Day 2

Well, today was much more uneventful than yesterday.  Gabe and I stayed home until it was time to take him to Angie's so I could go on my interview.  For lunch I tried giving him zucchini I pureed.  This was the second day trying the zucchini and I don't think he really likes it.  He would take it, but not open his mouth very wide, and it was pretty runny (I thickened it a little with cereal), and it would just run all down his chin.  So it may be a no-go for the zucchini, but I made a lot, so I'll keep it in the freezer and maybe try it again a little later. :-) 
He got two pretty good naps today before we left, which was good because he didn't sleep for the almost 4 hours he was at Angie's but he had fun taking a walk, bouncing in the exersaucer and just playing.  He fell asleep on the way home and went right to bed.  :-)
My interview went well.  It was with a 6th grade teacher from the school who was very friendly, laid back and talkative.  I think she did more talking than I did, which I didn't mind.  She seemed to like my answers that I did get to give and the next step would be interviewing with a director, or maybe a phone interview with the department head.  I guess they have a lot of openings and I'm being considered for either a middle school or high school math position. 
Gabe has some stacking cups that he LOVES to play with.  I give them to him usually after he eats when he's still in his high chair and he loves spreading them out and whacking them off the tray. :-) When we were on vacation in Hilton Head last week, my aunt Mitzi was holding him and teaching him to stack the cups together and he did a pretty good job!  Tim and I have continued to do that with him and he is getting really good at putting the cups inside each other!  He will even pick a cup up upside down, turn it around and put it in the stack.  I tried to get him doing it on camera today but of course he was being silly and not cooperating.  Hopefully I'll capture it soon and be able to show off our little genius. :-)  I don't know if this is something "advanced" or not, but I think it's pretty cool, so thanks Mitzi for starting it!
Well, I'm pretty exhausted so that's about all I have for now.  Oh, Tim and the youth group made it to Minnesota safely today.  Be praying for them as they start their training (for 3 days) and then start serving the people of Minneapolis.
Good night!

Day 1

Well, today was the first day of Gabriel and I's little adventure of being home alone without Daddy.  It started off weird...I had to wake him up at 6:15 so I could take Tim to get the rental van for his trip. That was difficult because one, I never like having to wake him up, and two, turning on the lights usually lets him wake on his own, but it didn't this time, and gently stroking him and talking to him didn't help either.  He was OUT!  So I had to roll him over and he didn't like that.  I fed him and he quickly got in a good mood. 
We said our good-byes after Tim got the van and I brought Gabe back home, hoping he'd go back to sleep.  I changed a VERY dirty diaper, and tried to put him to bed but he was not having it.  After a couple of tries I got him out and we played until it was time for him to eat again.  By then he was really sleepy, so I put him to bed after he ate and he slept for over 3 hours! I couldn't believe it!  He normally only sleeps 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours (if we're lucky).  I knew he would need to catch up on the sleep he lost this morning, but I was shocked!  The great thing was that I made myself take a nap too.  (It didn't take much convincing...)  I didn't sleep the whole time he did, but I got more sleep than I thought I would.  I'm going to need all the sleep I can get over the next 11 days while Tim is gone!
The other cool thing was that when he woke up he didn't cry.  Usually he cries pretty quick after he wakes up, but this time he just laid in his bed and entertained himself.  After hearing him for a few minutes, I went in and got him and fed him.  I have been trying to introduce a sippy cup slowly.  He refused it at first, but the last time I gave it to him he drank a little from it but still wasn't too thrilled. (He liked banging it on the high chair tray more).  I decided to try it again today and he liked it!  He even drank most of the formula out of it! The weird thing was, though, that he didn't eat all of his baby food.  I know babies' appetites can change from day to day, but his hadn't really varied much (he usually acted like he was going to die if food was not constantly in his mouth at every meal).  So, having him slow down and not be interested in what I was offering was strange.  Granted, it was peas, which I realize is not very appealing, but he usually eats them right up.
 After lunch we went to Walmart, which went smoothly and as we were leaving it started to rain.  By the time we got home it was POURING and thundering and lightening. I got a nice second shower getting Gabe inside as well as the groceries. He needed a nap, but the intermittent, extremely loud, thunder kept waking him up so he didn't get much rest.  It wasn't too long before he needed to eat again, so I got him up and he played until dinner. He played in his high chair while I got paperwork ready for my interview tomorrow.  Yes, I have a job interview tomorrow for a cyber school job.  It's at 5 pm, and I am dropping Gabe off with a friend.
 Today was an interesting day but we got through it!  Tomorrow will be even crazier, but once that is over, it should be smooth sailing!  I'm looking forward to plans I have to hang out with friends, and hopefully relaxing and getting to read!  But now Gabe is ready for his bath and bottle and bed (hopefully!)!

Fast Forward 8 Months!

Well, Gabe came right on his due date, November 25!  My water broke Thanksgiving afternoon, right before lunch so we went to the hospital, and they checked me and sent me to labor and delivery.  Needless to say, Tim and I missed our Thanksgiving dinner plans (although Tim had a turkey sandwich, which was more than my ICE CHIPS) but we received something much more special that we are very thankful for: Gabriel Keith Baker. :-)
Now he is almost 8 months old!!  Time has flown by.  The first couple months were definitely hard but fun and then going back to work was another difficult transition, but I did it and Tim and Gabe survived together at home, and now I am enjoying my summer off with my boys.  Although for the next 12 days, it's just me and Gabe.  Tim left this morning for the youth group mission trip to Minneapolis.  They will be back sometime late afternoon/early evening on the 29th.  So it's me and the baby and I thought it would be fun to journal on here how each day went.
I am definitely not a blogger, and after Tim gets back I'm sure I will go back to not writing on this site but I thought I'd give it a try while Tim is away.

Let the adventure begin!! :-)

C'mon Gabe! We're ready!

I am now 37 weeks and 4 days pregnant, which means I'm full term!  Yay!  With the showers and gift cards and money, we now have everything we need for the Gabe!  We are ready for him to come now!  (Tim's been ready for a while, but I feel much better about it now that we are prepared.  I even cleaned all the toys and pacifiers today!).  I don't know that I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions...I've been feeling different things but I don't know what it means!  That's what I think about most right now (besides the extreme pain that is coming my way, which I don't know if I will be able to handle or not): when is labor going to start and will I know it's starting??  :-)  I've been told that I'll know, but it's just not knowing when it's coming that bothers me.  I want to KNOW what to expect and when to expect it, but of course that is not possible.
At the doctor's office last week she said that he feels like he's about 6 pounds, and they typically gain half a pound a week, so if I go all the way to my due date, he'll probably be around 8 pounds.  I go back to the doctor every week now until I have the baby.
One thing we do lack is a house.  We had decided that our living expenses were too high in the townhome we're in now, so we put in our notice and will be moving when our lease is up on December 31st.  There is a couple at church who had been looking for a house to buy and rent out, and they have been looking for one for us to rent from them.  We got close to getting one a couple of months ago, but it didn't work out.  We've looked at a couple more and are going this afternoon to look at one that seems like the best one so far, as long as there's no structural problems, so hopefully something will work out soon.
For now, we're anxiously waiting for Gabriel to grace us with his presence!  :-)

Third Trimester, Here I Come!

Today marks 28 weeks!!  I can't believe I'm in my third trimester already!  I've really had an easy pregnancy so far (hopefully it stays that way through the delivery!).  I felt sick and tired during my first trimester, but never actually vomited, and besides the one day of REALLY wanting a Bic Mac, I haven't had any strong or strange cravings.  I went for a Glucose screening test a couple of weeks ago and it came back a little high, so I have to go next weekend to do a 3-hour glucose tolerance test to see if I have gestational diabetes.  I feel Gabe move all the time, and see my stomach jump when he kicks.  Tim has felt it once, but usually misses it.  :-)  Hopefully he'll get to feel it more as he grows.  It usually happens really quick, and when I tell Tim and he puts his hand on my belly, he doesn't move again.  Here is a picture of Tim and me from VBS where I dressed as "Pandamania Penny".  This was the 2nd week in August, and the next picture was taken today.

On Wednesday night, Tim and I had our first of many pre-natal education classes at the hospital.  It was C-Section night and we got to hear all about why they do C-sections and what the process is if you have to have one, and about the recovery process.  We also watched a video of a C-Section being performed.  It was pretty interesting, but made NOT want a C-Section!  But it made me feel better to hear the nurse say that they only do a C-Section if something is wrong with the baby and it's not just something you do because you're tired of pushing or you want to be done quickly.  I've heard a lot from people who are for natural childbirth that some doctors push for C-Sections because it's quicker and they get to go home faster, and it's more expensive.  We also got to tour the Beginnings Maternity Center and see all the different places we'll go: triage, labor and delivery, and if we have to have a C-section, where that happens, and the NICU and regular nursery.  Each woman gets a private room to labor and deliver and recover and they measure/weight/test the baby in the room and let you nurse the baby as soon as possible.  There is also a bassinet in the private postpartum room and the baby only goes to the nursery if you want to get a couple of hours of sleep or if the nurses need to check something out.  Otherwise, the baby is in your room at all times, which is really good.

School started on Monday, and we're off today and Monday for Labor Day.  It is very exhausting traveling with my student all day in that big middle school.  There is no air conditioning and we're constantly going up and down stairs to get from class to class.  But on Wednesday I had a voicemail from the district saying that they wanted me to come in for an interview on Friday for a math position at the Citadel, which is for 9th and 10th grade.  I went to that interview today and found out that there are actually 3 positions available at 3 different schools; 2 are contract positions and 1 is a long-term substitute position with the possibility of becoming permanent.  The 3 principals were there: from the middle school, Citadel, and High School.  The middle school position is for Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, the Citadel is Algebra and Algebra 2, and the high school, which I think is the substitute job, is Algebra, Geometry and possibly some Trig.  I think it went well, and they have to submit the names to the school board for them to approve them when they meet on Wednesday, and then I would start.  I'm not sure if they offer the job before the names are approved...I'm assuming they call once the people are approved so I'm not expecting a call until next Thursday.  I'm still waiting to hear from Agora Cyber School to see if they want me to come in for another interview.  I emailed the person who had been emailing me throughout the process and let him know my situation and asked if they could tell me if Agora is still interested in me or not, but they are out of office until Tuesday.  

2 Posts In One Day??? Wow! :-)

Well, I just got home from my interview.  I think it went well.  It's always hard for me to know for sure and I don't like saying, "It went really well!" and then not get the job.  She asked A LOT of questions pertaining to my past experiences: "Tell me about a time when..." which I wasn't expecting, and she also said that if they are interested in me, I would have to come in for another interview with the director of the high school.  And she said that she was told today that it could take a couple of weeks before I hear anything because they have to look at their numbers again and decided how many openings they actually have.
So, I didn't get a feeling one way or the other of which way she was leaning.  But I did talk to her about being pregnant and it didn't seem to be a big deal, so that is good!
I will be sure to keep everyone posted on what happens next!

News, News, and More News

Yes, I know it's been a VERY long time since I've updated my blog.  I'm not sure why...haha.
Well, here's the latest:
I'll be 27 weeks pregnant tomorrow!  The second trimester has gone really smoothly.  Besides some lower back pain, I've been feeling great.  We had two ultrasounds and they both showed that he is a boy!  Tim is very excited (I am too, but he was dead set on having a boy), and we have enjoyed all the clothes and items that we have been getting in the mail!
Tim has started a new job at Michael's, unloading trucks from 3am-8am for a little extra money.  He only works on Wednesdays and every other Monday.  But the good news:  I have an interview with Agora Cyber Charter School tonight and I've already answered a questionnaire, taken an assessment, and presented a 20-minute lesson online to them, and this is the last step!  The process has gone pretty quickly (they called me 30 minutes after I finished my lesson yesterday to set up the interview!) and it seems like they are interested in me.  Hopefully I'll know something very soon and can start teaching for them!  I would work mostly from home.  I think they do activities for the kids to get together and I would be at those, but I'll find out how that works at my interview tonight.  But for the most part, I will be home, which is awesome!  Tim said that if I get this job, he will probably stay with Michael's until after Christmas, and then quit.
We had decided that if I didn't get a teaching job this fall, we would need to move to a more affordable place, but after thinking about it some more, we decided that we should move no matter what.  People at the church have been very helpful and are looking for cheap places for us to live.  One couple is looking for a place to buy and rent to us (this is something they already do), and another couple is considering moving into the house next door to them (the husband's mother's house), and letting us live in their house and split their mortgage payments!!  We are overwhelmed by the generosity we are being shown here and are so thankful for these people and have full confidence that we will be taken care of.  :-)  Moving won't be fun, but I'm sure we'll have a lot of help when the time comes.
Our first pre-natal education class is on August 31st at the hospital.  It is Cesarean Birth Night and Tour, where we learn about why women have C-sections and everything that goes with that and then we get a tour of the maternity ward.  We have three birthing classes in September and then a couple on breastfeeding and a doctor's night where we get to talk to an anesthesiologist, an obstetrician, and one other type of doctor that I can't remember right now, and then a newborn baby class.  I'm excited for these classes and to learn everything I can.  I've been reading a lot on these subjects, and have a book on the Bradley Method of natural child-birth.  I'm going to try to use his techniques to have a medication-free birth, but we'll see how reality works.  :-)  I'm not against epidurals and doing what is medically necessary for a safe delivery but according to Dr. Bradley, the more natural it is, the quicker it goes (and if you can totally relax during contractions it's less painful), so I'm all for that!
Ok, well that is all for now and I have to get ready for me interview!  I'll be sure to update with the results as soon as I know them!
P.S.  We got to experience an earthquake that was centered in Virginia on Tuesday, and will experience the effects of Hurricane Irene on Saturday night/Sunday!  It'll be a fun week on natural disasters! :-)