Preludes And Nocturnes

Is it snowing like a mofo out there today.  I have my 3hr night class from 6-9, a 40 minute drive in and back, but it is pretty tough to cancel as we already missed one.  The kicker is that half the class won’t show.  I just know this to be true.

So here is my question - do I still do the reading quiz for tonight?  Those who show up and have done the reading will want to be “rewarded”.  Those who don’t do the reading might take the opportunity to not show up.  Others won’t show because they live on the hill and there is no way they are getting all the way in to the uni (or they live in the next city like I do and will opt to avoid that road I’ll drive tonight).

If I do the quiz, I’ll get a number of people complaining that there was no way they could get in to the uni.  If I don’t do it, those who did the reading are not rewarded.  For what it is worth I allow them one free-pass.  I drop the lowest of their quiz marks before taking the total for the term, so I can certainly point that out.

Input, ideas, general observations?

I’m grumpy, I teach 6-9pm Tuesday and don’t get home until late and then must leave the house at 7:30am the next morning. Grumpy. And I hate settling into a new semester. And I just found out today that my TA is not coming back this term after having her beeb. She’ll be fine soon enough, but not fine enough to be able to keep her courseload this term - and therefore not able to keep her TAship.

I am so totally bummed about this. We had stuff worked out. We understood each other and I knew I could trust her with what I wanted done. Plus she has become a friend. I actually got very upset at work. I feel bad for her, I feel bad for me, and I just think this stinks. And I don’t want a new TA, I want mine.

So they are trying to find someone else for me. So, yeah. Today was stupid. And this past week + has been stupid. And did I mention being grumpy. I know, it is January so this seems about right.

Why don’t I stop typing out stupid and give you some random pictures?

Here is 19 Weeks:

And 20 Weeks (aka right now):

Here is a ring that I am now wearing. It is a family heirloom that Jim’s mom had passed down to us when we got engaged. Jim’s mom has been very ill for a few years now and this past Fall she was placed in a nursing home. She passed away a few weeks ago. I hope it makes sense to say that I really appreciate having something that is from his family to wear, and I feel very touched that she had wanted us to have this ring. I now wear it on my right hand.

Here is a baby blanket from Julia and Jason (Christmas). I love the fishes. I love the beeb. I should try to not be in such a grumpy mood.

** is expired now**

Please check out the treasury Leone made on etsy - featuring BC artists. Including me!

Clicks and comments bump it to the front page

Treasury.

I hope to post more cards this weekend. My shop deserves more attention from me.. and I deserve more crafting time, no?

You see, I have these lists lately.  And they surprise me.  I think I got used to Christmas and relaxing and not working and.. well, I was all “oh, I’m only teaching three classes this term not four so it will be like a party!”

Kinda like how when it is a four day week.  Or like when I would get a four hour shift when I was used to working 8 hr shifts so I would think ‘four hours! I won’t even have time to take my coat off!!’ and then be all flabbergasted at HOW LONG FOUR HOURS COULD BE!

I don’t teach on Thursdays, and this is the second week back, so this Thursday I feel that I’ve gotten a bit of a handle on things.  I also don’t teach Tuesday day, but I have a three hour night class that evening so that pretty much does away with Tuesday.  But today? Today was good.  On my list for today:

*Make two sets of cards and mail them - Done

*My prenatal Dr. appointment - Done

*Book next prenatal and next Chiro - Done

*Create, type up, map out, and do sheets for tomorrow’s Library module - Done

*Create a writing assignment for tomorrow - Done

*Create marking sheets, sign-in sheets, and participation sheets - Not done, but I made a cheater set that can get me through until the weekend.

*Confirm all the uploaded assignments on WebCT, answer backlog of student emails, reply to WebCT forums - Done

*Register for Prenatal classes at college - Done

*Home front: kitchen, laundry, bedroom - Done

So I can now consider a Buffy episode and a single card I’m wanting to make for my TA (who had her baby - a boy!)

In other news, the nurse totally cheesed me off at the prenatal (but I’m rather testy these days).  I stepped on the scale and she’s all saying a number THAT WAS THE WRONG NUMBER.  I mean, she was off by three pounds!  And at this stage that is kinda important (to me more than anyone else).  I asked my Doctor to change the chart when he came in, and he is a good doctor and did just that.  I mean, I will get to that weight - oh yes - but I don’t need to be there earlier than necessary.  So far I have gained about four/five pounds which is about right for someone who started pregnancy technically “overweight”.  I lost weight earlier in my first trimester, but was coming up about +1/2lbs by the end of those 3 mos.  Over Christmas I gained  another pound.  And since then I’ve gained about another pound. I have that feeling, though, that my body is gearing up for some extra weight soon. Plus I actually want food now!

From what I have read, someone who starts overweight would look to gain between 15-25lbs.  My body looooves weight, so it will do whatever it wants to do - but I’ve not been eating poorly so I’m happy with whatever happens.  I eat tonnes of fruit, veggies, and whole grains.  But yeah, it is weird to have my clothes stop working on me.  My jeans have now been put at the back of the closet which leaves me with three pairs of pants that work.  I now understand this woman’s sig on the mommy forums: “pregnancy means wearing the same pants tomorrow as you did today.”

So true.

So very very true.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to go de-cat-hair my current “good” pants and spot clean them with a face cloth.  I have work tomorrow.

A few pictures for you all! You can see the crazy effects of morning sickness weeks 7+ and then as those influences fade and that beeb starts taking over my belly at around week 12. This week is week 18. Today I am 18w2day. I get the anatomy scan (boy or girl!!) in four weeks!

Week Five:

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 11

Week 12.5

Week 13

Week 14.5 (I kinda jump from here as weeks 15 & 16 were busy)

Week 17:

Week 18:

Mom informed me that I had to get a cell phone for this semester of teaching as I’ll be doing the drive on my own 35min each way on the highway in winter conditions (including one night class).  What do I need to consider in getting a cell phone?  We want just basic phones (we’re thinking of getting one each) so we can call each other or call home and for emergency use.  I don’t see using this as a tool for daily communication or anything.

Jim is also starting up some business stuff, so this could also work for him to get a separate phone number and take messages on for his business.

So what should we watch out for?  What will cheese us off or kick us in the butt later?

Random story: So I got this prenatal yoga dvd from the library to give it a go. With the hip/back pain I decided to plug it in the other day. Holy sweet baby jesus, I am so glad I didn’t pay money for this (note to self, return before due date so we won’t be paying money for this). I thought it would be a bit too fitnessy for me. I’m not one who likes her yoga too spandex-clad, but figured an hour of stretching is an hour of stretching. The woman on the front was hugging her belly while wearing a workout outfit. Whatever. Good enough. So we get started and this lady is sitting there with her low-rise turban chatting about the miracle of life growing inside yadda yadda yadda. Blah blah, so I fast forward. She is talking and talking. Finally we cut to a yoga studio. Good.

So she is on this raised platform with an assortment of preggers women before her on their mats. Some in t-shirts, some in unitards (er, let me note here this was a sturrup-pant eggplant scoop-neck-so-her-boobs-kept-popping-out unitard), and one in an outfit one (not me) but one would wear to the mall with stretch pants, basic 3/4 sleeve top, with a *eeeek* crocheted black ‘lace’ inspired vest over top.

The one woman I bonded with was cute, pony tales, capris and a blue t-shirt. This one - we would have coffee and discuss interesting things together. The rest of them - kinda freaky.

So crazy lady at the front (long white shirt/dress/flowy thing with flowy pants under it- Julia, you know what I mean as I know it is a traditional garb of some kind - would not be enough for me to mock her and the dvd, but it was a combo effect of the whole package) starts in with some basic movement. Good. This is what I need. I need to move and stretch. And then she starts talking. “Oh yes, move. Your bay-bay loves it when you mooove. Your bay-bay is happy. You are happy. When you move you don’t get fat (or something hinting at this). This is time for you and your bay-bay.” She has this very deep, low, crazy-weirdo voice and draws out her words and says bay-bay so many times… so very many times. “Time for you and your bay-bay. You love your bay-bay. This sacred..”

So I turn the volume down as low as I can, but they keep doing these shots where I can’t see the actual movement so I need to hear enough to know what to do. Cut camera to crocheted vested lady who is rolling her head back (way more than needed for the move) and closing her eyes and doing this yoga-orgasm face.

I try to figure out how to watch the dvd without sound or visuals.

So I am going along with, and thinking about just writing out the moves so I can do them myself without the dvd. We are opening our wombs (er, yeah), hugging our bellies (unsure how this is helping my poor sacrum or hip of burning fire), and dancing with our bay-bays. Our bay-bays Luuuuuuve it when we dance with them. (really? I mean, really? I think my bay-bay loves kicking and swimming around and sucking it’s thumb. But whatever.) So I fast forward again as she askes us to freestyle dance with our bellies. I have my own special time with my womb-mate. I don’t need this woman to facilatate my time with my baby. I have that under control. I came to her for some breathing, some stretching, and some relief for my back.

Okay, we’re back to some stretches again. She has us doing a repeat flow and explains this helps during birth. Cool. So we’re doing this series of flow and she starts giving us visualizations for during birth. And talking. Oh, talking is never good. She tells how women have been giving birth since the dawn of time (my students know never to use this phrase with me). She talks about birth before doctors or before anyone ever wrote a book on it. I start adding in my own phrase after each of hers. Not that I’m totally anti-natural, but she has brought this out in me. So as she says “women all over the world have had bay-bays in their own homes…” I add in “and many of them died in the process”. Her: “many women have birthed without any help…” (and died!) “women can give birth anywhere…” (and die!) “it can just be a woman and her bay-bay” (and they both can die!).

Then she says, “Imagine you are giving birth, in the middle of a forest…” (me: THIS MEANS SOMETHING WENT WRONG!) “You are there at night naked in the woods…” (THE CAR BROKE DOWN AND I HAD TO WALK TO GET HELP!) “You are surrounded by all these other beautiful women giving birth to their bay-bays…” (HORRIBLY WRONG - AND NOW I’M NOT EVEN THE CENTER OF ATTENTION!).

I skip to the next chapter. She indicates that she will now realign our magnetic field. I turn off the dvd, take it out of the player, put in in the case next to the door.

So, um, can anyone recommend a good prenatal yoga dvd that exists somewhere between this one and MTV’s yoga for knocked-up chicks?

I keep waiting for something really woohoo to happen to post.  I’m not sure why - could be some strang post-Christmas come down.

As random grumpy observations (read at own risk): I can’t tell if the beeb belly has popped out a bit, or if it is just the gingersnap cookies.  I have wicked heartburn.  My right hip hurts so bad when I’m sleeping on my side I wake up thinking someone is burning me with a hot poker, and if I sleep on my back my sacrum is so wonked up that I can’t roll myself over - I have to grab the sheet and pull myself over. I am booked in with a chiro next week and I’ve been to two massage appointments.  I will also wake up with my hip burning, but total numbness all the way down my side of my leg.  I’m at month four people.  I think I’ll be qualified to ring the bell tower by month 8. If I hang out sitting or lounging on the couch, sometimes when I get up I stumble because my hip is out and I can’t put weight on my one leg.  I still have random, but not often, barf sessions. The smell of certain foods makes me green.  I am a earth mother fecking goddess here.

Random good stuff: I have gotten a fair bit of prep done the past few days.  I made some cards.  Jim and I found a new hiking spot here in town (new to us, not new to everyone else who knows anything about this area).  It kinda replaces Forests for the World where we went in PG.  This is a good thing for us to have found. Mom and I went shopping today and I got two new shirts! They aren’t maternity, but they will function as such and were wickedly on sale - 30% off sale price to the tune of two shirts for under $30.  Maternity wear doesn’t come that cheap (stupid captive audience scenario). The kitties are so cute it hurts.  Chuck has added to his strangeness.  He would always call us from the bathroom to turn on the sink for him to drink while we pet him (a siamese inspired yowly call).  He was calling us the other day, but not in the bathroom.  I found him in our room on our bed - he was calling us to come have a nap.  Needless to say, this tells you that I’ve been napping a fair bit lately.

Too cute!