Emory

Emory turned six months on Wednesday. I have no idea where the time has gone. Yes total cliche but I know why people say it! I’m not going to lie, the first two months were more than hard but it gets more awesome by the day!

Here’s what she’s been up to:
-She grabs her socks, pulls them off and either sucks on them or her toes.
-she tried food for the first time…broccoli, avacado, carrots, and sweet potato. Huge fan of the avacado!
-She sleeps 10-11 hours a night with no wake ups
-She has no teeth (yay!)
-She is super easy going
-Strangers don’t bother her one bit
-She babbles a lot
-She just now can reach the floor jn her exersaucer and jumper
-She loves facing forward in her stroller now
-she’s an awesome sleeper
-She’s a super happy girl
-She can belly laugh and it’s awesome

Birth Story Part 2

Okay I must have been in a hurry because I left off the last part kind of weird…

So the next we woke up fairly early…we were having a BABY!!!

Everyone on the surgery team came in to introduce themselves. It was so nice to meet everyone not drugged up. They prepped me…I won’t share the details. I sent Husband downstairs to eat because there’s no need for anyone else to starve or pass out!

We were ready to roll as soon as hubs dressed in his daddy jumpsuit. It was tight lets just say. We walked to the operating room. He had to stay outside until they got me lying down and drugged up. Everyone on the team said hello again. We discussed what music I’d like to have on and went with some Jack Johnson. I sat on the edge of the table bent over ready for the epidural. Someone “presented me” to the team giving all my info. They did a check of instruments and we were set. I hugged my nurse and hunched my back. (That’s what they tell you to do…I don’t just hug random nurses) The first sting went in and nothing…hmm…they did a second try and nothing…then all the sudden a horrible rush of pain. The nurse talked me through it but informed me it still didn’t work. He tried for a third…nothing. He called for back up thank goodness. Apparently I was one of those people who was difficult to get the epidural right. So the other anesthesiologist came in and got it right away. Warm and fuzzy right down the legs. They helped me lie down and then I realized it was not a good feeling. I felt like someone cemented me to the table. All the sudden I felt like I was going to puke but that couldn’t be because who pukes during surgery? I yelled to them because all I could see were people rushing around and I was afraid they wouldn’t hear me. Someone came right away with a little puke bag. I did some deep breathing and it passed. The hubs was brought in to sit at my head. Seconds later we heard “she’s a big one” and then she cried! Best sound ever…then the nausea came again! I started dry heaving lying on my back. Horrible feeling!!!! I’m supposed to be happy and joyful…instead I’m trying not to vomit! Right when they pulled her out the doctor said, “dad stand up and see her.” My husband had not one clue about C-sections so he stood up and got a little more than he bargained for. He immediately sat right back down and the doctor asked if he wanted a picture and his reply was “no thanks”. I think the view behind the curtain was more than he had bargained for! He was taken to the side to take pics while they weighed her and whatever else. We took a couple of “looking hot in our hospital garb” family pics and the nurse said, “what’s her name?”. I looked at him and he said, “Emory” without hesitation. Emory Stephanie (Stephanie was after my late sister) had arrived 3.5 weeks early weighing in at 8lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long…we think. She had been breech so her legs were up like a frog and wouldn’t relax while they measured. Hubs was able to join the nurse to take video of her first bath while I was stitched up. We met again in recovery where I got to do skin to skin and try not to fall asleep. I was sooooo tired and could barely keep my eyes open. In the meantime hubs ran out to the waiting room to show my mom the video and pics. I took a small nap once he got back and then we were wheeled back to our “suite”. Most women talk about a tiny room after delivering. We got to go right back where we had started because she was a preemie (an 8 lb one at that!) we got to be on the high risk floor which was awesome and lots of special treatment! My mom and hubs’ mom were waiting patiently or not so patiently to hold our new little bundle…

Many friends and family came to visit and help welcome her to the world. We are so grateful to have such amazing people in her life. We had an amazing experience in the hospital too!

She is absolutely perfect. She latched for the first time amazingly well and has been a feeding pro ever since. I was asked only a thousand times if I was sure her due date was right. I couldn’t have been more right. Had she come around her due date…we would have had one VERY large girl. I was able to take 5 months off work which was fabulous. She’s doing awesome for our team of babysitters. We couldn’t have asked for a better baby. Back when this all started we were afraid she had a heart arithmia but there’s no sign of anything wrong with her heart! Yay! Hopefully I’ll write more on here to keep a record of her life…it will probably be more of an Emory blog than anything and I don’t mind one bit!

The Birth Story…(according to the last time I wrote on here you didn’t even know I was prego!) Part 1…

I know I haven’t written on my blog in AGES…and really who has time to blog with a newborn?  But I need to so I don’t forget this little treasure of a story.  Apparently I don’t remember some things as it is…drugs people…good drugs.

Here it goes:

Week 34: October 15th I was due for a regular appointment with my Midwife.  During a routine doppler check (I totally made that up and I have no idea if it’s legit or not…you know where they put the thingy on your belly and listen for the heartbeat?) her and I could hear a different sort of sound popping up randomly.  It wasn’t a hiccup…just totally random.  So being proactive she made a call to get me an ultra sound across the parking lot at the high risk clinic. I worried a bit but by the 18th I was put at ease (somewhat) by being told it was just a small arithmia and it would correct itself by the time she was born, but I needed to have a non-stress test before each of my following appointments. This was to ensure that this wasn’t causing her heart rate to increase in which case they would put me on some kind of medication.  We opted not to tell anyone because we didn’t want more worry or discussion of this than necessary.  I am a worrier.  Week 36: October 29th I went into the office for my first non stress test.  My husband met me there.  I got hooked up to the heartrate monitor shortly after arriving.  No action was going on so I would be set free after 20 minutes.  About 18 minutes in…I yawned and my little heart monitor strap moved and the machine went a little crazy.  Well apparently healthcare peeps don’t really like that so they had me hook up for 20 more minutes.  Well apparently little miss had a decel and they didn’t like that so the midwife consulted with an OB next door and they wanted me to head to the hospital for closer monitoring because they had better equipment.  Indeed they did.  The clinic had a machine that looked like it was from 1980, the hospital had a computer. We didn’t really “have time” for this as we had a crazy night of Red Robin and Babies R’ Us in our future.  So I got hooked up at the hospital in triage.  In my mind, I would leave within the hour.  Three hours later…yes, little miss was had another heart decel and they weren’t happy with them.  Three hours later she looked great and we were set to leave.   All I needed was a Biophysical Profile. That’s where the fun begins.  I didn’t pass this ding dang test!  I didn’t even know it was a test.  I would have studied. Soon I was told I had won a stay at Hotel St. Vincent…dang!  No Red Robin for us!  I was low on fluid and that wasn’t even the reason I was there!  Putting all clues together…I was low on fluid, little miss couldn’t move too much and she would lie on her umbilical cord and cause the heart decel.  Seemed logical but that didn’t help my case of needing to go home. I asked immediately what needed to happen so I could be released the next morning. I was instructed to drink as many water bottles full of water as I could that night. I knew not a lot of sleep was in store for me that night. 36 weeks prego+a ton of water=many trips to the bathroom=no sleep…so that was a fun night. My belly was hooked up and my babe had different plans than sleeping. The World Cup was currently in progress in my belly. Which means there was a nurse in my room every five minutes to adjust the monitor. So needless to say after 8- 32 oz water bottles I was ready to get a new BPP and be cleared to leave. Actually…my fluid went down…wah wah wah. Ultra sound tech informed me I’d be staying for awhile…as in until lil miss was ready to come out. So now I was to wait for the midwife on call to come in…she brought a friend named the OB. Two of the sweetest gals ever. We discussed and decided to monitor baby girl for the day to see how she was. In the meantime I was sending cryptique messages to my Bossman. The whole last two months of my pregnancy he pretty much told me everyday “you aren’t going to make it”. So I was determined to. He wasn’t trying to be mean or tell me I was “large” (I don’t think) but I wasn’t as mobile lets just say. So I kept him informed making sure word wasn’t leaked on the streets before we had some decisions made. The OB wanted to keep the little miss inside until 37 weeks (which was five days away!) but keep her/me on the monitor…ugh!!!! We would watch her throughout the day to see how she did. She was having decels everytime I went to the restroom. So four hours later we had a c-section date (the next day…Halloween!!!) and time! Let’s do this! We had Chipotle for the “last supper” and the besties brought us Burgerville pumpkin shakes! Holla! I had some amazing nurses during my stay. The one with me the night before surgery was the same one as the night I checked in. We were pretty much BFFs. She had my back and I had hers. About 11:30pm she brought me cheese, crackers and peanut butter because it was my last time to eat for a LONG time. She sat and explained every detail of what would happen the next day. I had a little sleep aid and slept pretty good considering!

This is magic

People…these may look like balloons but they are really MAGIC!  Maybe better than Elf on the Shelf.  I got this idea on Pinterest.  Last Friday we made of list of things the kids wanted to do at least once more before the end of the year.  (Did you know we only have 5 school days left?…we aren’t counting or anything)  This included things like “Heads Up 7up”, No Daily 5, Show and Tell for everyone, etc.  I edited the list without them knowing then my fabulous Monday mama put them on small pieces of paper and loaded them into the balloons.  She hung them on the wire and the kids were in awe not knowing what they were for.  Here’s how it goes…when I need them to do something well, fast or just be quiet for 15 minutes (because we used to be able to do that before June got here and now I have no idea why we can’t do that anymore!) I say, “If you can do X I’ll pop a balloon!”  Oh man those kids move quickly let me tell you!  The anticipation of that balloon being popped is just about more than they can handle and they hoot and holler when I read the prize and they cheer like I have won a gold medal!  Now as the teacher you get to make all the rules.  Like yesterday I pulled “show and tell”…well we can’t do it right then so that’s saved for tomorrow and we can pop another one!  The next one we popped was “No Daily 5″…well what in the world was I going to do with them for 2.5 hours instead of Daily 5?  Oh wait that’s right our Talent Show was scheduled for those 2.5 hours anyway…and they had no idea we weren’t going to do Daily 5 today!  BOOM!  Teacher=1 Kids=0!

This is a great thing.  Next time I may record what color balloons different things are in because sometimes you just need a spur of the moment free choice and you NEED to know what balloon it’s in!

I wish I was lying…

Mondays are homework day.  I give homework and collect homework. I had a planning day Thursday and a furlough day Friday.  I was out of school Monday and I knew I would be so I had CAREFULLY prepared homework and laid it nicely on the volunteer table.  I am spoiled rotten and have at the VERY LEAST one parent volunteer a day.  My homework mama is the BEST!  I already hired her for next year…she hasn’t accepted yet.  She knows right away if something is missing (I differentiate like mad for my homework), if there’s not enough, etc.  I don’t even have to speak to her and she JUST KNOWS!

This morning I received the following email from her.

Dear TeacherMegPie,

I slightly altered the additional spelling words for the circle group.  I’m not sure whether you wanted them to work on “sit” or “shirt” but you had a cross between those 2 words that I didn’t think you wanted, so I whited out the word and re-copied them so it looked like there was just an extra space.

Signed,

Homework Mama

I read this quickly as I took attendance on the slowest system known to man.  I blew it off as I was in a hurry, but was so thankful for a mama who just took charge like that so I didn’t look like a dummy with a little typo!

I went to run my reading group and it dawned on me in the middle of group that she didn’t exactly tell me what word I had on there.

I ran to look at the list that was saved on my desktop…this is what it looked like.

I will be accepting my award for “Teacher of the Year” next week…

TEACHER FAIL!!!!

BOOM!

Today my student teacher (who is the bomb.com) and I gave my students the Winter Writing Assessment.  The topic was they had to write a “How to” story.  We let them choose.  We’ve been working on said topics for about 3 weeks or so.  They are very familiar with them and pretty darn good at them too.  Here’s one of my favorites that we found while reading through them after school.  Perfectly executed!!!  I am very proud of her.First, go in the bathroom.  Next, get the nail polish from the curberd and get you towel from the closet.  Pick out the color you want on your nails.  Then twist open the bottle of nailpolish.

Then, put the hand you want to paint first on the towel.  Next take the brush for the nail polish and paint all your nails.  Last do the same thing wtih you other hand. then BOOM you are pretty

Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day!

One of my favorite February activities is Groundhogs!  They are just cute and they always turn out adorable no matter what.  These groundhogs are made with three hearts.  The face is an upside down heart, the teeth are an upside down white heart (or supposed to be!) glued to the back, and the ears are a cut in half heart (again…supposed to be!)  As you can see we have a WIDE variety of these little guys and they are all cute!  They were all very excited to hear if the groundhog saw his shadow or not… and HE DIDN’T!!! Yay!  That means spring is right around the corner!  Today was beautiful here so perhaps he is a meteorologist!

#17

Thankful for these…

#16

Thankful today for Happy Hour with my Kristy!

#15

Today I am thankful for EASY enrollment of our new Life Insurance and Disability.  When I don’t understand them it’s not a good thing.  This was incredibly easy like the lady told us!