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Okay, okay, so I know some of you might disagree with me, but I (like the rest of you) am biased. Well, plus I know my husband really is the best one. :)
Last Thursday was our anniversary (#4!). Unfortunately, Scott was scheduled to be on-call all last week, which meant that he was working until 10 PM or so. (Translation: I didn't get to see him at all since our hours didn't coincide.) Well, I knew that he was going to have to work on our anniversary, and since he had no say in the matter, I told him we could go out and celebrate the following Monday (we were headed out of town on Saturday). Was I bummed, yes, but I always am when I don't get to see him.
So... Thursday morning when I walked into the kitchen to eat breakfast, there's a bouquet and a card waiting on the island for me. Scott, despite a long day at work on Wednesday, had taken the time to make sure that I'd wake up to flowers on our actual anniversary.
Of course, knowing that he took the time to make sure my day would start off right (especially since we wouldn't see each other that night) brought a smile to my face.
Fast forward to that afternoon/ evening. Ann and I went for our usual Thursday walk, and since neither one of us had hubbies at home, we spent a bit more time than usual visiting. Needless to say, I didn't leave her house till just after 6:30. Still, I figured that the time wasn't a big deal since I'd be spending the evening alone. That is, until I pulled into our driveway and saw Scott's take-home sitting there. When I walked in the house, there was my husband, munching on a snack (though how you can call a quesadilla snack I don't know) and waiting for me. I was totally surprised; he had made no indication that he would be home early. None. Yet there he was, waiting for me so that we could celebrate.
Now, our usual anniversary dinner involves Arby's since that's where we stopped on our way to the airport after our wedding, but seeing as how I wasn't exactly dressed for going out to eat (remember, I had been walking earlier with Ann), he let me decide our dinner plans. So what did we do? Scott picked up a pizza for us. Afterwards, we curled up on the couch to watch our Thursday night shows ("Earl" and "The Office").
And you know, that was a great way to celebrate our day. Eating good food and just being in each other's presence.
Yup. My husband is the greatest husband in the world.
I can honestly say that I will miss being in the classroom. Like most teachers, I've had good years and bad, many of which were determined by the students themselves (and in some cases their parents). The Lord has definitely blessed me with some wonderful students this year, though. Really. Though a couple of my classes are a bit too social at times, the students themselves are very likable and personable. I can actually be myself with them yet also instruct them. Case in point: the above picture. For homecoming last Friday, the juniors donned their gold to show their school spirit. When I looked out at my fourth period, I saw a sea of gold. I have not seen that sort of spirit in years! Their excitement and enthusiasm made me smile. Of course, when a couple students asked if they could take a picture, I couldn't deny them, so everyone sporting school spirit (and a few who felt the spirit but just didn't have the right apparel) jumped in the photo. (The "x" some of them are making is for Class of 2010.) Again, I'm really going to miss these guys.
Of course, it's not just current students that I'm going to miss. As a teacher, there's no greater satisfaction than a thanks or a visit from a former student. I wonder if students realize how much joy they can bring their teachers just by stopping by to visit. Perhaps this year more than most, I've had several students who have passed through my class stop by just to chat. Those visits remind me that this indeed was (and is) my calling. Like most other professions, we teachers need to be reminded at times that we're doing a great job, and that we're making a difference. What better reminder than from the students we teach? More evidence to that? The picture below. This was taken on Career Day (homecoming week). Nicole came dressed as me, complete with the pregnant bump! Nicole's one of those students who affirmed and thanked me regularly, not just as a former student, but when she was actually in my classroom, too. She also happened to be the first student that I told of my pregnancy (and boy, was she thrilled!). Again, students like Nicole and like my fourth period are why I teach... and why I'll leave the classroom with mixed feelings once our little girl arrives.
(Miss America theme song optional.)
The ultrasound yesterday was amazing! I had no idea it was going to be so thorough. For all I knew, we were just going to find out the gender and then leave, a quick in-and-out appointment. I had no idea that we'd be there for a good 45 minutes or so.
The tech (Carol) was so kind and thoughtful. She explained all the various parts she was measuring and examining, even though some of them weren't as interesting to me (like the cerebellum, or the cross section of the umbilical cord). While Carol tried "taking pictures" of little Abbie's face (side note: no, we will not name our daughter Abysmal. However, since we probably won't reveal her name until she's born, I'll refer to her-- affectionately-- as Abbie from here on out.), Abbie kept raising her hands, effectively covering her nose and preventing a good view. Carol kept trying until she was able to capture a clear picture of Abbie's little face.
And boy, was Abbie active yesterday. Her little legs were kicking and moving so quickly! Quick draw McGraw was able to capture some footprint images, though.
Can you tell that I'm excited? Yes, I wanted a little boy first, but I'm so grateful that this little one is healthy and strong. Besides, I'm going to have a daughter! How fun is that?!
Here are some of the pictures from yesterday. Enjoy!
These are the 3-d/ 4-d pictures of Abbie's face.
And here are pictures of her legs, her sucking her thumb, and her profile. 
Abysmal Medusa!
Yes, we are having a girl! I'll post more later (including pics once I've scanned them).
I absolutely love the fall; I love everything about it-- the colors, the smells, the holidays, the perfect weather. This past Saturday was one of those perfect fall days. We spent the afternoon with Nate, Ali, and Will picking apples at Stribling Orchard. Scott even had a good time (what a husband won't do to please his wife); of course, he also appreciated the homemade apple pie I made him later that night as a "thank you" for agreeing to go.
Enjoy a few photos from our excursion.
Well, as of Thursday, I'll be 20 weeks (5 months). I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. Of course, that first trimester couldn't pass quickly enough, but that's to be expected considering the nauseau.
When one of my co-workers first heard the news back in August, he admitted that the whole of idea of pregnancy just sort of "weirded him out". I laughed, thinking that was a rather absurd statement, but now that I'm starting to show, I think there's some truth in that. See, it's (for lack of a better word) weird for me to see my expanding belly. I look down and think, "There's a baby in there." And then when I think about how my innards are shifting, well, that just augments the weird factor. (No, I won't go into details. Let's just say that all those inner organs have to move someplace.) To think that there's this little miracle growing inside me is simply amazing.
Don't get me wrong; I'm loving this stage of the pregnancy (as all my girlfriends told me I would). I can finally wear some of the maternity clothes that others have loaned me (a thanks to Mary, De, Vanessa, and Amanda for hooking me up with the "new" wardrobe), and, even more exciting, I can feel the baby swimming around, which is the best feeling. I first noticed the movement a couple weeks ago while sitting quietly at work. All of a sudden, there were bubbles popping within my belly. At other times, the movement feels like a fluttering, like eyelashes brushing against my skin. Friday the baby was really active; that afternoon she just kept flipping and turning. She was equally active that night at Scott's hockey game; either she really enjoyed what we had for dinner, or she was cheering her daddy on.I still haven't had any cravings, but my desire to bake has certainly increased. I feel like every weekend for the past three weeks I've felt the urge to bake something... muffins, brownies, a pie. Not like that's a bad thing, but it certainly doesn't help us eat right. But at least all those carbs taste oh-so-good!
Above you'll notice that yes, I did say "she". We won't know what we're having until Wednesday, but Scott and I both have a feeling that it's a girl. Scott says so because that's "his luck" (whatever that's supposed to mean), and I think so because of how I'm carrying. Of course, towards the end of the day, I think I'm carrying a boy, so at this point who knows. Still... I finally took some pregnancy pics, so maybe that will help others of you determine whether there's an Abbie or a Megatron swimming around in there.
Being an English teacher, I've received countless forwards that discuss language use, whether it's used properly or improperly. The mixed metaphors forward is especially entertaining, probably because I couldn't believe that people actually used some of them... until now.
While reading a narrative writing prompt submitted by one of my juniors, I found my first truly entertaining (or at least memorable) mixed metaphor.
"Though (sic) out all the experiences I have lived through, there is one particular incident that is imbedded in my mind or memorized as if it was two names carved into a tree by a lake."
Even now, I chuckle as I read it. I mean, I've always thought that carving two names in a tree by a lake is memorable. *sigh* I think I'll actually miss moments like this when I'm staying at home with our little one.
