26 Weeks Pregnant

I am starting to get big and still have 3 more months... any guesses on how big I will be? Really, getting bigger is uncomfortable, just when I think my tummy couldn't possible stretch any further it seems to keep growing! Although pregnancy doesn't feel that great sometimes, we are so excited for March to welcome our new addition!

It's a GIRL!

Over the weekend I was feeling some strange pains that made me worry, so Monday (yesterday) I made an appointment. They decided it was best to give me an ultrasound to check things out... nothing to worry about. The advantage was that I found out I was a week further than I thought and I could find out what we were having. Of course Andrew wasn't there because it was last minute, so I called him to come down so we could find out together. Luckily the nurse and office was so nice to let me wait until Andrew got there (45 minutes later).

The entire pregnancy we both felt we were having a girl (and most everyone we know thought so too) so we weren't too surprised, but still very happy. The majority of my family side is girls: sisters, aunts, cousins, etc; so, it would have been different for me to have a boy... but, maybe next time. I think Andrew is a little worried we'll have all girls, so he plans on TomBoying our girls a little until he gets a boy, but we all know I will girlify our little chick, so we'll have some super cute Girly soccer/softball/hunter/fisher girls.

Little Baby Marx

I think most everyone we know knows by now, but hey what's a blog for but old information that comes too late to be real exciting. Still, we are excited to welcome little baby Marx to our little family in March. It's been a summer of newness- moving to a new place, new jobs, and a baby... keep the good luck rollin' in!

6.5 weeks- and the big black circle is not the head, it's the yolk sack.






Almost 10 weeks- crazy how fast they grow in there! You can see the body and if you look close you can even see little fingers. There is only a 3 week difference in these ultrasounds.

7th Grade

Yes, I am the newest addition to Kennedy Jr. High in West Valley. I will be teaching 7th grade reading and English. I can't tell you how excited I am. Seems like I have been interviewing and waiting forever, but tomorrow I get to see my new classroom and start planning my first year of teaching! Yea!

Hair

Most of you know that I change my hair a lot. I guess I have never felt like I have found the "it" hair style for me. When I am brown hair I envy my blond pictures, and when I have blond hair I miss the dark. What to do! Such a dilemma.

Graduation

Finally! I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in English Education.

Student Teaching- Mission Accomplished

I made it! Sometimes I wondered how I was going to get through, but finally the last day of student teaching has come! Really I still have another week, but I will only be observing other teachers and working on my Senior Project... so I am celebrating with my students today. I seriously can't wait for rest and recovering. Being a teacher is not a 9-5 job and it took all of the mental energy I could supply. I look forward to the day when I have no papers to grade and no planning to think about. Andrew is just as excited- now I can actually be a devoted wife and have a personal life with friends and family again.
By the way, I graduate April 30th... can't wait!

Stressed?

Yes, I have realized the stress of being an English teacher. Sometimes I wonder... what have I done to myself? Only three more weeks and I am finished- seems like an eternity when I've got a stack of paper to grade that are a mile-high. Just remember if I seem disconnected with the world this is why.

Babies in class?

Yesterday, as my most interesting and rowdy class was coming in from the bell, I heard a little wee cry and noticed a baby carrier. I assumed it was was one of those fake babies, so I nonchalantly asked, "Oh is that one of those fake babies for a class?" Well, the girl who was carrying the baby carrier said, "No, I'm just babysitting." She apparently thought it was no big deal. Of course I was confused, because why on earth would someone ask a high school student to babysit during 4th period? Of course, the whole class was mesmerized that there was baby in class saying, "Hey! A Baby!" or "How cute, a baby!" Really the whole thing was pretty funny... and random.
As I started my lesson for the day and talking to the students, the girl who was supposedly babysitting "SHHsh-ed" me saying, "Be quite the baby is sleeping," to which the whole class burst out laughing at the irony of the situation.
One of the funnier things that have happened, and just wanted to share!

Half-way there...

Next week is my half-way point of student teaching to graduation in April. Trust me I am keeping count! The experience started out a little shaky (which I heard from all my teacher peers that it's normal), but I am really starting to feel confidence in myself as a teacher. For all those who are not teachers, let me tell you... you have no idea how much work, time, and effort teachers put into the classroom. I have never ever been so exhausted in all my life... AND I am never done; the work never stops (well, until summer). On top of all the papers and test to grade and the time-consuming, mentally frustrating lesson planning, I have my own college classes every Wed. night and a huge load of senior projects to finish by graduation. As bad as it all seems sometimes (and yes teaching has made me cry), I am finding more and more that I really enjoy the job.
I love the funny stuff that students say, or when they actually enjoy the lesson and seriously, teachers do care if you like it... I try so hard to interest students and it is a little depressing when my lesson falls flat.
You definitely have to have your wits about you in this job... one day I was doing a mind game with the students and they had to multiply 5 and 9, and under the pressure I was, I quickly shouted out that is was 35 (which it isn't). So, one of the students corrected me and we all had a good laugh about how it's good I am an English teacher and not teaching math.
Well I wanted to post more, but my fourth period is about to start so guess I will catch up later.

Recently

Scary news has erupted in my family. My mom lost her vision in her left eye and then was diagnosed to have a tumor growing on her optical nerve. She is admitted at the U of U Hospital and will have brain surgery most likely on Monday. We are all very hopeful, supposedly this is the most common brain surgery and is regarded as a highly positive outcome. The doctors are very optimistic that the tumor is benign, and hope to recover my mom's vision. Although we are feeling extremely optimistic, we still ask for thoughts and prayers directed towards my mom's surgery success and to restore her vision.
Thanks.