checking my "progress" in two weeks and I get another ultrasound in four. At that point ... (If I make it that long ... that's what dr. said!) they will decide if they are going to induce me or if baby is doing his job and it will be coming soon.

My Little MONSTER

Run off your Baby Weight

Call it sympathy weight, call it baby weight, whatever you want to call it ... Joe has gained close to 30 pounds since I got pregnant. It wasn't that he intentionally ate poorly ... but since I wasn't being strict on my diet ... he wasn't either. I think that he really noticed it for the first time when he went to play basketball with our ward. He came home and said ... "I need to exercise more!"

An opportunity at work arose that he could participate in a relay. It is called the Wasatch Back. He and 11 others will spend 24 hours and run from Logan to Park City. He is the last of the twelve to run each leg. Apparently his first "shift" is an uphill run. The whole race lasts close to 24 hours. Being the last runner he will finish it off in Park City. Baby and I will go shopping in the morning (yeah) and meet him at the finish line.

I am proud of my little runner. He has put himself on a training schedule. He hopes to be able to run 10 miles at a time when he gets closer to the race. I am sure that the reason he started this journey was not to lose his "baby weight" but with him running so much I am sure that he will shed the pounds quickly :)

LOVE YA JOEY :)

An Awful Question!

As a math teacher I need to get used to the "when are we ever going to use this?" question. I recognize that the students need to be able to know where it is used ... but honestly who uses MOST of what they learned in High School? I don't remember most of history or biology or chemistry ... but I learned how to think while I was in those classes.

We are learning Trig in my Geometry class. Trig is the first "real life" math that you really learn. Before that you are just building your skills to get you there. I love trig. I think it's fun and I know that I am one of the few ...

My 6th period is constantly asking the "when will we use this?" question. I try to explain ... but they end up making fun of it and getting me frustrated. I don't get angry often ... but I HATE that question. The fact is not everyone will use it in their every day life. When I tell them where it is used -- they say "there are machines for that". I don't think that they realize SOMEONE programmed the machines. Someone figured it out. Some people use this and get PAID for it because they LIKE doing it.

SO if someone you know asks the "when are we ever going to use this" question ... this is what I have come up with:

1. Some people use it in their professions -- mathematicians (obviously), engineers, scientists, construction workers, etc.

2. You need it as a high school graduation requirement. You need it just as much as you need art credit, gym credit, english and science. they do this to give students an opportunity to learn and decide what they want to do in their life.

3. (This is my favorite) studies have shown that students who successfully pass Algebra 2 are more likely to get into college and to do well once they get to college.

Okay it's not too bad

I talked to my OBGyn last Friday and he told me that I was boarderline when I failed my diabetes test. I expressed some concern about not getting enough calories while on my "restrictive" diet. He told me that because I was on medication and testing my blood sugar regularly that I should go about my business and eat like normal and see if the medication that I am on does enough to regulate my body. He told me that my levels should never be in the 160s but the 120s aren't bad. He said that if I got that high I should rethink the lemon cake that I ate. Joe in all of his wisdom asked "Oh lemon cake is against the rules?" Luckily my Dr. has a sense of humor because he said "yeah ... the pie before had was fine but the cake just pushes you over!".

It has been nice this weekend to try to make relatively healthy choices, eat snacks when I am hungry, and not worry too much about "are there too many carbs in this?" or "I really miss my cold cereal!". I have thrown out french fries and other fatty carbs that I love and know aren't good for me. I didn't eat more than one bite of pie tonight at my parent's house. My levels are staying exactly where they should be. I am grateful that it hasn't been too rigorous!

I asked the doctor if the baby was big if they would start me early or if they would let me go when he is ready to come. Between my diabetes and Joe's monsterous birth weight we are destined to have a huge child. He scheduled an ultrasound for February 9th to check his size. I was not expecting to be able to see my guy again before I got to hold him. I am super excited. He also told me that they don't usually let diabetic women get further than 38 or 39 weeks. That puts me mid to late March instead of END of March! That means I have roughly 6 weeks left. It is crazy and I am super excited!!!