NVMega2017

Happy Sunday!
I just spent the weekend in Tahoe at the Mega conference learning and growing as an educator. I was fortunate enough to be a presenter with my principal and sharing thee last evening of literacy in small groups. Our school won an award for being a NV highlight school.
I met an amazing presenter who has passion that is contagious enough for me to be 'jacked up' and be ready to go back to work feeling fresh! Jimmy Casas is an individual who is truly unique. He made me reflect on myself as a person as well as an educator. I am appreciative of the other speakers and the amazing set up from the Deptof ed.
Let me lay out this weekend without awfulizing anything.
Friday- the MOST turbulent flight to Reno that led to a lady giving me essential oils to keep my stomach down. After landing we received the BEST car, Lincoln Navigator to drive up the mountain to Tahoe. It truly is a must test drive. I  drove around Reno with my admin, flipping u-turns until we found lunch. Made it to the wonderful Harvey's hotel and checked in to the first keynote speaker. Sonia 'Maria' from Sesame Street opened and was great! Anna and I found dinner and called it a night by 7:30, wild ladies we aren't!

Saturday my nerves were as Jimmy would later teach me, 'jacked' up. I get a tad bit nervous when I present for all of 2 minutes, but then I'm good and get into my passion of literacy. One of my teachers st the beginning of the school year gave me a mason jar of hot pink gum "balls" and told me just invade I needed some balls. I have since found my voice and have no problem presenting. One day, I want to be a Jimmy Casasa and 'jack' people u to be motivated to teach kids. Oh, by the way, Anna almost had us locked out of the conference all day because she thought taking the stairs would be a good idea. Only, the stairwell was locked once we got to the 12th floor. No joke. Luckily she was grave and decided to holler and shake the door until a wonderful man, John heard and rescued us. Our presentation was great if I don't say so myself. Left the conference to find it snowing, yes, snowing.

Sunday was an adventure back to Reno. We left early to beat the storm and we pit stopped at the capitol building and walked the grounds. It was Beautiful! Anna and I made it back safe and sound where we returned my future car and she was patted down and throughly searched like drug dealer searched. I think it may have been because she had our award, made of glass in the box in her bag, but not sure. We are ready to see our families and 'jack up' our teachers as we still have 3 month of school left.
Look up #nvmegas2017 on twitter, lots of good stuff!
On Monday I want to inspire others.

Where has the day Ike gone?

Holy guacamole! I started writing to track my pregnancy with Hayden and I'm not doing a great job of keeping up.
January flew by with Gavin and Skyelynn's birthday and then mine in February.
I celebrated the big 3-0 Mardi Gras style in our new home (not really new, it's 9 months)
Sickness and colds have lingered all winter with Hayden breaking out in hives and sending me into freak out mode. Mike is almost out of busy season, it'll be great to have him home again before 8 every night.
Hayden is in ❤ with Charlie Brown and repeats EVERYTHING. I die inside when he says he's going to slug me and that he's going to kick that football clear to the moon.
I LOVE our new home and am constantly decorating it in my mind. One day it will all come together.
My new position as a reading strategist is exciting as I improve my teaching abilities and work with students.

Sweet Summer Time

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being home in the summer. Hayden is growing up so quickly!
What we've done this summer:
*had a staycation with our dad and watched NBA playoffs
*moved my classroom to a new school
*lit fireworks
*went to the beach and animal park in San Diego

*swam as often as possible (throw balls in the pool and fish them out with the net)
*splash pads
*camped in Utah
*made pudding pops/fruit Popsicles
Our favorites:
Cookies & Creme and Fruit

We've been pretty busy! Some cooler weather and rain is what we would like to add to our list.

Hayden has started talking a little bit more. My favorite words right now: whoa-whoa, boo-boo, baby, and "um" when he has the phone. Oh, and his newest ones: come & done
He says come multiple times and pulls your hand until you follow him. LOVE IT!
Teething has been rough for this little guy, high fever for a day or two and then a tooth pops out. It seems like he can't possibly have any more teeth left but I still see a few gaps....hopefully soon they will pop out and end the no sleep nights.







Smoothies:
1 c. apple juice
1 banana
4-6 strawberries
handful of blueberries
10-15 ice cubes
2-3 spoonfuls of yogurt
Throw it all in the blender and enjoy!



Cookies & Cream pudding pops

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3.5 box of Hershey's White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
• 2 cups of milk
• 8 Oreos

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the pudding mix into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add in the cold milk and whisk together for 2 minutes. Pudding mix will be softly set.
2. Crush the oreos, can be done with food processor or by hand.
3. Add the crushed oreo into the pudding.
4. Pour the pudding mixture into the popsicle molds.
5. Place in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until frozen.
6. To remove pudding pops from the molds just run the popsicle molds under warm water until the pudding pop just slides out.
7. Enjoy!

Going back to work

I had my 6 week check up today and have been cleared to return to work. I'm excited to go back and teach, but at the same time sad to leave Hayden for 8 hours a day. Not to mention the fact I'm going to have to get dressed and do my hair. Hayden and I have been living it up in our pajamas and watching SVU Law& Order and Love it or List it. I'm pretty sure I'm about to redecorate my house DIY style and blow a bunch of money on new furniture. Just kidding Michael!
Things I learned while at home :
*"Sleep when the baby sleeps" is not a statement to ignore. I shrugged it off and play super mom/wife for a whole 2 days before I gave that up. The laundry will get folded, eventually.
*basinets are not so bad after all. I fought it and slept my kid in his crib. The monitor amplifies sounds like it is the speaker at Toby Keith's concert. Every little sound had me sitting up and watching the monitor. By day 4, Hayden was in our room in a basinet. We slept so much better.
*Dry cord care is BS! Use the freaking rubbing alcohol so the belly button doesn't get infected. It will save you a prescription of penicillin.
*circumcision is not for any parent to sit through. I cried my eyes out. And, it does not get better the next day when you have to take the gauze off. Be prepared.
*enjoy your husband, he's put up with a lot.
*you're going to cry for no reason, even if it is a compliment.
*get up and take a shower, it helps. It makes the day feel like you did something.
*have other moms to text your questions to who will respond in the middle of the night. Your nerves will be on edge and knowing someone has a living, breathing kid with an answer helps.
*you need someone who understands that your excitement about folding a load of laundry AND putting it away is an accomplishment.
*who cares how long you hold your baby, they are only going to be so small for so long before you go back to work.
*going out without your baby sounds crazy, brut just.a few hours with the girls can make you feel better, especially if you took a shower
*quit wearing maternity clothes around the house and start walking. I finally packed mine up after 4 weeks and I finally felt better. Don't get me wrong, I cried every week when I tried to put my old pair of jeans on. However, I started walking and taking better care of myself.
*when you ask for help, it's ok to ask for the dishes to get done, but reward with baby time or no one will 'help' you again.
*random people will want to see and touch baby. Get a car seat cover and just lift the flap for a flash glance. It's your baby, you're the mom, you don't have to share.
*your body may look like the Grand Canyon with crevasses and your belly button may look like a silver roller gage was shoved in it. I've struggled with this, but then I remember, my body made that adorable baby from scratch, they are scars proving I housed that little one for almost 10 months.
*yes, 10 months. Nine months is bull. 39 weeks is almost 10 full months.

I've had to let some of my OCD rule following, control freak go. Things are going to happen. There will be a time your kid poops out his clothes while you are put to eat, and they lose their shit while you are at Target. There will come a time that the screaming cry is enough to make you leave your full shopping cart in the middle of an aisle and leave. It's life and you and you can't control it.

Hayden

I wanted to keep an up to date 'journal' of Hayden so I could share all of these stories with him when he gets older; and so grandparents & great-grandparents could read about his exciting moments. These are his 1 month photos that I took because I'm afraid if we have kid #2 that I wouldn't make it to a photographer to have "photos" done. So for now, Hayden is stuck with me taking his photos. This lasted for about 5 minutes before he lost his cool and game over.

 

12/4/13
*Went to see Dr. Lewis, she said I was dilated to a 2 and that she would induce on Monday the 9th but had a feeling she would see me before than.
12/5/13
*Panic set in that I needed to have copies for sub.
12/6/13
*1am I don't feel good and take a bath (for a few hours) Michael came in to check on me numerous times and asked if I was going to go to work. I didn't know if I was really having contractions or not. Side note, everyone said, "you'll know when you're having them". How are you suppose to know you're having contractions if you've never had them before?
Anyways, I downloaded an app, yes, in the tub with my phone at 1 am I downloaded a contraction counter app (huge life brain saver). When I thought I was having a contraction I would start the app. At 5am when I finally made it back to bed I figured that I could last at work for the day. I didn't want to be that girl that they sent home and told to wait another 12 hours before coming back to the hospital.
*7:45am walked in to Principal's office to have evaluation conference, after a few contraction moments of needing to breathe and not talk, my principal sent me home.
*10am, I finally left school (had to have sub plans for sub done) and I went to target to buy a shelf to put the baby monitor on. Contractions started to happen more than every 30 minutes
*11am Came home and laid down. Colt our cat laid with me. Poor Michael, I was texting him every 30 minutes
*4:45pm Contractions were 6 minutes apart, I called the hospital and asked if I should wait or come in, the man who obviously was reading the prompts told me to come in. I called my mom to tell her I was about to drive myself to the hospital. 15 minutes later, mom showed up with dad to take me to the hospital.
*5:35pm Checked in to triage (nothing like Grey's Anatomy) and was told I was dilated to a 5 and that we'd be staying the night.
* 7pm ish I asked for epidural. Nothing like I thought. Honestly the worst part was the IV in my hand. The epidural was like a shot in the back. I had the best labor/delivery nurse Kathy. Thank gosh she had a personality and muscles to move my dead weight around all night.
*11:30pm epidural wears off and panic sets in that I'm one of those patients who wakes up in the middle of surgery and can feel the pain (dramatic, I know) The nurse comes in and tells me that they never hung my "bag" for the epidural. Contractions were way more intense than what I had experienced before

12/7/13
*2am After sitting at a 7 for a long time, potosin (spell check) is given to speed things up.
*4:15am, Dr. Lewis is called. I asked her if we could push him out in 5 pushes, she laughed. After 5 contractions at 16 pushes later...there was Hayden!
7lbs 13oz 19 1/2 inches long

We had lots of visitors (don't have a baby on a Saturday morning) We went from just the three of us who mind you had been up since 1am the day before and had visitors until 9pm Saturday night. It was a long two days. And it didn't end there...
We ended up being moved upstairs to the recovery floor because there were so many babies being born that weekend. The new nurse was not a nice nurse. NO personality. It's hard enough going through labor and all the paperwork; it doesn't help to have an unfriendly nurse too. We were discharged Sunday night (thank gosh) because I ended up with a fever after my epidural so in turn, Hayden was born with a fever and required blood work. In the end, not too bad. I didn't cry, I didn't scream and Michael wasn't called a name. Pretty good if I say so myself.

21 Weeks in Michigan

We went to Michigan the last week of July to visit Gma Marilyn and Gpa Russell.

At Papa Lou's Pizza

Things we did while in Michigan:

1. Watched/Fed deer in backyard!

2. Went to a city that starts with a P and had pizza while Michael and Gpa swung on swings at the bar.

3. Went out in the 'outback' and looked for elk but only found deer.

4. Went to mass outside at Cross in the Woods

5. Drove over the 5 mile long bridge into the U.P.

6. Had s'mores

7. Played Mexican Train and lost to gma both times.

 

We also hit 21 weeks while were there. There is no chalk board but I was wearing the same shirt that I was when we found out we were expecting. Didn't realize how big I've really gotten until this comparison.....

 This was our Expecting chalkboard (small pink shirt)

Out on dock with Taffy (same pink shirt stretched out)

 

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not sure but sill eating like a horse!
Maternity clothes? I've stuck mostly to skirts but love my new shirts from Target.
Stretch marks? Fingers crossed, none on the belly yet
Sleep: He's moving so much that I wake up.
Best moment this week: Keeping everything down!
Miss Anything? Coffee. 
Movement: This kid is out of control.
Food cravings: Peaches, Lays potato chips
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: There is a belly
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? It's getting close to the surface
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: shopping for new clothes for work

 

 





 

IT'S A BOY!! 17, 19, Gender Reveal, 20 Weeks

It's been a little busy. Not really, I'm just exhausted. I taught Extended School Year the month of July and it wore me out! Here are belly pictures from the past few weeks. We had our gender reveal party right after we found out that we were having a boy. We went to the Dr. on Monday right after 18 weeks. While we were there baby L had hand in the way and Dr. was unable to determine boy or girl. I was devastated since it seems that everyone has been finding out at 14 or 15 weeks. We ended up going to a 4D ultra sound place that same night and were able to tell, we were having a boy! I highly recommend the ultra sound place we went to. Super friendly tech, very relaxing and exciting to see everything on the big screen.

 

We've never had more than 10 people in our home at a time...we ended up with over 28 and had a blast! We were so glad that so many people could come and share our exciting news.



This was my chalk board as guests walked in. I found this on pinterest.

 

 

 

 We "played" old wives tales to see how real these tales were since I had been super sick this whole time. There were many people who were set that it was a girl because of how sick I had been. In the end, the tales pointed to a girl but we shocked everyone when Michael and I sprayed each other with blue silly string. (Bad mess to clean up after, vacuums up though)

 

 

 

My friend Julie made the peep cupcakes. The peeps were lemonade flavored!

I ordered the straws on Etsy after my favorite blog has them all the time.

 

We were so glad the Maranos were able to attend. We went to their gender reveal party last year Labor Day. The only person missing in this photo this time was Tansley.

 



How far along? As of 7/31/13- 20 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: Last appoint (18 weeks) I was up to 133. I think up 6 pounds now.
Maternity clothes? Holy cow; Yes! My pants, shorts, everything are so uncomfortable. I've been living in maxi skirts and sun dresses. I'm going to have to shopping before fall.
Stretch marks? Not any new ones that I know of
Sleep: Not very good. I've had the craziest dreams and end up waking up at 3:30 to go to the bathroom every night. Hoping now that ESY is over to sleep better before school starts again.
Best moment this week: Taking naps on the couch after work
Miss Anything?  Still missing iced coffee
Movement: Lots of movement! Random throughout the day.
Food cravings: I'm not craving Lucky Charms but that seems to be my go to. I'm craving pumpkin anything though. I had to make a pit stop at Starbucks for a slice of pumpkin bread and a Carmel apple spice yesterday. It was so good!
Anything making you queasy or sick? None I can think of
Have you started to show yet? Yup, had another teacher tell me this week that the bump looked good on me =)
Gender prediction: IT'S A BOY
Labor Signs: Not yet (thank goodness)
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but it feels likes it's moving out
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: Not being "sick" anymore