As many of you already know Kaitlyn came a little earlier than
expected. We went in for a sonogram on Wednesday and found our amniotic
fluids were very low and we needed to have her that night. So we
decided to have a c-section and get her out as soon as we could. She
was born at 8:46 p.m. and weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces. She was 17 and a
1/2 inches long. She's just beautiful.
Kaitlyn is in
the NICU now. She is breathing on her own which is such a blessing.
She does have a feeding tube and an I.V., but is slowly but surely
beginning to keep food down. We are going to try to feed her today at
2:00 with some milk I have pumped in the hospital room. Hopefully
she'll keep up all the progress and get to come home soon. Cody and I
are going home sometime today...well, being discharged anyway. We're
going to take everything home and then come back up to be with our sweet
little angel.
Thank you for all the support and
prayers we have already received. Please continue to pray for all of
Kaitlyn's doctors and nurses and their knowledge and help. Keep praying
for Kaitlyn's recovery as well - she's a tough one!
I'll update more later. Just know that she's perfect!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
As Shown
My parents bought us Kaitlyn's travel system - yay! We can now
legally leave the hospital when the time comes! :) So Cody and my dad
decided to put it together. The instructions kept saying do this..."as
shown" and had some silly drawing to look at. Needless to say it took a
little longer than everyone anticipated, but I sure got a kick out of
it! :)
I love the last picture because you can see my mom trying to read the instructions, but my dad is still eyeing the stoller trying to figure it out. Classic.
I love the last picture because you can see my mom trying to read the instructions, but my dad is still eyeing the stoller trying to figure it out. Classic.
The Power of Shoes
I remember having do to a speech in college on my beliefs. I still
have it written somewhere around here... But that's not where I'm going
with this. In that speech I had sappy parts and strong parts, but of
course I tried to have some light hearted parts as well. I remember
writing something along the lines of, "I believe in the power of shoes -
whether they be glass slippers, ruby red slippers, or just a great pair
of Old Navy flip flops." Now, I FIRMLY believe in the power of great
tenny shoes. No doubt about it.
We were told this year that we could not wear flip flops to work anymore - and really, they aren't too professional, so I do see the point. But then again I teach kindergarten and get dirty and spend most of my day on the floor anyway (at least I did before I was almost nine months pregnant!) Well, my "dressy" sandals don't exactly fit right now, so I went out and bought some of the croc sandals - not the ugly garden looking shoes (sorry if that offends anyone) but the the ones that are two toned and have a little silver buckle type thing. Man, they were comfortable and I actually got some compliments on them. Only problem was by the end of the teaching day my ankles and feet looked like they belonged to an elephant. So much for that plan. The cute crocs will have to wait. I took some advice from a first grade teacher and wore a pair of tenny shoes the next day to work. My feet did not swell one bit! I was in heaven! So now, whatever I wear is topped off (or I guess technically bottomed off) with my snazzy tenny shoes. Nope, I don't look cute, and frankly sometimes it's a bit embarrassing, but you know what - at the end of the day I'm not swollen and that's really all that matters to me right now. :) And for anyone out there saying, "You can wear cute shoes, just stay off your feet and make the kids come to you." or anything along those line. I laugh at you - and in right in your face too. You come into a room full of 18 five year olds and teach effectively while not getting up and down all day. I dare you...
We were told this year that we could not wear flip flops to work anymore - and really, they aren't too professional, so I do see the point. But then again I teach kindergarten and get dirty and spend most of my day on the floor anyway (at least I did before I was almost nine months pregnant!) Well, my "dressy" sandals don't exactly fit right now, so I went out and bought some of the croc sandals - not the ugly garden looking shoes (sorry if that offends anyone) but the the ones that are two toned and have a little silver buckle type thing. Man, they were comfortable and I actually got some compliments on them. Only problem was by the end of the teaching day my ankles and feet looked like they belonged to an elephant. So much for that plan. The cute crocs will have to wait. I took some advice from a first grade teacher and wore a pair of tenny shoes the next day to work. My feet did not swell one bit! I was in heaven! So now, whatever I wear is topped off (or I guess technically bottomed off) with my snazzy tenny shoes. Nope, I don't look cute, and frankly sometimes it's a bit embarrassing, but you know what - at the end of the day I'm not swollen and that's really all that matters to me right now. :) And for anyone out there saying, "You can wear cute shoes, just stay off your feet and make the kids come to you." or anything along those line. I laugh at you - and in right in your face too. You come into a room full of 18 five year olds and teach effectively while not getting up and down all day. I dare you...
Friday, September 5, 2008
Birth Order and Relationships
I read this article on AOL about birth orders and your relationship...really it wasn't exactly an "article" but more of a mini-article type thing. Birth order has always fascinated me! I even did my junior theme on it! I thought the part about first borns, which would be me, and middle children, which would be Cody was very interesting...and actually pretty dead on. I've copied just those parts below.
The Firstborn Child
Typically, a first child grows up to be a conscientious and achievement-oriented adult who enjoys being in control and strives to please others. The idea is that when they were young, they had their parents all to themselves for a while, then lost that privilege. As a result, even as adults, they look for ways to gain back the undivided attention and approval they got used to receiving before their siblings came along. They're also often very organized and prefer to be in charge, which produces success in academics and career.
The good news for a firstborn when it comes to relationships, then, is that they're most likely reliable. You can count on them to be where they said they'd be, when they said they'd be there, and much of the guesswork of a relationship will be removed. The flip side of this, of course, is that they may need to work on being a bit more spontaneous and free-spirited. Also, a firstborn should be very aware of their potential tendency to try to maintain complete control when they interact with others; their relationships will benefit if they keep in mind the importance of compromise and collaboration.
The Middle Child
The middle child can often feel "squeezed out" by their siblings. The older sibling gets more responsibility and opportunities, while the younger sibling is the baby of the family and is thus coddled and adored. The good news is that middle children gets lots of practice at negotiating conflict, since they have to deal with it in both directions. Their flexibility and sociability means that they'll often end up being the kind of laid-back people that others like to be around. They also usually show strengths when it comes to compromise and coalition building.
As a result, a middle child often makes a very good romantic partner. Since middle children are the least likely to have been spoiled in any way, they're most likely willing to work hard to create a happy and meaningful relationship. One pitfall to watch out for, though, is the desire to avoid conflict, which middle children typically hate. They've experienced enough conflict and therefore do all that they can to steer clear of it. That, of course, is a dangerous inclination in a relationship, where it's often crucial that conflict be acknowledged and dealt with.
The Firstborn Child
Typically, a first child grows up to be a conscientious and achievement-oriented adult who enjoys being in control and strives to please others. The idea is that when they were young, they had their parents all to themselves for a while, then lost that privilege. As a result, even as adults, they look for ways to gain back the undivided attention and approval they got used to receiving before their siblings came along. They're also often very organized and prefer to be in charge, which produces success in academics and career.
The good news for a firstborn when it comes to relationships, then, is that they're most likely reliable. You can count on them to be where they said they'd be, when they said they'd be there, and much of the guesswork of a relationship will be removed. The flip side of this, of course, is that they may need to work on being a bit more spontaneous and free-spirited. Also, a firstborn should be very aware of their potential tendency to try to maintain complete control when they interact with others; their relationships will benefit if they keep in mind the importance of compromise and collaboration.
The Middle Child
The middle child can often feel "squeezed out" by their siblings. The older sibling gets more responsibility and opportunities, while the younger sibling is the baby of the family and is thus coddled and adored. The good news is that middle children gets lots of practice at negotiating conflict, since they have to deal with it in both directions. Their flexibility and sociability means that they'll often end up being the kind of laid-back people that others like to be around. They also usually show strengths when it comes to compromise and coalition building.
As a result, a middle child often makes a very good romantic partner. Since middle children are the least likely to have been spoiled in any way, they're most likely willing to work hard to create a happy and meaningful relationship. One pitfall to watch out for, though, is the desire to avoid conflict, which middle children typically hate. They've experienced enough conflict and therefore do all that they can to steer clear of it. That, of course, is a dangerous inclination in a relationship, where it's often crucial that conflict be acknowledged and dealt with.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
So far so good
The year is underway! I can't believe I've already made it through six days of school - man, the beginning of the year flies! I have the best class I've ever had this year! They all listen (as well as five year olds can) and are the smartest group coming in that I've had. I'm not at that "attached" state yet that I've gotten with all my other classes, but I know I will. I really think God was looking out for me this year knowing that I would have to be out on maternity leave.
I've also got an amazing new TA who is just wonderful! She's going to UTA at night and wants to be a teacher. She is great with the kids and picks up things so quickly which makes my job that much easier. I know I'll be leaving my class in good hands while I'm gone. I'm still stressed about making lesson plans for six weeks, but I'm not nearly as worried as I was before.
Here are some pictures of my room before the kids came in on day one. It will look a lot different by the end of the year when all the stations and such are up and running. :)
I've also got an amazing new TA who is just wonderful! She's going to UTA at night and wants to be a teacher. She is great with the kids and picks up things so quickly which makes my job that much easier. I know I'll be leaving my class in good hands while I'm gone. I'm still stressed about making lesson plans for six weeks, but I'm not nearly as worried as I was before.
Here are some pictures of my room before the kids came in on day one. It will look a lot different by the end of the year when all the stations and such are up and running. :)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
And so it begins
Each year I get stressed out about this time thinking of how to organize my classroom. It's always fun in a way, but overwhelming in so many others. I also changed rooms this year, so I have to come up with a totally new setup that I can function with. Step up for me now - I have windows!!! Trust me, it's the little things like natural light that make me happy. :) I've been up there some each day this week trying to get it together bit by bit...I'm a little slower this year for some reason. Maybe it's due to this person baking inside of me!! But don't worry, my dad did come up and move all the big furniture and stuff for me, but I'm sure he was thinking I was crazy. I'd ask him to move something, then to move it somewhere else, and sometimes back to the spot where it was before. Aren't Daddies great? ;) Cody is going to help me also hang some of the high stuff since he instructed me not to climb on any chairs.
It's always so exciting this time of year to think about what kids I'm going to get and how the year is going to be better than last year - I think it just gets easier each year. My first year I was scared to death!! Those poor kids were my little lab rats. I tried out so many different things to see what worked best for them and me, but somehow in the end they all made it through. Next week I actually get another really cool experience in that I was asked to teach a session at the new teacher academy. I'm teaching a session on routines and management. I'm really excited to do this with a group of brand new teachers - there's just something so neat about that stage. You're so excited and scared all at once and ready to get in there and start your thing, but soon realize just how overwhelming that can be. I think it will be a really great experience for me to see teachers at that stage again...it was only four years ago that I was there myself!
I've posted some pictures to show why I'm always really stressed at first. The cleaning crew always just shoves up furniture and whatever else to one side so they can clean. Each year I walk in and feel like it's never going to come together, but it always does. :)
It's always so exciting this time of year to think about what kids I'm going to get and how the year is going to be better than last year - I think it just gets easier each year. My first year I was scared to death!! Those poor kids were my little lab rats. I tried out so many different things to see what worked best for them and me, but somehow in the end they all made it through. Next week I actually get another really cool experience in that I was asked to teach a session at the new teacher academy. I'm teaching a session on routines and management. I'm really excited to do this with a group of brand new teachers - there's just something so neat about that stage. You're so excited and scared all at once and ready to get in there and start your thing, but soon realize just how overwhelming that can be. I think it will be a really great experience for me to see teachers at that stage again...it was only four years ago that I was there myself!
I've posted some pictures to show why I'm always really stressed at first. The cleaning crew always just shoves up furniture and whatever else to one side so they can clean. Each year I walk in and feel like it's never going to come together, but it always does. :)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny...
I just have to tell this story - it was just way too cute not to share!
My sweet husband and I were at Target the other day to update our registry and we walked past the swimsuits...not the baby swimsuits, but the normal women's swimsuits. Cody kinda stopped and looked a little sick. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he had a horrible flash into the future. I looked at him thinking he'd better not be thinking about the baby weight! But when he explained I nearly died laughing in the store. He said one day Kaitlyn is going to want to wear a bathing suit. I told him, yeah, she probably would. He informed me that he would be going with her to pick it out once she got older. I asked him what made him think she would want him there. His answer was if she wants to be able to wear one he was going with her and making sure it was "appropriate." He was so dead serious and already very worried. It was beyond sweet!! She's not even here yet and he's already got the protective daddy bit down! I love him more than I can say! :)
Oh, and we go to our birthing class this Saturday...I'm sure there will be a post after that!
My sweet husband and I were at Target the other day to update our registry and we walked past the swimsuits...not the baby swimsuits, but the normal women's swimsuits. Cody kinda stopped and looked a little sick. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he had a horrible flash into the future. I looked at him thinking he'd better not be thinking about the baby weight! But when he explained I nearly died laughing in the store. He said one day Kaitlyn is going to want to wear a bathing suit. I told him, yeah, she probably would. He informed me that he would be going with her to pick it out once she got older. I asked him what made him think she would want him there. His answer was if she wants to be able to wear one he was going with her and making sure it was "appropriate." He was so dead serious and already very worried. It was beyond sweet!! She's not even here yet and he's already got the protective daddy bit down! I love him more than I can say! :)
Oh, and we go to our birthing class this Saturday...I'm sure there will be a post after that!
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