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.