How far along? 19 weeks, 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +10lbs. Yikes!
Maternity clothes? Yup, all pants except sweats and a lot of shirts.
Sleep? I'm finally awake!
Best moment this past week? Feeling the baby moving like crazy!
Sex: The big scan is set for April 5, 8 days!
Belly button in or out? In, but getting more shallow.
Movement: Flutters!
What I miss? I went to a bachelorette party this weekend and I really wanted a drink but stuck to my Sprite and cranberry juice instead.
What I'm looking forward to this week: Feeling more movement.
Milestones: From babygaga.com, "Your favorite womb-hijacker is suddenly huge, at 10 inches in length!"
Picture: I didn't take one this week, sorry!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Pink Slips and Day Care
I am in my second year as a teacher with a small urban school district. Prior to getting my teaching position, I was a full time, TA-sub for two years. I have been able to avoid losing my job due of budget cuts the past three years but this year our district is $50 million short. $50,000,000.00. Crazy. They are cutting almost 600 positions out of about 4,000 total and I'm not super confident that I'll escape the cuts this year. The district sent out the first round of pink slips to be delivered Friday or Saturday and I was lucky enough to be spared so far. They sent out 93 slips to Unit 1 (teachers) and have another 72 to go, so they say. I don't know what will happen with this but all the talk about it and since being laid off was a real possibility, Bill and I have really thought about what it would mean if I were to lose my job.
We have figured out that if I was laid off, I'd get about $400 a week in unemployment. This is not even half of my salary. The positive is that I'd be able to stay home with our baby, something that I'm starting to feel guilty about. I was raised by parents who were home. My mom worked part time for my grandparents when we were little, so even when she worked, it was at their home office and we just played with Grandma while she worked. When we reached school age, my mom took on a better paying job and my dad took a job as a teaching assistant and was home when we were. We were far from rich and my parents made a lot of sacrifices so that they did not have to put us in daycare but I just don't see how we could swing that.
I know that if I really wanted to, I could quit my job and we would could make our finances work but I worked so hard for my degrees and I truly love what I do. I feel guilty about not being home for my baby but I also feel guilty about not working and letting myself down.
I'm not a big religious person I feel like I need to just leave this one up to God. If I'm meant to stay home, I'll get a pink slip. If I'm meant to be a full time teacher as well as a mom, I won't. I'm someone who believes that everything happens for a reason and Bill's motto is "everything works out in the end." I'm taking a combination of the two and leaving this one up to faith.
We have figured out that if I was laid off, I'd get about $400 a week in unemployment. This is not even half of my salary. The positive is that I'd be able to stay home with our baby, something that I'm starting to feel guilty about. I was raised by parents who were home. My mom worked part time for my grandparents when we were little, so even when she worked, it was at their home office and we just played with Grandma while she worked. When we reached school age, my mom took on a better paying job and my dad took a job as a teaching assistant and was home when we were. We were far from rich and my parents made a lot of sacrifices so that they did not have to put us in daycare but I just don't see how we could swing that.
I know that if I really wanted to, I could quit my job and we would could make our finances work but I worked so hard for my degrees and I truly love what I do. I feel guilty about not being home for my baby but I also feel guilty about not working and letting myself down.
I'm not a big religious person I feel like I need to just leave this one up to God. If I'm meant to stay home, I'll get a pink slip. If I'm meant to be a full time teacher as well as a mom, I won't. I'm someone who believes that everything happens for a reason and Bill's motto is "everything works out in the end." I'm taking a combination of the two and leaving this one up to faith.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Not so Weekly Check-In (18 weeks)
How far along? 18 weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss: +8, I hope the baby is growing through a growth spurt because I sure am!
Maternity clothes? Yup, all pants except sweats and a lot of shirts.
Sleep? I'm finally awake!
Best moment this past week? Hmmm, I might have felt the baby move yesterday!
Food cravings: Everything.
Sex: The big scan is set for April 5, aka forever away!
Belly button in or out? InMovement: Maybe?
What I miss? Not much but I did try to put on one of my favorite work dresses and I couldn't get it to zip, not even close!
What I'm looking forward to this week: It's sad but seeing if I get laid off.
Milestones: From babygaga.com " We have two more ounces of amazing baby this week! Your super-cute uterus hi-jacker is smack in the middle of a growth spurt!" <--oh thank goodness!
Me at 18 weeks:
Monday, February 14, 2011
Weekly Check-In (13 weeks)
Weight gain/loss: -2 total. I'm still not really loving food.
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band and now have a pair of mat jeans and 2 pairs of mat pants but I'm not really wearing them yet.
Sleep? I felt like someone slipped me a sleeping pill this week.
Best moment this past week? Hearing the baby on the doppler at the OB office!
Food cravings: Ugh, nothing really.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Just being awake.
What I'm looking forward to this week: We go on our honeymoon in 6 days!
Milestones: From babygaga.com "Your little womb tenant is getting bigger and smarter every day! Their skin is paper-thin and rather see-through, showing off all their shiny new functioning and still-developing organs."
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Money
I follow a few blogs written by women who have children or are pregnant and one common theme is money. I know I'm not breaking any ground here, money is important to survival. Bill and I had a discussion last night about our finances and I'm concerned. I work as a teacher in a small urban school district and I absolutely love my job. Bill is a delivery driver for a local dairy company. We both make a decent living and own a home together. We each have car loans and I have student loans. That's really the extent of our debt and I'm really proud of that. However, we don't have much in the way of a savings.
We were doing really well saving money until our wedding in October which completely wiped us of our savings. Right after our wedding, we began Christmas shopping. We ended up going in on big gifts with our siblings for our parents which we were fine with. We bought a TV for my dad and a TV for Bill's dad. We got some other generous gifts for our mothers and for Bill's step-dad. All told, we fronted about $1000 for the gifts with the agreement that the sibs would pay us back. Almost 2 months later and we're still waiting for Bill's siblings to pay up. The thing that frustrates me to no end is the fact that Bill doesn't think we should ask them for it! His sister is perpetually broke and I understand that but come on! She agreed to the price before we bought anything. Bill's brother and his girlfriend did purchase a large gift that we agreed on so they are probably waiting for us to tell them the balance but Bill doesn't want to go there. He hates asking people for money but this is our money that they owe us!
The reason I'm so stressed about it is because my job is not safe. My school district is in a huge budget crisis and I may end up being laid off. I would really like to put aside a bunch of money to fall back on if that is the case but it's hard to when we're still trying to recover from wedding and Christmas expenses. Ugh.
Money sucks.
We were doing really well saving money until our wedding in October which completely wiped us of our savings. Right after our wedding, we began Christmas shopping. We ended up going in on big gifts with our siblings for our parents which we were fine with. We bought a TV for my dad and a TV for Bill's dad. We got some other generous gifts for our mothers and for Bill's step-dad. All told, we fronted about $1000 for the gifts with the agreement that the sibs would pay us back. Almost 2 months later and we're still waiting for Bill's siblings to pay up. The thing that frustrates me to no end is the fact that Bill doesn't think we should ask them for it! His sister is perpetually broke and I understand that but come on! She agreed to the price before we bought anything. Bill's brother and his girlfriend did purchase a large gift that we agreed on so they are probably waiting for us to tell them the balance but Bill doesn't want to go there. He hates asking people for money but this is our money that they owe us!
The reason I'm so stressed about it is because my job is not safe. My school district is in a huge budget crisis and I may end up being laid off. I would really like to put aside a bunch of money to fall back on if that is the case but it's hard to when we're still trying to recover from wedding and Christmas expenses. Ugh.
Money sucks.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Weekly Check-In (12 weeks)
How far along? 12 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: -2 total. I was super sick last week so I'm sure that has to do with it. I need to start eating more.
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band and now have a pair of mat jeans and 2 pairs of mat pants.
Sleep? Needing slightly less than recently, but still loving it!
Best moment this past week? Getting through being sick, yeah, it was a rough week.
Food cravings: Ugh, not much. Bread I guess.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Being able to take whatever meds I need to get through being sick.
What I'm looking forward to this week: OB appointment tomorrow!
Milestones: From babygaga.com "Your baby is also actively rehearsing 'breathing' by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (ew!) to prepare the lungs for future air respiration."
Weight gain/loss: -2 total. I was super sick last week so I'm sure that has to do with it. I need to start eating more.
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band and now have a pair of mat jeans and 2 pairs of mat pants.
Sleep? Needing slightly less than recently, but still loving it!
Best moment this past week? Getting through being sick, yeah, it was a rough week.
Food cravings: Ugh, not much. Bread I guess.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Being able to take whatever meds I need to get through being sick.
What I'm looking forward to this week: OB appointment tomorrow!
Milestones: From babygaga.com "Your baby is also actively rehearsing 'breathing' by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (ew!) to prepare the lungs for future air respiration."
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Sick
I have been incredibly lucky so far this pregnancy as far as being sick is concerned. I have had a lot of food aversions but not throwing up. I had strep throat the week before I found out I was pregnant and a sore throat about 2 weeks ago but nothing too bad. Until two days ago that is. Thursday I woke up with a terrible cough. I felt terrible but went to work anyway because, as my teacher friends know, sometimes it's harder to be out than to just go in.
I went in and hacked up a lung while signing in. My principal, who is probably the most robotic person I've ever met (when I told her my grandfather passed, she never said she was sorry just told me to fill out the correct paperwork to take time off), approached me and told me that I should get checked by a doctor and if I wanted to take a half day, she'd send me home early. I thanked her for her concern but said I'd try to tough it out. I lasted all of an hour before I started coughing so hard I gagged and threw up in the staff bathroom, twice. At that point, I gave in and went home. I called my doctor and they got me in that afternoon.
My doctor just shook her head and apologized, I had either bronchitis or the beginning of walking pneumonia with her leaning toward the walking pneumonia. She prescribed me some antibiotics and told me to take it easy. I stayed home yesterday and started to feel better.
Of course, nothing is ever easy when it comes to me. I woke up this morning with crazy sinus pressure and head congestion. I was coughing and hacking, gasping for breath...and I couldn't breathe through my nose. Sweet.
I gave my doctor a call and got the answering service who told me to go to urgent care. No thanks. I called my OB's office who had the OB on call call me right back (have I mentioned how much I love them!) who told me I'm allowed to take plain Sudafed. Praise the lord! I stumbled to Rite Aid (my wonderful husband works Saturdays) and bought the biggest box of Sudafed they have. 40 minutes after I took it, the sinus pain is cut in half and I breathe out of one nostril. Wow. The things that make us excited when we're sick!
I'm hoping these antibiotics continue to work and I'm back to 100% by Monday. Think healthy thoughts for me!
I went in and hacked up a lung while signing in. My principal, who is probably the most robotic person I've ever met (when I told her my grandfather passed, she never said she was sorry just told me to fill out the correct paperwork to take time off), approached me and told me that I should get checked by a doctor and if I wanted to take a half day, she'd send me home early. I thanked her for her concern but said I'd try to tough it out. I lasted all of an hour before I started coughing so hard I gagged and threw up in the staff bathroom, twice. At that point, I gave in and went home. I called my doctor and they got me in that afternoon.
My doctor just shook her head and apologized, I had either bronchitis or the beginning of walking pneumonia with her leaning toward the walking pneumonia. She prescribed me some antibiotics and told me to take it easy. I stayed home yesterday and started to feel better.
Of course, nothing is ever easy when it comes to me. I woke up this morning with crazy sinus pressure and head congestion. I was coughing and hacking, gasping for breath...and I couldn't breathe through my nose. Sweet.
I gave my doctor a call and got the answering service who told me to go to urgent care. No thanks. I called my OB's office who had the OB on call call me right back (have I mentioned how much I love them!) who told me I'm allowed to take plain Sudafed. Praise the lord! I stumbled to Rite Aid (my wonderful husband works Saturdays) and bought the biggest box of Sudafed they have. 40 minutes after I took it, the sinus pain is cut in half and I breathe out of one nostril. Wow. The things that make us excited when we're sick!
I'm hoping these antibiotics continue to work and I'm back to 100% by Monday. Think healthy thoughts for me!
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