A Wild Week

Wow! It's been one of those weeks, where I look back and think...man, whew, glad God gave me grace to make it through. Five weeks until the math and reading TAKS, and we've got a lot of work to do to get all of our minds at ease. That means only nine or ten more weeks until summer! Wednesday night I left with my three other fourth grade team members to Austin for a Verbalizing and Visualizing reading conference on Thursday and Friday. We had flight delays on every single flight we had to board due to crazy wind and rain. The conference was chalk full of information, but man, our heads were spinning at the end of the days. Unfortunately, we had some terrible shopping experiences. We cleaned up in Houston this summer so we were pretty disappointed in our findings. I suppose since I'll be hitting my third trimester in a couple of weeks, that's my last plane trip for awhile. On Friday, I had trouble getting on my wedding ring and my feet were swelling. Saturday I basically lounged around and slept all day out of sheet exhaustion. Sunday I woke up and began rapid fire cleaning for an open house we had today. Apparently, we had a great turnout. While the open house was going on, we went to Amarillo and got Dodger from my parents. It's so wonderful to hear the pitter-patter of his feet around the house makes it feel like home again! So now Micah is having dinner with an old friend and I'm resting up for a week that includes rapid fire teaching, a glucose tolerance test, and another house showing.

Much love,

These are My Confessions

Ready, deep breath in, deep breathe out. In, out, in, out. Here is a list of things going on in my head.

1. After six viewings of our house in the last 10 days, can someone please make an offer on our house? It's clean. I promise, you won't find anything nicer in this price range. I've already stalked houses for you. I looked at a LOT of green shag carpet and sparkle popcorn ceiling homes when we are looking for homes here. This house has neither.
2. I resigned from my job. My job is listed on the Plainview ISD job board. I'm not bilingual. They just need someone who is. That officially means no more reoccurring paychecks after August.
3. Speaking of jobs, I want to work at my old school, but someone is going to have to die or retire. No word yet, if either has happened. I kid on the first suggestion. Really, I'm not that twisted.
4. I miss Dodger Malouf. Dodger is taking a "vacation" with my parents in Amarillo. He wasn't too friendly with the realtor. Hence, a vacation.
5. Six and a half months pregnant and I'm still fitting in my matte jersey dresses. I'm on a mission for more Diane von Furstenburg looking dresses without the label nor the price tag. Stretch is a beautiful thing.
6. I'm so grateful that Micah has his dream job at this early in his career.
7. God has a plan.
8. My timing is not perfect. His is.
9. I'm really typing this to keep reminding myself.
10. So, here's what I would like. I'd like for my house to sell. I'd like to find a house before Caroline arrives. I'd like to work at my old school. I'd like to find a church we love as much as we do ours currently. I'd like to find some matte jersey wrap dresses that do not have the word maternity on the back of them so I feel okay about myself after July.

Much love,

Spring Break 2010

What a great break I've had! I feel like I've accomplished some things on my "to do" list which makes me feel like a winner. The break started off with weekend rest. My body really needs it after five full days of teaching the youth of America. Micah's mom, Sherry and his sister, Ashlee, invited me to join them on their shopping excursion in Dallas from Monday through Wednesday. I decidedly abandoned the sleet and landed in a greener land. OH, the biggest news is that we found Caroline's bedding. I really didn't plan on finding the bedding, but when we walked into this adorable store this quilt spoke to me. It said, "I'm cute, different, and SCREAM buy me!" So, I did. Then, off to Pottery Barn Baby where Sherry and Ashlee went wild quickly matching up bumper, skirt, wall decor, and sheets as a gift. I literally cried. I'm so excited to put Caroline in her bed. The bedding made it just a tad more real. Besides shopping, I ate like a pig and thus haven't stepped on the scale since and visited extended family. I also got a glimpse of spring as I saw green grass, tulips, and trees in bloom. It's around the corner, it's around the corner...

Off to Lubbock, where a birthday boy, Micah, awaited us after work to celebrate with food. Ate more (but, can I just say how excited I am to be incorporating salsa and chips back into my life!). Oh, and then we drove around with the Home Brigade (Sherry and Ashlee) and scoped out neighborhoods for us to live in Lubbock.

We have had our home up on the market for about a week and half and so far we had six separate appointments set up to come a look at our house. I think we are quite neat and tidy people, but really I've never vacuumed and wiped down counter tops so much in all of my life. In my spare time, I've cleaned out several closets and drawers. Pretty cathartic.

Oh, and I've been socially quite active. I'm loving this sixth month business. I feel REMARKABLY better.

Much love,

The Last 24 Weeks in Pictures

The night we found out I was pregnant we had been to our Wednesday night couples Bible study. I dragged myself off the couch absolutely exhausted (I actually remember writing on the blog how I felt like sleep wouldn't even help how tired I felt). I didn’t know why I was so tired. That week was also Red Ribbon week at school and that day happened to be pajama day at school besides that fact that I also was in my evaluation week window that particular week. Besides feeling like I was dragging my behind, I also wore my loungewear/pajamas to our Bible study. Micah literally looked at me and said, “You are wearing that?” I could’ve cared less. We went to the Bible study and my prayer request was that I just felt drained in all areas of my life. Really, I think I just was super hormonal and didn’t know it. We went home and knowing I was only a day late I took a pregnancy test. I didn’t really have my hopes up or “just know that I was” that month…I really just took it because I had one left over. In fact, Micah walked in while I was tinkling on the stick. His response was concerned since I always got my hopes up and each time they had been negative accompanied a feeling of defeat and disappointment. I waited the three minutes the box instructed to do so and after three minutes there were two lines—pregnant. We couldn’t believe it. In fact, Micah decided we immediately needed more tests. Off to Wal-Mart, where he went in and bought two more tests. Back home for two more tests. Two more positive results for us. I had this image in my head of how I would tell him we were pregnant, but when it was least expected…it happened. And, we sat and found out together.

The first five months I did a whole lot of this on weekends and after work. I was a hermit.


Micah has always drawn me the most precious pictures. Here's the latest.


People always ask how is Dodger taking the news. Dodger is well known and of course, very important. Really he has been great. He loves children and we are excited for him to have someone else to chase him around and throw his toys. However, the week before we found out we were pregnant, we went to see my sister, nieces and parents and Reece had her dolls out playing with them. We found this picture of Dodger "playing" with her dolls and we got a kick out of it. Yes, he's grabbing her by the neck.


Here's Caroline at 20 weeks.


22 weeks pregnant


24 weeks pregnant


Much love,

Yee-haw!

Yee-haw! I've made it to Spring Break...man, oh man I love a good break! I really feel bad for those reading this who don't have one. Really, I do. I don't have too much in the way of big news in this post. I will hit the six month pregnant mark this weekend. WOW! The first 18 weeks dragged by soooooo slowly and now that I'm feeling significantly better, it's flown right by. I have this picture in my living room of Micah and I on our wedding day. I sent it out as our first Christmas card as a married couple. I call it our "sexy picture." Our heads our together and we look so dreamy and I look so skinny. I really was thinking the other day, will I ever look like that again. I feel quite rotund. My kids at school will put their hands on my belly and they are amazed at how hard it is. Tonight Micah was talking to Caroline through my tummy and she was all about hearing him...she was kicking or maybe it was the Mexican food that she was excited about??? Goodnight, I'm tired!

Much love,

Thumpity Thump

Recently, Caroline has begun to kick me. Her kicks feel like tiny thumps. I love the feeling. All this movement reminds me that she is real and is really going to be greeting us in a few short months. This has me thinking about what will she look like, act like, and all those curious things I suppose most mommies-to-be dream about. Micah and I look and act pretty differently from each other. Will she have his olive complexion or will be fair skinned towheaded little one? Will she have an athletic bone in her body or will she be like me (seriously folks, I was in UIL music memory memorizing symphony movements and composers after school in 4th and 5th grade—does it get any nerdier?). Will she have Micah’s wit? Will she love Dodger as much as we do? These are just a few things running through my mind besides wondering if my innie belly button is going to stick out like a turkey timer any time soon.

Another thing running through my mind is purchasing the necessities. Besides some clothes I’ve received and a few odds and ends, I’ve bought nothing for her. I was going to wait until the 28 week mark when I go in for another sonogram just to make she that Caroline is a still a girl. I have this fear that even though the sonogram doctor and nurse were quite certain she was a little girl that suddenly it might appear not to be so when delivery comes. Boy or girl…we are thrilled either way. I just don’t want to spend a small fortune on all things frilly and fabulous and end up with a little boy. I know I’d end up laughing and not caring after seeing a healthy baby, but still…I need some help from fellow mommies, aunts, grandmommies. I think everyone knows more than I do. I need to know what I need. What are the absolute must haves? What was a total waste of money? Who’s your pediatrician? Tell me everything! I need to know it all. Email me, call me, facebook me, post here in the comments. I just need scoop!
This past weekend, the worker bees (Micah’s family) came to town to help prepare our house to be sold. They mowed, cleaned, and moved. What a great help! Seriously, I keep looking at how beautiful my toilet bowl looks! It’s always fun to have family come into town to visit.

Oh, and can I just mention how excited I am that writing TAKS is over and done with! I love writing, but teaching writing can be a laborious task to teach and grade! This means no more tutorials until after Spring Break, too. This week and last we are benchmarking on reading and math. And, oh, Spring Break…I love you. I mean, I really love you. You mean a few things to me: rest, a birthday boy is turning the big 2-8, the word spring is in your name which means warm weather is around the corner, flowers, and daylight savings time begins which means it will be lighter later!

Much love,

Changes in Latitude

I'm writing tonight to keep my mind occupied. My kids are taking the writing TAKS tomorrow and I'm a little on edge. It's filling up my mind space. I've never taught so much writing in all my life. Whew!

Well, as if posting that I'm over five months pregnant isn't enough for news, how 'bout this...we are moving to Lubbock. WOW! Totally unexpected (I opened a bank account for Caroline just a few weeks ago in town). Micah started a new job as the General Counsel of the Texas Tech University Foundation this week. Like all big, life changing decisions, we have had emotions all over the place about our new decision. Obviously, the job opportunity for Micah is a dream. He is truly the school's biggest fan. However, in his years practicing in private practice, he could not have asked to work for better people. He so values their mentorship and friendship. We really would have lived here forever had this opportunity not presented itself. For me, personally, I began to really feel invested here. I liked going into the bank and to the grocery store and seeing people I knew. Having grown up in a small town, living in Plainview brought back memories of my childhood. We are going to miss the new friendships we have made here and our church, but again, we are excited to see what God has in store for us in Lubbock. So to our Lubbock friends and coworkers, hope to see you soon!

Much love,