The Prego Report

I have already decided that I do NOT like NSTs (non-stress tests). I understand they give important information about the baby to the doctor, and for that, I am grateful. But I still don't like 'em.


There is one main reason for my lack of enthusiasm - the chair I have to sit in. It is not comfortable. It looks inviting - if I were not preggers, it probably would be the perfect chair. But it sits low enough to the ground that I can not gracefully lower myself into it - instead I have to do more of a backward flop and hope I align correctly.

Second, I can not breathe very well once I am in the chair. I would have never thought that I would ever hate reclining (naps are my favorite pastime), but sure enough, I do. And if the baby is not moving or the monitor is not printing correctly - both of which occurred for a while today - then I have to sit in the chair for upwards of an hour like a beached fish trying to catch my breath.

But enough complaining. I'm sure when I'm actually in labor, I'll be wishing for the relative comfort of the currently dreaded chair.

On to other things...

Baby Bean:
We got to see him last week in an ultrasound. They said he looks great. This was a huge relief because there was initial concern about blood clots - apparently I have extra thick blood despite the amount of water I guzzle - and nutrients getting to him. Bean seems completely unaware of this problem, however, and he's growing like a weed. The doc estimated him at 4 pounds 13 oz. Just for your reference, most books are telling me he should weigh around 3 to 3 1/2 pounds.

Today after the NST the nurse and doc told us his heartbeat was beautiful. As his parents, we totally concur.

Me:
Overall feeling great. Recently this week I have been experiencing some sore muscles and more fatigue than normal, but I am blaming it on the Wii. I think I might have gotten a little zealous with the new technology. This will not, however, keep me from playing our new game, Mario Brothers, sometime today.

T:
He declined an invitation for a guest appearance today, but I think I'm safe in saying he's very excited. (Today at lunch I called Bean 'Gavin' and T's eyes lit up and he quickly noted that it was the first time I refered to the little one by his potential name in normal conversation.)  He's been working hard to clean out unnecessary clutter from the house and set up the nursery.

That's all to report for now. We are hoping for a calm remaining seven weeks.

Happy Birthday

-to my husband.

There are so many things I have learned from him (keep in mind, dear friends, that I am still working on some of these lessons):

To lighten up
Prompt responses and communication are important
A good Sean Connery imitation takes years of practice
That life is stressful at times, but can normally be managed in a calm way
The value of having projects
The intrinsic reward that comes from helping others
Closing kitchen cabinet doors

Thanks, T, for these lessons and the many others that went unmentioned.

I hope it's a fabulous year! Happy Birthday!

A plethora of technology

Atleast that is how it felt to me as I opened presents from my parents and siblings this Christmas.

I didn't ask for a Wii or an iPod shuffle, but I got them both. And they are amazing. I completely understand that neither represent new technology, but regardless, I can't help feeling like I am on the cutting edge.

On a slightly depressing note, I did my Wii Sports training age...50 years old. My balance is impeccable, but my strength and stamina need work. I feel completely justified blaming this on the pregnancy. The current plan is to work on improving this score during the later part of my maternity leave.

Christmas

Five days ago I was proclaiming the beauty of my state. Now I sit here on Christmas morning listening to the rain tap on my windows - so much for a white Christmas. But no matter. Already I have been blessed to have some fabulous time with friends and family, and I look forward to seeing more loved ones in the next few days.

I wish you a Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

Magical in the Midwest

The heartland of the United States is not a place people usually travel to unless they a) already live in the midwest and are taking a weekend trip or b) have family or friends residing there. It does not carry the attraction of the ocean of the east or west coast, and it does not have the mountains like Colorado or Tennessee. And although we have our good days, nobody typically raves about the weather that can literally drop 20 degrees in a day without anyone blinking an eye.

But I wish everyone could have seen my midwestern state yesterday morning in all its glory. It was gorgeous. An inch of snow had fallen and every tree branch, pine cone, fence line, and rooftop was outlined in pure white, and a soft snow continued to fall through out most of the day. Waking up to this scene on a Saturday morning was fabulous, and it seems impossible not to be cheery every time I look outside.

The end of an era

I attended my last grad school class on campus last night. I haven't allowed myself to think about it yet. So I decided to give myself a little time to reflect.

Will I be sad that it is over? A little. I fully enjoyed being a part of a large, research institution. There is energy on campus, and the feeling that exciting things are happening or about to happen is always present.

I also enjoyed the learning aspect. It made me think and question things about my philosophy, my classroom, and how I approach mathematics education. Even if the learning I did wasn't always immediately useful, isn't it the goal of education to make us think about new things or old things in new ways? And that, I certainly did.

But mostly I am relieved to be wrapping up grad school. While it was fun and engaging, it was also stressful. Like any other student, I, at various points of my education, had to sacrifice time with family and friends, set aside my work responsibilities, and sit in front of the computer or pour over books and articles for hours at a time. I will not miss that part AT ALL.

But before I get ahead of myself, I still have one action research project to complete and a four hour written test to take. I have five weeks to get this done. Let the count down begin.

Clutter

Clutter!
It's everywhere.

A 12 by 15 foot room that formerly acted as an office seemed like it would be a snap to clean out and transform into a nursery. But it's deceiving. The clutter grows and multiplies exponentially every day. And things that I wish would have disappeared and taken care of themselves have not. That beautiful SLR camera that I dropped in the beaches of Aruba several years ago...still hidden in the corner of the closet. The outdated, and therefore useless, printer that served me well for many years still lays idle on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. And the random pictures that date from babyhood to current day still remain in a neat stack waiting for me to decide where their permanent home will be. It's clutter, and yet, I have memories and stories for it all. Thank goodness for Fly Lady (never heard of her? Click here if you're a pack rat). Fly Lady brought the 27 fling boogie into my life. If it weren't for her I'd be frozen with indecision and the newest addition to our family would be sleeping inbetween my boxes of memorabilia and office supplies.

Chipot-Yummy

Excitement came today in the form of a "buy one burrito, get one free" Chipotle coupon.

YUM!

We decided to use it right away.

The burrito was so pakced full with goodness that it took me 45 minutes to eat it. That's heaven.

Observations of a Lunch Monitor

After a month and a half of lunch duty, I have come to a realization. It is IMPOSSIBLE for people to walk up to a trashcan with out literally "throwing" items into it. People either practice their free throw shoot from 4-5 feet away or their underhand pitch from 2-3 feet away. NOBODY (I'm including teenagers and adults alike) walks all the way to the trashcan.

I've also come to the realization that there are typical reactions when a person MISSES their trashcan shot. People either 1) Follow through and pick it up right away, 2) Look around first to see if anyone noticed they missed it before deciding their next move, or 3) Pretend they never threw anything to begin with.

I have heard horror stories about lunch duty. But really, it's not as bad as I thought. So far it's an interesting place to observe human behavior - again, I'm including adults and teenagers. However, having said this, I reserve my right to change my opinion and decide it stinks at any time during the year.

Saturday Circle Game

It's been a year since T and I bought our new TV and decided to join the world of cable. DVR is amazing. So I want to know:

If you had to narrow your TV viewing to TWO shows, which two would you pick?

The Prego Report - It's a...

BOY!

Yep, that's Bean above.

Several days ago we visited a business in the area that specializes in 3D/4D ultrasounds and was recommended by several friends. We were going in to have the normal 2D gender determination but the women at the front desk suckered T into getting the 3D/4D done. I'm so glad they did. I'm fascinated by these pictures. Yes, they are a little surreal...I'm the first to admit, the child needs to gain a few pounds. But, look!  Little feet!

Bean was camera shy at first; he kept rolling over so all we could see was his back side. But he eventually decided to cooperate and show his face and we had a great time watching him do his thing. His biggest form of entertainment - moving his arms - those things were all over the place.

So how sure was the techician about the gender? Very. Could I see what she saw? Um, no. But T says he could. We are aware, however, that the process is not 100% accurate. Our precious neice is living proof of that. Were we excited about Bean being a boy? Absolutely, but we would have been just as excited if Bean were a girl. It's just fun to find out more information about this little person that will join our family in a few months.

And now a note from T:

Hi everyone, it's T - I don't think I got suckered into it... I think I knew it was a special opportunity. It was like we got to spend 20 minutes with Bean, and it was great! I felt my second kick tonight while we were watching TV. Awesome.

And one last picture... Can you see T's bottom lip? It's definitely there.

Saturday Circle Game

Background: T and I are visiting our alma mater for Homecoming weekend and staying with our dear friend, K. We walked into her kitchen and were greeted with the smell of pumpkin cookies! Yum! It got me thinking: most people have traditions surrounding cookies. So...

Question: What cookie traditions (when, where, type) run in your family?

I'm in LOVE!

With Hostess' 100 Calorie Packs.

Chocolate cupcakes are my favorite.

100 calories

5 grams of FIBER!!

(Grams of fat and sugar are so not important.)

So You Think You Can Dance

This was the week T took me to see the live performance of So You Think You Can Dance...dance...dance. I loved it! Here are some thoughts.

1) Jeannine is great, but in my humble opinion Brandon should have won season 5.
2) Phillip is just cool.
3) They performed so many dances that I absolutely loved. My favorite...the addiction dance with Capuno and Kayla. Some more favorites...the Breast Cancer dance with Ade and Melissa and the Pick Dance with Ade and Jeanette.
4) I was disappointed they only performed one new dance.
5) The dancers MCed the performance. I'm trying to figure out how to say this nicely...Loved their dancing, would have been OK with less talking.
6) T was completely outnumbered at this performance. It must have been a ratio that was somewhere along the lines of 20 females to 1 male.

Saturday Circle Game

Sorry, this question is slightly indulgent. It was inspired by a recent inservice presenter that was excellent and the movie "The Freedom Writers". (We watched it last night, and it was excellent.)

Who were the three educators that impacted you the most? Why?

The Prego Report

We will be able to reveal Bean's gender in approximately a week in a half. So, I'm curious....what are your guesses? Is Bean a she-baby or a he-baby? Word on the street with Tim's co-workers: Beans a Boy. Word on the street with my co-worker's: Beans a Girl.

Saturday Circle Game

I want to know...

Have you ever been on TV? If so, for what?

The Prego Report

Here's the word on our third doctor's visit...


BEAN:
18 weeks and growing like a weed, apparently...and feisty. Gave the Doc's stethoscope a kick while she was trying to listen to the heartbeat. Heartbeat was good and steady...around 145 bpm. I haven't felt movement yet, but this is no surprise since the placenta is apparently providing a nice cushion between me and Bean.

ME:
Besides the random wisps of hair that are growing below my normal hairline (really, will I have any forehead left?), I have enjoyed pregnancy. It's been so easy that sometime I forget I'm pregnant (knock on wood). Although this is getting tougher as my stomach seems to be growing exponentially. I've been very fortunate, though, that I haven't experienced morning sickness, have had energy, and have enjoyed a break from an achy knee because of all the cool hormones flowing through my body.

A Note from T:
Hi everyone... it's T here. Yes, I think this is my first time that A has allowed me to write in Metacognitive Musings. Every doctor's appointment is fascinating and I am reminded that it's truly a miracle growing in there. Our doctor is very nice and A is doing such a good job. Experienced parents at my office say things like, "I bet her mood swings are interesting, huh?" or "how's the new little one in charge doing?" and I have to tell them that really nothing has changed yet.

Yet, anyway.

Can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl!

Back to A.

Our Biggest Decision for the Moment:
To vaccinate or not vaccinate. I'm fairly comfortable getting vaccinated for the seasonal flu; however, my doctor would like for me to get the H1N1 vaccination. T is all for this and was relieved this was the doctor's advice. Me? I kept wavering. Being a teacher I am around students ALL the time. Sometimes they forget to cover their mouths when they cough or decide they don't need a tissue when they really do. At these moments, I think the H1N1 vaccination is a good idea. But then I get nervous...is the vaccination really safe for me and the baby? It seems to be rushed to the public and this is what makes me nervous. I guess the good news is that I have until October to decide.

My Harry Potter Addiction

I'm in the midst of reading all seven Harry Potter books...it's my third time through, so I'm no stranger to the series. Currently I'm somewhere around page 400 in book 4 and loving every minute of it...again.

I've decided that to be a true Harry Potter fan, though, I need to watch all of the movies as well. I'm lacking in the silver screen rendition of the books; I've only seen the first three so I have some catching up to do. Has anybody seen the sixth? Any comments? I've heard rumors that book 7 will be divided into two movies. Anyone else heard the same?

Math, Science, and Technology Monday

I got this problem from http://www.theproblemsite.com/games/secretnumber2.asp. There are several games, so you could do this all day if you so desire. Here is an example of one of the problems.

I am thinking of a 3-digit numbers. Can you guess my number from the following information? 

1. The product of the first two digits is less than 20
2. The difference of the first two digits is greater than 3
3. The difference of the last two digits is less than 4
4. The difference of the first and last digits is less than 5
5. The product of the first and last digits is equal to 20

So You Think You Can Dance?

I LOVE this show!!

I LOVE that there is only three weeks between season 5 and season 6.

I LOVE that Mary Murphy talked about her inability to raise her eyebrowns because of BOTOX on national television.

I LOVE watching all the different types of choreography.

I LOVE hearing about the dancers' stories and seeing how they bring life to the choreography.

I LOVE that my husband HATES this show but bought us tickets to the live performance anyway. Thanks, T! I can't wait for our date!

Fall Tradition

For the fifth time in six years Labor Day weekend was filled with loved ones, games (ask BC friend, KD, about her new game, Pictionary Telephone. Very fun.), fireworks, a trip to one of our favorite breakfast nooks, and some shopping.

Now the weekend is officially over and the house seems very quiet. I don't like it.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for hosting, and thanks, dear friends, for spending so much time in the car to join us.

I'm already looking forward to the 6th annual.

Photographer: Dad

Math, Science, and Technology Monday

I got this problem from http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.doubling.pennies.html . It's a fantastic internet resource for math teachers or anyone interested in mathematics although you might need a password to access some of it. I am adjusting the problem just a bit, so if you go online it will be slightly different.

Which is more: being given ten million dollars, or one penny the first day, double that penny the next day, then double the previous day's pennies and so on for a month?

The solution will be in the comments if/when you're interested.

Saturday Circle Game

It's a lazy Saturday morning so far. So the following seems like a fitting question.

What's your favorite way to relax?

The techie teens

I taught with a new piece of technology today, and I was nervous. The picture above depicts what Texax Instruments is calling a hand-held computer.

I was uneasy as I started class today. What if I forgot how to do something? Or what if I screwed up and hit the wrong buttons and didn't know how to correct my mistake? I, myself, have just learned to operate this machine at a basic level only a few weeks ago.

The class was excited as soon as I started passing out the new technology, and we quickly began the lesson of finding solutions for a system of equations. First we graphed the quadratic equations and then we looked at the table. And then it happened...I forgot how to calculate the points of intersection using the calculator.

Ummmm...trouble.

Then one of my quiet, female students raised her hand. "You go to 'points and lines'." So I did, and behold, there was the command I needed.

I realized then that it took mere minutes for my students to acclimate to the machines. And in one quick moment, before I could even register it, I became the student in a room with 24 teachers, learning how to operate my hand-held computer.

Cool.

Math, Science, and Technology Monday

I recently received a card from a fellow co-worker/dear friend/wise mentor who reminded me that as a proud math/science geek I needed to help encourage others into the math/science geekdom. So with that charge in mind, I write my first math, science, and technology blog. Today it's a problem; next week it might be an interesting invention that catches my attention. If nothing else it will be a good way for me to keep up with my own professional community.

Although you could use some fancy mathematics to solve the following problem, it is not neccessary. Knowledge of operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and some time thinking is enough to solve it. Happy solving.

A man entered an apple orchard that had 7 guards and picked some apples. When he left, he gave the first guard half his apples and 1 apple more. To the second guard, he gave half his remaining apples and 1 more. He did the same to each of the remaining five guards and left the orchard with 1 apple. How many apples did he gather in all?

I'll leave the answer in the comments section.

Have You Seen My....?

I FINALLY found my camera! (Thank goodness!) It was in my work bag. The sad thing is I have absolutely no recollection of putting it there or why I might have thought it was a good idea to store it there. I wish I could blame it on the pregnancy...experts do say you lose brain cells during this time...but people like my mother, T, Trophy Life, our good friend, S, and I'm sure several others would be able to call my bluff.

The truth is I am a person who temporarily misplaces things all the time. People are constantly accompanying me on shoe searches, key quests, and general 'Have you seen my (fill in the blank)?' hunts. I am not sure what this characteristic says about me, and to be honest, I would rather not think about it. I have just decided to accept this flaw and am appreciative of the people around me who put up with it.

The good news for me is now that I have my camera back I can share some pictures I originally intended to post.

Little Bean at 7 weeks. (Yep, that little oblong shape on the left is the baby.)

Profile of Little Bean at 12 1/2 weeks. 

Saturday Circle Game

If you were to go back to school, what institute would you attend? (Assume, of course, that we are all brilliant, admission is guaranteed, and funds are no object.)

Prego Report

Disclaimers: 1) I am stealing Two Pretzel's idea of a pregnancy update. Hope you don't mind, TP. :) 2) A high school friend, MT (actually now MB), used the title phrase and I thought it was cute, so I'm stealing this too.

My goal is to write a pregnancy update every doctor's visit. So, to catch up to current times...

BABY:
First doctor's appointment was early July as was the first ultrasound. The baby looked like a bean and was a whooping length of 9mm. (Hence, from now on I will refer to it as Little Bean or LB when I'm feeling particularly lazy.) 5 weeks later at our next visit Little Bean measured in at 6 cm (about 2 1/2 inches), had arms and legs that moved, and a mouth that opened and closed. This blew me out of the water and was by far the first time I felt this whole pregnancy thing might be real. (I really wish I could show you some of the pictures, but my camera is MIA. So sad.)

ME:
Besides feeling as if I ALWAYS have a cold (since June) and sometimes can't breathe, I've been extremely fortunate and have been feeling fabulous. My regular clothes are starting to feel a little uncomfortable even with the hair rubberband trick, and I took my first trip to the maternity store at the beginning of this week. Pants with elastic waistbands...HERE I COME! I did have a little freak-out moment in the changing room when I put on the fake 7 month belly and couldn't see my feet. What?!

T:
Has been very understanding with all the minor aches, pains, and constant naps I take. He was particularly adorable when he sat down with me Tuesday evening to read and write some thoughts of his own in the baby keepsake journal we got from a friend this week.
Next doctors appointment: Mid September

Guilty Secret

I'm addicted to Big Brother 11. I'm not proud of it. It's not great TV. It raises my blood pressure whenever it is on. But I can't stop watching it. Thank goodness the season will be over soon!

Back in Session

Summer is over and school will soon be in session. It's a big time for anyone with a job somehow related to education. Although I will miss the freedom of my summer, I also enjoy the excitement of a new school year. I am fortunate to be in a career where "do-overs" are possible for everyone involved. New slate. And for the moment, opportunities and possibilities are infinite.

Brita and Body Pillow

A few random thoughts about two items that I purchased recently.

1) I LOVE my new Brita. Why I didn't invest my $18 earlier, I don't know. Since the little bean announced its existence earlier in the summer, I had an aversion to water, which was weird for me. I usually drank water all the time. Our tap water just didn't taste good anymore, and I hated buying bottled water. Although I'll do it from time to time, I hate the waste. Brita has made my water taste good again, and the upkeep of changing the little filter seems completely worth it.

2) My body pillow...it wasn't love at first sight for sure. I'm a toss and turn kind of girl. So the first night with the pillow was a little cumbersome. It's hard to swing an almost 4 1/2 foot pillow from side to side. T accused me of pulling some WWE wrestling moves the first night. I think I nailed him once with my elbow and a few times with the pillow itself. Since then I've learned to control the pillow a little better, and now I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to sleep without one again. I think it'll be a little hard to travel with, though.

Saturday Circle Game

It's BACK!! I know it's not technically Saturday, so please excuse the tardiness. This question is in honor of the wedding we attended tonight. So much fun, but it'll take my feet some time to forgive me for the shoes I forced them into.

What is your favorite wedding reception song? The one that's going to get you groovin' on the dance floor. Or feel free to answer the opposite. What is your least favorite reception song, sure to leave you glued to your seat?

Teeth Cleaning

I'll preface this post by saying I like my dentist office. There are five dentist that work there and a gazillion hygienist. Every single one of them that I have meet has been great.

But what I don't understand is why they try to talk to me with their hands in my mouth. Of course the yes/no questions are OK as I can nod my head to indicate my answer. Questions like "When do you go back to school?" or "Have you traveled anywhere this summer?" are trickier. So I wait until they briefly pull their hands out of my mouth, shout "Hilton Head" before she plunges her hands back into my mouth and hope they don't ask a follow up question that is any more involve.

"Carry On"

T put a link to a video clip on OHSAA's website about two teenagers from Cleveland, OH that aired on ESPN . The video is about 10 minutes long, but I felt it was worth the time. There is a short update about the guys from the ESPN producer on OHSAA's website. These two guys are inspiring.

Mole Man, Part 2

Dear Ty,

I wish you could have seen the look on my husband's face when you called him last night. It was sheer joy. I thought perhaps you told him that he was going to receive free milkshakes at the parlor for the next 10 years, or that you heard there was a lucrative position open in the Reds front office that he would be perfect for.

Nope, you were calling for family members who wanted his advice on how to get rid of moles. And he was honored you called him. (He didn't say this directly, but I could tell.) Finally, his hours of researching the little critters on youtube and Mole Man paid off.

I will never pretend to understand this fascination of his with moles and their extermination, but I will never cease to be amused by it. So many good stories have come from it. I mean, how can we ever forget the Momma K cell phone message about their mole.

P.S. If you're interested in refreshing your memory on Mole Man, Part 1 it was written in April 2007.

The joys of home maintenence

There are some days I wonder if T and I had any business buying a house. Our knowledge about home maintenance is limited. The majority of the time we hire out jobs that need attention or we just turn a blind eye. For instance, two years ago T, with my consent, ripped the closet doors off our guest bedroom closet - I can't even remember why at this point, it's been so long. To this day the closet remains doorless and you can see all of my off-season clothes hanging in it as you reach the top of our second story. Classy.

But today I did it. I tackled a project on my own. The guest bathroom drain was plugged. In the past, if my homemade "Draino" (a combination of baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water) didn't do the trick, I called our faithful plumbers. God bless Scott, the plumber, who showed me how to unclog the drain by myself last year. The man did not crack a smile or even show traces of a pleasant personality during his time in my home, but he taught me a life-long skill. And this year, as I plunged and fished out the gunk from our drain, I silently thanked him for the $80 he saved me today. Joyously, victoriously, I enjoyed the lack of water pooling at the base of our tub. Sweet success.