Each week carrying the baby brings a milestone & new things to learn about.
Every week at school brings me one step closer to finishing the school year.
School news...
It's amazing to me how different the relationships are with kids as the year progresses. I now really see the vast wisdom in having teachers move with their students to various grade levels. On one hand, you're stuck with certain kids you didn't want to have again. However, you also have the advantage of not learning the new Little Johnny Trouble Maker's tricks the following year. You also get to enjoy your cherished students another year and watch them grow. I also feel the relationships you build with students can decide whether or not Johnny gives you trouble.
For example, I have a student, Trevor, who has never given 100% or even 50% in class. He failed the first semester of my class, much to my dismay. My initial method was honestly to berate him into submission. He would usually be quiet, but he never actually did work. When I tried the nice approach he would be sarcastic and troublesome. It seemed like a losing battle whichever method I chose.
Eventually at the start of the second semester, I sat down with him and asked him what was going on. I heard from a fellow teacher that his parents were going through a divorce and, noticing his ever growing unruliness, I wanted to talk to him about it before it escalated further. He never did divulge the divorce news, but we talked about his future and I encouraged him to at least pass my class so he wouldn't have to retake it. I would like to think that little pep talk did it for him. Who knows. He is definitely not a model student, but lo and behold he actually does his work. It's not a huge leap, but it's definitely progress from where we started the year! If it took me almost 6 months to get to that point with him- it makes me think there are others who, with more time, would open up and become successful.
17 weeks pregnant....
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| See the clip holding my dress in? I'm just barely showing at this point! Everyone say hi to David taking the picture for me! What a good guy. :) |
I feel like everyone I know is pregnant right now!
As such, I wanted to share some things that worked for getting me through the first trimester & see if others had tips for the 2nd and 3rd!
For morning sickness/nausea-
Personally I want to stay as far away as possible from taking medicine just so my baby gets as much natural nutrients and antibiotics as possible. As such, my first few months were torture as I went through morning sickness.
Luckily, my friend Anna shared that she had used magnetic bracelets designed for sea sickness to help her out. Although I never used one, I loved that it was a natural way to deal with the inevitable.
Another thing I noticed was that my prenatals were making me very sick- the large amount of iron was too much for my stomach to handle. Changing my prenatal to an all organic one with considerably less iron brought immediate relief. I also started taking it at night before bed so I had a day's worth of food to help lessen the harshness.
For car rides, my mom bought ginger chew gum that she lovingly passed my way. It tasted disgusting, but I got almost immediate relief when chewing it. I only used this when I felt super ill though b/c the taste was daunting.
The last thing I used for nausea and the one I used most frequently was oil extracts, specifically peppermint, lavender, and ginger. Rubbing these on my stomach and neck/forehead provided extended relief and allowed me to stay away from synthetic drugs. Sure I smelled a little funny from the oils, but the benefit outweighed the old lady smell- even if David disagreed.
For fatigue-
First off, it is completely normal to be dead tired almost continuously. Allow yourself to sleep and get help where you can 'til your body adjusts to pregnancy. Do NOT feel guilty for needing extra sleep or extra help with household chores.
However, if your schedule doesn't allow much free time, like mine, make do as you can!
I found that exercising was super helpful in keeping me going on long weeks with little free time. It's funny how much expending effort can give you a boost of energy.
Also, you're probably not eating much. This adds to the fatigue! Find a few things you like/can stand and stock up! For a week or two all I wanted was popcorn b/c it didn't upset my stomach and was mostly bland. Next was fresh veggies and LOTS of fruit. Try to get your protein where you can- peanut butter and nuts are easy on queasy stomachs.
All in all, try not to worry. The first trimester is here and gone soon enough replaced by a growing bump and energy like you had before the pregnancy.
Where am I now?
-I have a tiny bump starting to protrude. It's almost disconcerting as I look at pictures of all the other people I know that are pregnant and how much larger all their tummies are. You really can't even tell I'm pregnant unless I'm wearing something skin-tight; it just looks like I ate too much at lunch.
- I have so much more energy! YAY!!
- My blood-sugar level is super sensitive now, and I've found I need to eat much more frequently to combat this. I thought I ate pretty continuously, but the pregnancy has made it even more so. I find if I don't have a snack with me and go too long without eating it results in a very sick feeling me.
- On March 16 we find out whether it's a boy or a girl. I personally want to know the sex so I can plan the nursery, name, and baby shower without all the neutral crap that comes with a surprise birth.
