38 weeks

Holy cow has it been another week?!

David & I have been using this past week to get in some "baby-free" time before the little one arrives!

First, a trip to the infamous lakehouse on Lake Placid...aka middle-of-nowhere Florida.

It was a relaxing trip during which everyone kicked back in the sun with some drinks & good food.

Here, again, I found my limitations as a pregnant lady. Staying out in the sun all day Saturday was not a good plan! On Sunday during our drive back I started to feel intense contractions, much worse than my usual Braxton Hicks. David and I both were worried, and I started timing them and praying she wasn't coming yet. Don't get me wrong- I'm ready for Elise to be here; however, my mom was on a delayed flight from Texas and I couldn't imagine delivering without her!

As we all panicked, the timing of the contractions was irregular so we withheld any decisions and decided to go the night and call the doctor in the morning if they continued.

Monday morning dawned and I was still having contractions, but they were back to their normal, dull pain. I called the doctor - just in case- and she said these were good pains and the intensity was probably due to dehydration/heat exhaustion from Saturday. In general, we wanted the contractions to continue, and they would only get more intense. Ouch. 

I was scolded on all sides for pushing myself physically and told to take it easy & put my feet up. 

I did try to take it easy Monday and so when David wanted to catch the Braves vs. Marlins game in Miami Tuesday night I felt up to making the drive down.

We trekked down with our friends Shea & Kelli and sat in front row, aisle seats in the outfield. To my relief, the bathrooms were a short walk up the stairs, phew!  The stadium was gorgeous though situated in a sketchy looking section of Miami. That's one thing I really don't understand about that city, but what can you do. The game started at 7:10pm and we didn't make it home 'til after midnight, but the Braves won so mine was a happy household. Aside from the mandatory bathroom stops on the drive up/down, there weren't any complaints from our group! 

Yesterday was spent "nesting" and cleaning the house. I really do have a hard time just sitting. I just have to keep telling myself my sleep and leisure activity will soon be depleted so I should enjoy it! That evening David & I had a date night & enjoyed dinner out. We grabbed some candy & a Redbox to complete the evening at home. It's the little things like that- sitting at home on the couch- that are really satisfying.

Aside from the puking, this has potential to be more enjoyable than the nesting...I'm debating it!

Finally, TODAY was our 38 week appointment!! 

I spent the morning in my classroom trying, still trying, to get my lessons in order for the sub. I've been talking about it for weeks but can't seem to really get down to things & lay out a set plan. I made a good dent today though so I think with another day or two like that I'll finally knock it out! I've had SO MANY people volunteer to help me get ready for school, and I couldn't do it without them. Even next week my dad and brother will be visiting to help arrange my classroom & move things for me! 

As for the doctor's appointment, it was a standard check-up. All of our stats are good, and the nurse confirmed that our little one has definitely "dropped". I knew that already though- she's heavy!! Next week they'll begin checking to see if anything is changing in terms of going into labor... Part of me hopes she comes before then, but that is definitely wishful thinking!!

Hopefully this is next week minus the choking & epidural! ;)

The Countdown Begins....3 weeks to go!

 

How far along: 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 30 lbs...yikes!

Maternity Clothes: I feel like I've worn the same outfits forever now...only a few weeks left!

Sleep: Definitely a much lighter sleeper...didn't think that was possible!

Best moment this week: The final piece to my nursery came in- crib bedding is here!!

Miss anything: Not being swollen :(

Movement: She has officially "dropped" making it easier for me to breathe, but oh my bladder isn't happy!

Food cravings: Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yum!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Lots of "fake" contractions still & she's dropped down. Dr appt is tomorrow to check on everything!

Symptoms: My fingers, toes, and ankles are SWOLLEN. Annoying. BH Contractions like whoa.

Belly Button In or Out: And it's gone.

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: Finishing my lesson planning so I can just relax & await our little one's arrival.

I've made SO MUCH progress in the past week in getting the nursery ready for Baby Girl. In fact.....it's done! As of 10 minutes ago when the post office dropped off her super-adorable-homemade-bedding, everything is in it's place and awaiting Elise's arrival. :)

I know we will probably have her in the bassinet for awhile, but I am so relieved to have the room ready to welcome her!

Picture Tour of Elise's Room

This is the AMAZING bedding that I ordered from Cottage on the Coast from Etsy. Her stuff is great, and the quality is amazing. If you want something unique for your home or a little one you should check her stuff out!

Right above the crib is one of the "projects" that I hadn't finished last week. It was silly because all I had left were the bows on top off the ribbons, but either way I quickly finished them & hung them up! They are mod-podged with tissue paper in the same style as the pictures I made, and the primary colors tie in GREAT with the rest of her room!

In the left corner of the room are the amazing pictures my friend made depicting The Hungry Caterpillar story as well as my glider. Simple but great. 

This side of the room has been done for awhile, but I still love it just as much! The changing table is done in lime green with white polka dots with baskets underneath that ended up matching perfectly. Next to the changing table are "his" and "hers" diaper bags. One of the only requests David had was to have a less girly diaper bag so I originally purchased the black one. When my mom came into town last week we went shopping and happened upon an amazing floral Vera Bradley one. My mom decided to treat me to one that was more my style, and I really do love it!

Lastly, a close up of the bookshelves. I've been collecting the stories from random places- a few from children's consignment stores, some as gifts, and others ordered directly from Scholastic. I cannot wait to be able to utilize all of these books! I loved reading so I really hope to instill that same love in our daughter. :)


So aside from the dr's appointment tomorrow morning, my plan for these last few weeks is to hustle through these lesson plans, get my classroom in a workable condition for the new school year, and try to relax and take it easy before Elise joins us! Any news from the doctor i'll be sure to add it here asap!

Florida Testing/Standards = A Mess of Education

I'm going on a bit of a rant today.

As I'm sure most of you know, I'll be taking maternity leave at the beginning of the school year, and so I will have to entrust my students' learning (and my pay since we are now paid 50% based on their scores) to a (hopefully) worthy replacement in the form of a substitute.

I am trying, very dutifully, to compile the lesson plans for all my classes/preps so that the sub has a clear-cut outline of my expectations and can, in turn, administer that to my students. Of course, this all goes to crap if he/she decided to just sleep all day, but I'm staying optimistic that the sub WILL care about the students' learning.

All of that background brings me to my point. As I've been researching for the new classes I'll be teaching this year, I've had to really try to assess the new Common Core standards our state has adopted in place of the Sunshine State Standards.

After reviewing them in their very inconvenient format on the official DOE website, I've determined that basically they've reworded our previous standards and amped them up to be more rigorous. Good; more will be expected of our students. However, how will advanced rigor prove effective with students who are, currently, not meeting the standards set forth?

The conundrum first became apparent when the state tried to raise the standards, in the middle of the school year, for FCAT Writes. They had to quickly recall those changes when 70% of students FAILED. Tell me, if this is a preview of the new standards, what hope do our teachers and students have?

After viewing with disbelief the expectations, I have been dutifully trying to figure out how my special diploma students fit into this plan. Will they be expected to adhere to these standards when many of them will graduate with the reading level of an elementary student? Should I be punished for my students doing the best they can?

In terms of language arts education, I've found that many of the books that have been religiously read by high schooler, myself included, have been deemed "well below the reading level" expected of students to determine their "college-readiness".

I found it unbelievable that To Kill a Mockingbird, for example, was marked with a 6th grade reading level. Forgive me, but as an english teacher and avid reader, I find this assessment to be a load of crap. Yes, the text itself is an easy read, but the ideas and themes are WAY above that of a middle school student. I've found that even now as I go back and re-read texts to share them with my students, I find more and more in them than I did as a young reader. Some of the best loved texts that are staples within secondary classrooms have been deemed, now, inappropriate based on their reading level.

What then are we supposed to be feeding the minds of these young adults? Non-fiction texts of course!

Don't these policy makers remember their own days in school? I read non-fiction constantly for science and history classes with english classes as my saving reprise and escape from that form of text. Sure, I made it through non-fiction texts, but I cannot imagine having to read that form of text in every class. If I had been subjected to a repertoire of non-fiction in english classes as well I think it may have, in all honesty, made me dislike my favorite subject.

Why do lawmakers and politicians want to make our students' dislike of reading increase? How will this raise scores in any way?

My perspective is that if we, as educators, can spark a love of reading within a student- even with a  low-level book then they will be more likely to read at home and subsequently increase their reading fluency, comprehension, etc on their own! Imagine that!

I personally saw that take place this past year after I assigned The Hunger Games to a class of difficult juniors. Keep in mind this book has been marked at a 5th grade reading level and was almost not approved by my administrators. This class tried with every ounce of their being to not read or do anything assigned for the year. It was very difficult to engage them and much of the problem stemmed from the fact that more than half of the class were low readers and writers who had learned to hate english classes. As the end of the year drew near, I wanted to try to hook them one last time. We, surprisingly, acquired the funds for some books, and I ordered a class set of The Hunger Games. Imagine my surprise when students read ahead on their own and even bought the second and third books in the series to read on their own time!
They breezed through the assignments, and I could actually conduct class discussions about theme, characterization, mood, tone, etc.... All things that had been difficult to touch on with a class that would zone out through every other reading.

How then can I take this success and say that it "wasn't hard enough" for these kids? How can I force them to read even harder texts than the ones assigned this year, the readings that were already too hard for these low readers? I honestly just don't understand...

It's going to be a dance of difficulty and unfortunately one that I don't think will prove successful in the classroom. How many years will it take before they recall this set of ideals? By my thinking, if education has declined so steadily, why then haven't we reverted to what was previously working in the classroom?

I end this rant with a link to the study on this website which I found particularly humorous. All the best selling authors quoted state that kids/young adults should read what interests them. The one opposing opinion belongs to someone with a stake in testing/accountability...That's ironic is it not? Overall though I found it interesting to look at the supposed levels for popular texts. I even groaned to myself when reading the non-fiction recommendations by the gurus of Common Core. I remember hating to read those pieces and also subconsciously how I half-assed all the related assignments. I find it ironic that we are trying to raise a generation of readers by taking fiction, high-interest reads, graphic novels, and everything interesting out of language arts to be replaced by non-fiction texts. It's going to be an interesting year!

Baby Shower Recap & 36 weeks!!

It's officially July!!!

HOLY COW how time has flown!

First, the baby bump update & then lots of baby shower pics & my to-do list recap!

                                           

How far along: 36 weeks

Total weight gain: 30 lbs...yikes!

Maternity Clothes: I'm officially bowling ball shaped, haha.

Sleep: Waking up multiple times in the night to pee or w/braxton hicks...not fun!

Best moment this week: My shower was AMAZING! David's parents came to visit, David & I had our 3 year, and ALL our nursery furniture came in...It's been a great 2 weeks!

Miss anything: Not being swollen :(

Movement: She's had the hiccups lately; it's super cute!

Food cravings: Lots of cold things- ice cream, icees, smoothies...Things that cool me down!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada

Gender: It's a girl!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are increasing! My weekly dr appts start THIS Thursday so we should know more then how she's progressing!

Symptoms: My fingers, toes, and ankles are SWOLLEN. Annoying. BH Contractions like whoa.

Belly Button In or Out: And it's gone.

Happy or Moody: Happy!

Looking forward to: Having Baby Girl here w/us!

I have definitely been MIA lately on here, but I have been, for the most part, really trying to accomplish all the things on my long to-do list before Baby Girl arrives!

And now, here is a photo run-down of the shower...

With my "Mommy's Sippy Cup"...filled w/punch. Wah!

Very excited for my basket of essentials from Perri! 

I look crazy, but the paintings Jess did are AMAZING! Did I mention I have talented friends?

Rebecca & Courtney got me a "bath time" kit so to speak- not pictured are shampoos, towels, you name it!

My nana crocheted a quilt and receiving blankets for her great granddaughter.

Before we played the Baby Bottle chugging game. May I just say those were the smallest openings EVER! It took forever!

Here we go!

My Aunt Lynette & mom were super competitive- Lynette won though!

With my awesome Caterpillar cake!

All the ladies of the family- top row L: Aunt Carol, Aunt Lynette, my mommy, Andraya, Aunt Lavern
bottom row L: nana, me, and grandma.
We missed you Brittany, Bonnie, Linda, Michelle, & Denise!

Me & my mom! <3

Friends from ALL walks of life; love them!
top row L: Courtney (college), Rebecca (college), Lauren (elementary school), Jessica (high school), Courtney (since we were born).
bottom row L: Tanya (college job), Aubrey (high school)

Finally, some of the favors that were given out to guests. My mom has a VERY talented friend who wasn't even able to attend but volunteered to make these for my shower. They tasted good too!

I was super blessed to have so many amazing ladies attend my shower, and we got GREAT gifts for Baby Girl! Thank you to everyone that made my shower perfect! :)

Upon my return from Tampa, it was David & I's 3 year anniversary! It seemed silly to celebrate since we're now engaged & will have a new anniversary next year, but I enjoyed commemorating three years with this great guy. He's a good one, and the only one I can see myself spending my life with and raising this little one that will soon be joining us.

From our college days....

To today....

I love this guy!

He made us an amazing dinner of fresh mahi & shrimp & had flowers waiting for me. That's my guy! :)

Now to see how much I've really accomplished over these past couple weeks on my to-do list!

The Breakdown of what I hoped to have done....

- Old Furniture in soon-to-be nursery out of room or sold!  

It's out of the room, but the desk still hasn't sold. Boo.

- Re-arrange the kitchen cabinets. 

This one I finished easily; there's even room to spare! Imagine that.

-Re-arrange guest/baby bathroom & linen closet. 

I re-arranged the linen closet, but our cats make the bathroom part a little more difficult. Stupid CityKitty!

- Have nursery setup

This one is more complete than incomplete! All the furniture is in the room, it's just a matter of final re-arranging and getting her bedding all in. 

What you can't see is the other half of the room that still needs work!

- Decorations up in nursery! 

Boo this one I should have finished! I have a few final touches to make on her name and then I can hang them. This one will be easy though!

       

- Take my labor & delivery class @ Martin Memorial 

Class is Saturday- we're not missing it so I'm marking it complete!

- Get a baby-friendly car! 

I don't think this one will happen until after she's here unfortunately. We need to have more money saved to get a decent vehicle that I will be happy driving for the next 5 years or so.

- Exercise at least twice a week 

I put this one on here HOPING it would motivate me to move. No such luck, haha. Although I have been cleaning & exercising here & there, it has not been my twice a week goal. Fail. 

-Have money saved/set aside  

I think this one could be marked partially done as well- we have a financial plan, now it's just sticking to it so we aren't stressing.

Phew! I knew I wasn't going to finish all of it, but I hate looking at incomplete checklists! Soon enough though, the majority of the big necessary things will be done, and everything will fall into place. I will really, TRULY try to update this more frequently as my due date gets closer!

Hope everyone is having an amazing summer!! :)