35 Week Update

I am 1 cm dialated. The process has begun. It is amazing how the body prepares for birth. Austin will be here with us soon. Until his arrival spending lots of time with Logan and having a date night or two with Brian is on the agenda. Mimi is taking me to get Logan's coming home outfit next week from Strasburg Children (that is where we bought Logan's outfit also). I also want to get our bags packed, pick up some snacks for the hospital for Brian and I. We have a few gifts from Austin to Logan and Mimi and Papa bought Logan lots of Barney goodies (slippers, bookbag, DVD) for the hospital - so he is all set for his baby brother to be born! I think I am almost all set at work. I have a 10 page classroom procedures (in ABC order - of course) for my long term sub, along with lesson plans. I have to make sure my school kids are taken care of also! My last day is Oct. 3. That will be towards the end of my 37th week. If Austin comes before or right after that is great. If not then a few days at home, relaxing and playing with Logan will be great also. Logan is actually sick right now. He has a virus. Which I am sure he caught by coming to school twice last week for baby showers. We think it is getting worse almost croup like so he may have to go back to the doctor before the end of the week. I don't like when my sweet boy is sick!

Belly at 34 Weeks

The doctor said I was measuring at 35 weeks! We are on track for Austin to be born in a few weeks. So excited to meet our new baby boy!

Baby Shower

My wonderful co-workers had a baby shower for me and another first grade teacher, Ruby who had a baby girl last week. It was wonderful! We ate yummy food, yummy cakes, and opened up great gifts. Thank you so much to all the awesome women I work with! Logan and my mom came to the shower, which made it even more special. The next day, Tuesday I had off from work. My mom, Logan, and I went to my doctor appt and then we were off shopping, getting everything else we needed to be ready for Austin! It has been a great week and tomorrow my awesome room mom is having a diaper shower for me and the kids! Brian and Logan are coming also to celebrate our new addition. It is a wonderful way to end a great week! We are incredibly blessed and we are reminded of all the wonderful support we have daily!

The Suwanee Town Center Fountain and Rita's

Logan loves his days he spends with his Mimi and Papa. Last week Mimi took Logan to the fountain at Suwanee Town Center and let him run through the water -he loved it. Then he went to his favorite place - Ritas! I am sure he had more than one treat. We love Mimi and Papa so much - he can even say both of their names! He runs into their house saying "mimi" "papa" over and over. It is the best!

Logan Using Silverware and Mowing the Lawn!

Here are some pictures of Logan and Brian working out in the yard. It was after dinner and bath when Logan realized his daddy was MIA. He wasnted nothing more than to get outside with him. So out he went with his own lawn mower (Brian was mowing at this point) and in a diaper and half of the his pjs that I managed to get on him. Oh and of course he had his beloved Crocs on!
Logan began wanting to use silverware over the summer. He has a hard time getting the food on the fork or spoon, but he knows exactly where to put the silverware (in his mouth)once we help him out by putting the food on the fork or spoon. Last night he was having a snack (cheerios and milk) and he insisted on trying to get the cheerios on the spoon. It was a very long snack, but worth it to watch him master this new skill!

Being a Teacher and a Learner

This is a slide show of my classroom. Next to being home with my family, I love being at school! I have wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 and would go to school all day and come home to play school. Of course I was always the teacher! I love teaching but I also love learning. Every day is a new learning adventure with 18 six-year-olds. The plan is once I am a stay-at-home mom I will go back to school (possibly on-line) and get my masters degree. I would love to get my specialist also one day. I am not so sure about the doctorate. But you never know. Teachers really are life long learners. I hope our children have a love for learning as I do. I always love to see Logan go to the bookshelf, pull a book down, sit down and start turning the pages. Even though he doesn't understand, I can't help but think "he loves to read/look at pictures already!" Only time will tell how much he really loves it, but rest asure I will do everything I can to support learning in our house!

Behind in Blogging

Pregnancy is catching up with me! I am so tired that after Logan is in bed I am close behind him, not leaving much time to blog. Definitely can't blog at school with 18 six-year-olds. Hopefully this weekend I will have some time to catch up. We don't have anything going on, except for Brian and I having a date night on Saturday and washing, folding, and organizing baby items. Next week will also be an exciting blog week, my wonderful co-workers are having a baby shower for me on Monday after school, I will have reached 34 weeks without bed rest, I have a doctor appt on Tuesday, as does Logan, and then we are going out with Mimi to finish getting things for Austin's arrival. Such an exciting time. So through all the exhaustion, back ache, indigestion, and sleepless nights, the joy of bringing a new baby into the world, makes it all worth it.

Logan is 15 months!

Logan continues to amaze us daily. He is so entertaining and fun to be around. His vocabulary continues to increase. Yesterday we were at the store and he said his usual "what's that." I replied "those are shoes" and sure enough he says "shoes." We go for his 15 month well visit in a few weeks (again working and making appointments is difficult). I thought I would do a list of Logan's Likes and Dislikes to keep tabs on what he is into (and not so much into) right now.


Logan's Likes
1. M&M's with peanuts
2. Playing outside
3. His dog Dakota
4. Taking showers
5. Watching Barney
6. Climbing on and in everything
7. Putting his toys in his ball pit
8. Doing laundry
9. Giving kisses and squeezing tight
10. Going in the car (he climbs right up in)
11. Being naked
12. Climbing up stairs
13. Singing and dancing
Logan's Dislikes
1. Coming in from outside (this really makes him mad)
2. Getting dressed or his diaper changed
3. Not knowing where someone is
4. Getting frustrated when he can't pick up a heavy object
5. Going to bed

He is such a happy boy that of course there is more likes than dislikes! I will add to the lists as things come to me.

30 Weeks Quickly Turned into 31 Weeks!

I can not believe how quickly time is going by right now. Working is making it difficult to blog as much as I would like. Here is a quick update on what has been going on: School started last Monday. I have a great bunch of kids in my class this year. They are all really sweet. It was a busy week trying to adjust to leaving Logan, working full time, and coming home to be mommy/wife. I was really tired by Friday. Mid week I went to the OB. I was 30 weeks and 2 days at that point. My doctor checked me and did not see any more progression - which is a great sign! As long as I am taking it easy I can work and not have to use any maternity leave time. As much as I would like to be at home with Logan, I really want all of the three months to be at home with both of my boys! I feel good, just tired. Here is my belly picture taken last weeks (30 weeks). It is hard to believe that Austin could be here in 7 weeks! I need to get going on completing his room!

First Week Back to School

Pre-planning started this week, so it has been very busy switching from full time mommy to still trying to be full time mommy and working full time also! We are so lucky to have my family close by as well as Brian's family to keep Logan while I am at work again this year. If it isn't me or Brian giving him lots of love the next best thing is our parents giving him lots of love and spoiling him. His first day with Mimi (my mom) they went to the store and bought new toys, new snacks, a cute pj outfit, and went to Ritas to see Papa, eat lunch, and of course have an ice cream treat! Brian also is with Logan one or two days each week. He is the best daddy! They just play, play, play all day. I know Logan is having a great time when he is home with his dad. It always amazes me to know how much Brian works but yet manages to work and stay home with our son.
Just as the school year begins, I startednot feeling so great. I had a normal doctor appt today (it had been 4 weeks since my last). I really wasn't going to mention not feeling so great, I didn't want to seem like a whiner - I am far from that! However, with my mom sitting there, I decided I better speak up just in case. The doctor checked me and sure enough my cervix has begun to thin out - 70% effaced! That was shocking. What was even more shocking was to hear that I was to start bed rest. Of course I had a million thoughts going through my head - the first one being tomorrow is open house and I have not written my lesson plans! I was very over whelmed. I did manage to calm down to get hooked up to monitor contractions and the baby's movement. Then I was sent on to a Perinatal Specialist where I had an ultrasound (regualr and 3D). My cervix is still very much closed and measuring 4 cm. Which is really good news. It was recommended that I take it easy and not do too much more than go to work and take care of Logan without over doing it. I go back to see my doctor Wednesday. Like I told my principal at school this afternoon, I am going to take it week to week. Things can change quickly. It is my hope to work up until I have the baby, but will do what I have to do to ensure that Austin is healthy even if that means bed rest.
My posts may slow down as the school year begins, but I will update the blog with each doctor appt. and hopefully with some pictures of Logan as he turns 15 months on the 15th! He is talking so much. Some words he says are "Papa, dog, cat, good girl, baba, bye, Mama, Dada, what's that, who is it (daddy's phone rings a lot), ball, baby, bad dog." He tries to repeat everything we say. He is most talkative first thing in the morning. Of course when I want him to say things on que he won't but when he feels like it he is a little chatter box! I do miss being with him all day. It has been harder than I had anticipated. It will be wonderful to be home with both of my boys very soon. I make sure when I am home with Logan now, that he has my full attention - no work, no cleaning, just being Logan's mommy - the most important job I will ever have.