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.