Sunday, August 29, 2010

Karma?

Well, I made it through the first week of school! Technically, I made it through the first three days of school since the students didn't come back until Wednesday.....but us teachers were there Monday and Tuesday slaving away in our classrooms and attending countless meetings. So, it was a full week back to work for me. First off, Max did fabulous getting up early to go to daycare on Wednesday and Friday...AND did a fabulous job with his teacher and new friends there. Thanks Max for being such an awesome little dude! :) Now for even more exciting news...

I know it's still pretty early on in the school year, but I am really digging where I'm at and what I'm doing this year. The students, though challenging, really need a positive role model...and really do seem to want to learn underneath a lot of underlying issues they are having in life. The teachers are so down to earth and welcoming...real people! The staff is so helpful and funny. And the administration....WOW! They have been so supportive and real, it's amazing. I have never felt like I had a team on my side until now. Not only have they supported my classroom decisions regarding discipline and my students since day one, but they have shown that to the students by following through on their zero tolerance policy for behavior. WHAAAT?! You mean, you actually care about me and my classroom?! You mean, you want me to be able to create an environment in which learning is possible....yet the classroom is structured with strict procedures and consequences?! It's amazing. I went home from school the first three days with a huge smile on my face, anxious to go back the next day and continue to make a difference for my kids who truly need it! *For those of you that are wondering what in the world I'm talking about regarding discipline and all that in my classroom, I teach students with emotional disabilities and some severe behavioral issues.* OH, and did I mention the big ol' security guards and school police officers and patrol up and down the hallways...popping their heads into my room to let the kids know they're there...as well as to see if I need anything?! LOVE IT! I also must mention the fact that there is another teacher in my building that teaches the same group of studentsd I do, only in a different grade level. He, too, has been an amazing help and support to me. I feel truly blessed and thankful for this opportunity I have been given this year. I feel as though my teaching experience has been totally flipped around, and I have that "spark" to want to teach again...something that was fizzling out due to previous circumstances. I'm so excited to get that spark back and be excited for each day. I'm so excited to get through the rough exteriors of my students and actually help them in their lives. I'm so excited to be a a part of the community I've been welcomed into. I know I'll have some rough days. I know everyone won't always agree. But for right now, I'm so thankful, thrilled and happy. Although I do still miss being at home with Max everyday, I know I'm doing what's best for my family, myself and really these kids in the community. Who knows, maybe my perspective will change in two days, but for right now I'm hopeful and open for change. Karma has swung in my direction :)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Oh boy!

It's a BOY! This holiday season, we will welcome Jackson Anthony to our family. We plan to call him Jack, so we will have our rough and tough Max and Jack. I felt kind of bad when a lot of people thought I was angry or disappointed when it didn't turn out to be a girl. Of course I'm not - Jack is healthy and that's all that matters! Would I like a girl someday? Heck yeah! But I'm excited for Max to have a little brother close in age that he can play with and they can grow up being best buddies. I also have an excuse for all the clothes I buy Max now since Jack will be able to wear them as well :) In the future (distant future, folks!), we may have another one...and maybe that will be a girl....but if not, we will be a chaotic family of three boys haha. Anyway, I am VERY excited to welcome Jack and even more excited to get back and shape and fit into my clothes! I tell you what....I don't like one thing about pregnancy, and I am over having a very limited wardrobe and feeling fat. I still have a little over four months to go, so I guess I'll just need to keep on truckin.

One small hitch in the pregnancy that we currently have to keep our eyes on is that apparently my placenta is lying pretty low in the uterus. For those of you who may not know, the placenta is what provides the baby with nutrients through the umbilical cord. It usually lays up high, so that when it's time for the baby to be born, there is nothing blocking the baby's exit. Well, when your placenta lays low, it could block the baby's exit and also cause some damage to mama. The ultrasound revealed that right now, it's not completely covering the exit for the baby, but it is low enough that we have to keep an eye on it. When I go for my next check up in 4 weeks they will do another ultrasound to see the placenta's position. I guess this is something that sometimes just corrects itself and it migrates back up north. Otherwise, if it continues to stay low, that could mean a possible c-section. If it stays low, it COULD cause some problems toward the end of the pregnancy as well....so I'm really hoping that it migrates back up north so we have no worries of any minor complications and so I don't have to have a planned c-section. We'll see what happens!

School starts in one freaking week for my corporation and I am NOT prepared. We have been so busy since I've accepted this teaching position that I really haven't had much time to prepare. This week, though, I'll be in my classroom for most of the week getting myself organized and ready to go. Max also starts daycare on Wednesday (he'll go Wednesdays and Fridays) and I'm freaking myself out about it...he;s getting so big!

Well, adios for now, I will update soon with the happenings of our fam.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

FIVE days!

It's finally here...well, almost! This Friday...in FIIIIVE days...we have our ultrasound and will find out if we're having a boy or a girl. Of course, the number one thing I want to here is that baby is doing well and is healthy. After much debate, we have a name picked out for a boy and for a girl....which I will announce on Friday as well :) I hope this week doesn't drag by, so I guess it's a good thing that I have meetings and appointments all week long! We will be quite busy this week...and I only have two weeks left of summer until school starts...yikes!

Tomorrow we are heading to the bank to refinance our house. Interest rates are amazing right now and we're getting an awesome deal. It really won't bring our mortgage payment down much (boo!), but more of our money will be going towards principal than interest, which is a good thing in the long run. Tuesday I will sign all my paperwork with my new school corporation :) Wednesday and Thursdays I have trainings all day long with other special education ED teachers like myself. This is something I'm really looking forward to...last year, I was all by myself and had no one in a similar position to talk to. Now I will have a whole room full of people just like me to share ideas, go over the program and expectations for the year and just kind of support one another. It will be nice to meet people who "get it" and understand what you're doing, so I'm pretty excited to see how that goes. Then, it's Ultrasound Friday, woohoo!

I also feel I must spend a little bit of this post complaining about money....ugggh do I hate money! Especially that time of the month when all of your big bills come out at once and you're left thinking, "What the hell just happened?!" We took Max to Indy this past weekend to see my sister, brother-in-law and niece.....we got to go to the State Fair with them as well as my parents, which was a blast! Mark, Max and I went down early on Friday to hit up the malls first....Max needed new Fall clothes since he grows like a weed, and I needed some maternity clothes for work and all of the maternity clothes around here are hideous (except for Target...I will give props to Target!). Well, I found our that maternity clothes in general are pretty hideous. I'm not the "flow-y shirt" type girl...I'd rather have form fitting shirts and clothes for that matter....I'm not trying to hide a pregnancy, so I'd rather not make myself look any bigger than I already am. I got two pairs of maternity work pants and a few shirts...number one, because maternity clothes are freaking expensive....number two, I refuse to spend a lot of money on clothes I can only wear for a few months...and number three, because most of the clothing is disgusting. Then came Max's clothing....which I am obsessed with shopping for clothes for Max. Max always gets more clothes than anyone else in the family....I fear how bad my habit will become if we find our we're having a girl, because girl clothes are twice as cute and twice as easy to find! The problem with boy clothes is it is so hard to find anything cute....so when I find a store that actually has cute boy clothes, I go crazy and buy everything. Sooo, Max cleaned up in the Fall clothing department...and STILL needs another pair of shoes and a Fall coat and I'm sure other things that I'll think of. In true Mark fashion, he only bought himself two things, as he can never find anything he likes in any store.....but between the three of us, it was a pretty salty shopping trip. Then came the most expensive...but fun....fair I've ever been to! We ended up dropping a lot of cash at the fair as well, since you have to eat all that fried and expensive fair food. I must say the money was worth it though, because Max got to go on quite a few rides with Harper and my mom (I couldn't go with him since I'm preggers :()...and HE LOVED IT! He had the biggest smile on his face...worth every penny! It was freaking HOT though...which did not do well with walking around all day pregnant....so my feet swelled up pretty nicely I must add. Anyway, although we had fun, I can't help but feel guilty sometimes when I blow a lot of money. It's not like we won't be able to eat next month or fall behind on our bills, but I am a freak of nature when it comes to watching our bank account and making sure we have an adequate amount in our savings so we can live as comfortably as we are blessed to live. Sometimes I just get into a funk and a bad mood over it, which is so silly....but anyway!

So there ya have it. Minus my mini freak outs, we're enjoying our last few weeks of summer, but are anxiously awaiting the Fall! On a side note, Max starts daycare next week, and I am a MESS over it. He's only going two days a week...but I can't help but feel scared and worried....and not happy about the new bill in the house haha :) BUT, I know he needs it...I know it will free our stressed out work schedules up a little bit when we need to work a little later...and I know it will be good for him to get our and socialize and to learn a "school-like" routine. I sure hope he loves it, because that will make it a lot easier for mommy to take him there two days a week when she knows he's excited to go and will have a fun day :) My big boy is growing up so fast!!!

Stay tuned for the exciting information on our newest Holiday addition :)

Sunday, July 25, 2010

New Leaf

Sooo...the big news in the Fawley household is that I am now employed and will be teaching in the Fall :) I went on an interview with South Bend Community School Corporation and was hired on the spot. I will know my school and teaching assignment sometime this coming week - I can't wait! Not only do I need to start researching daycares, but I want to get into the classroom and start getting the books together and planning. It will more than likely be an Intermediate Center (middle school), so I'm excited to be back into my original licensed area of teaching :) As far as daycares go, I already know this is going to be a challenge for me....I'm kinda picky. Although Mark's schedule may change (if he hopefully gets day shift soon!), right now he has Mondays off and will watch Max on Mondays....my parents will take Max on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Max will go socialize with other kids at a daycare on Wednesday and Friday. SO, not only do I need to find a GOOD, EDUCATION, REPUTABLE daycare....I need to find one that will allow him to only come two days week at a reasonable rate as well. I've thought about hiring a nanny or someone we know to watch Max at our house those two days, but I just feel like he needs (and wants!) that socialization with other kids. Also, I'd like for him to be in an educational environment. So, the search is on! Any suggestions would be appreciated, because now I seriously need em and quick!

Right now my focus has shifted to get my house reorganized and ready for the hectic Fall schedule to take place. I would love to not have to worry about a messy house while at work - thankfully our cleaning lady is amazing as well :) We're all excited for this new chapter in our lives....I'm really going into this position with a positive attitude and excitment, knowing I've been through a lot and it's only gotta get better from here on out! I'm going to MAKE this an awesome experience and love to do what I do again....make it fun, like it used to be! I'll update as soon as I have more info....in the meantime, please let me know of any reputable daycares you may know of in the Granger area...or close to the Granger area but in South Bend, as I'll be heading in that direction. I need educational, reputable, two days a week, afforable! :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Countdowns

This morning I had a regular check-up at my OB....currently 16 weeks and moving right along! I've felt a few times what I thought to be movement, but it wasn't definite enough for me to actually claim that, so I'm assuming in the next few weeks I'll start feeling a lot more movement going on. My ultrasound date is set for August 12th and I cannot WAIT! I am so ready to start getting the nursery together and either bring up Max's old itty bitty baby clothes or do some shopping (team pink!). I'm still holding true to my beliefs that it's a girl....Mark is convinced it's a boy, but I think he'd say that no matter what....so I guess we have a little over 3 weeks to continue the debate. Next on the list will be baby names once we find out the sex. One issue I'm definitely having more with this pregnancy is my back - ohhhh, my back! Before I was even pregnant I was having a lot of back issues. I had an x-ray done in December, which came back clean. This makes myself and my OB believe it's probably muscular, which we can't do an MRI or much right now since I'm pregnant. And all you pregnant ladies or mommies out there know that pregnancy is not especially kind to an otherwise healthy back, yet alone one that has already been hurting. Lately, sitting for an extended period of time or laying on my back or stomach has really been as issue. My back seems to tighten up severely and just freaking hurts. It takes me five minutes, as well as the embarrassment of looking like an 85 year old woman, to roll out of bed or off of the couch/chair to stand up. So, my OB is sending me for physical therapy since we both know the situation is only going to get worse as I get bigger and more pressure is put on my back. We're hoping the stretches and exercises done at physical therapy will help with the back pain until after the baby is born, which I will then go to my family doctor and have an MRI and whatever else needs to be done to have a normal back again! At 25 years old, there is no way I should feel crippled already. Oh well, I will survive....and thankfully it is nothing serious that would have shown in an x-ray, such as degenerative disc disease (which was what I thought it might have been) or anything else. On a positive note, I've only gained about 6 lbs. so far this pregnancy, which I'm thrilled with. As I've mentioned before, I gained 60 whopping lbs. with Max, and although I did lose it all and go back to my pre-pregnancy weight, it SUCKED losing it and I don't want to go through that again. I'm trying to gain only 20-30 lbs this time, which my OB has assured me is a safe weight for me to gain for the baby. I would LOVE to only have maybe 10 lbs to lose when I can start working out again after the baby is born. This pregnancy I'm really trying to eat healthier, watch my portions and continue my daily 2 mile walks around the neighborhood. Of course, I do have dessert once in awhile, and I'm not over here eating exclusively Lean Cuisines, but I am watching myself and actually looking at the scale this time around. I think that 6 lbs. at 16 weeks is pretty on track...hopefully :)

Another countdown I'm currently dealing with is the countdown to the beginning of the school year...and waiting to see if I'm offered any last minute teaching positions. So far, I have had schools interested, but have not received any offers as of yet. Although Indiana is currently in an education funding crisis, a lot of schools wait until the weeks or even days before school to hire teachers. Although I'm not especially optimistic at this point in time, it is an upcoming event that I'm looking forward to resolving - will I or won't I be teaching this year. It would just be nice to know! One more item I may add to a countdown list is the countdown until Fall....this humidity and heat is RIDICULOUS, especially for us pregnant folks! I've had just about enough of summer....I've gotten the tan, enjoyed the lake, enjoyed the weather, done all the summery things there is to do...bring on Fall! I LOVE love LOVE Fall weather, the time of year right before the craziness of holidays, Max's birthday, Halloween, football season, all the good stuff I've mentioned about Fall that I love. I can take Max for a walk without us dying of heat stroke and him breaking out in a heat rash. Some may kill me for wanting Fall, and I'm sure I'll be begging for summer in the dead of Winter, but for right now I'm ready for Fall :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I've got nothin...

I really don't have a whole lot to blog about. Just thought ya'll may like to know I'm still here - just been kind of busy and lazy all at the same time! We're almost done with Max's new big boy room, which I will definitely post pictures of when we are finished. I'm anxiously awaiting our ultrasound which will be somewhere within the next four weeks - ready to start shopping for pink or blue! I'm also kind of just chilling on the employment front as well. No teaching position for the Fall as of yet - which I'm really okay with. I haven't exactly been actively seeking a position, so whatever happens is fine. I can't say I'd mind staying home with Max for a year, not having the stress of work and maternity leave when the baby arrives and getting my family organized and having a LITTLE (and I mean LITTLE with kiddos around) "me" time before starting grad school at the beginning of next summer as well as go back to teaching that following school year. So, we're basically just taking it one day at a time and hanging out over on this end. All we really have on the agenda is going to the State Fair in Indianapolis in August with my sister, brother-in-law and niece. Otherwise, we're looking forward to Fall. I don't know what it is about Fall time, but I LOVE it. I guess I've kind of had enough of summer....haha, yeah, show me this post in February, I can't believe I said that! Fall is my favorite time of year though...the leaves changing, the weather, the smells, football season (my lovely husband's favorite!), Halloween, Max's birthday and getting ready for the holidays....as well as baby this year! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and doing well :)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Is it really almost July already?

I mean, seriously? The 4th of July is NEXT weekend....I'm pretty sure that usually marks summer as half way over. Where did the days go?! I do love the 4th of July though....Mark always tells me that I'm "all about tradition", and I guess I am. My family had a lot of fun traditions for things every year, and I want my kids to experience and remember those fun traditions just as I do. The 4th of July means going over to my parents house (well, lake house nowadays), have a cookout, having my sister's family in town, s'mores and fireworks galore! It's just a fun summer night and I love it :) I'm thinking that Max is old enough this year to really appreciate the fireworks...if he can stay awake that late since it doesn't get dark until around 10:00!

In other news, I am now officially in my second trimester (13 weeks) - woohoo! This is "suppose" to means that I should start feeling better any day now as well as get some of my energy back. I've slowly by surely started feeling less nauseous and better at night (when it was always the worst), but I still have my moments. I also still don't have a lot of energy...but I'm not sure if that's entirely pregnancy related, since I do have a very active 20 month old I'm chasing around all day! I actually took a nap today with Max and it was amazing...I can't remember the last time I got to take a nap in the middle of the day! I've been back to work at the good ol' DQ working three days a week for a few hours for some extra cash. Since I'm obsessed with saving money and not buying anything with credit cards and always having a "cushiony" bank account just in case, I figured it wouldn't hurt to work there a little bit. It's a few days a week for a few hours, and it gets me out of the house and into the business that may one day be ours :) So, come visit me and I'll make you one of the new FABULOUS Orange Julius' that we now serve....my recommendation is the Blackberry Bomb - O.M.G. Addicting. I've also gone on a few interviews lately for special ed teaching positions. I'm not too concerned if I don't receive a teaching position for the next school year - and let's face it, the competition is fierce right now with teachers who have much more experience than me who were laid off looking for jobs - but, if the right job comes along, I'd take it. If not, no biggie, I'll be at home with Max and our new bundle of joy in the Winter a little longer :) It's like a win-win situation here! I should hear back from those schools relatively soon, so we'll see. Speaking of work and Max, I'm thinking of finding a daycare for him starting in the Fall. Even if I don't find a teaching position, I'll work at the DQ a few days a week still for extra cash during the times Max would go. He LOVES other children and never really gets to interact with them, so I feel as though this might be a good idea. I'd also love for him to be able to socialize and start learning around other children. The only problem is 1.) I need to find a suitable daycare around here that I feel comfortable with. and 2.) The price needs to be reasonable. If anyone has any suggestions or comments about any of the day cares around here, PLEASE let me know. I know of a few places I won't send him off of their reputation, so I want every point of view and opinion I can get. I really only need part-time daycare, so the place has to be willing to do a part-time rate (which many places, surprisingly, are not!)...I may only be working a few days a week, and even if I am working a full week, Mark is off one day during the week and my parents will want to watch him another day during the week. What about the new baby? We won't be putting the new baby into daycare until the following Fall....I'll be on maternity leave for a little bit if I receive a teaching position, and then my parents as well as other relatives of ours have volunteered to help out the remaining time until summer break so we don't have to put an itty-bitty baby into daycare if I'm working, just like we did with Max up until this coming Fall :)

Well, that's about it for us right now! About 6-7 weeks until we will know if we're having a boy or a girl, and I seriously cannot wait. What do you think...pink or blue? :)