38 weeks

So I am officially "full term" now! Only two more to go (well... maybe 4 more)! I post this picture because it pretty much captures how I feel these days-- lumbering, lol. It's harder to move these days...especially to move without grunting, lol. My kids & moms from last year all laugh when they see me and their eyes get big-- I guess I finally look pregnant. They say "now your baby's as big as a watermelon!" or "I swear you swallowed a basketball!" It's fun. =D

Eowyn's little in-utero checkup went really well yesterday. She's making me pack on the pounds here at the end, making up for lost time! The midwives are pleased with that; say we're "right on track." I just hope she comes out chubby, not that I get left chubby. She's cooperating position-wise, mostly. Always head down and descending steadily. She's never face-up, either, which makes me glad. I do have Braxton-Hicks contractions a lot (bad ones at times), often in my back... yuck. I'm getting to use my Bradley positions to ease them, though, and that works really well. I started water aerobics again and that's helped, as has the full-body pillow my doting husband went out and got for me to help me sleep. Oh, and HALLELUIAH-- Group B strep test was negative!! That means I don't have to worry nearly as much about being badgered to come in to the hospital as soon as my labor starts.

One more baby shower comin' up, at my school this weekend. It will be really fun to see so many people whose kids I have taught-- only teaching preschool (half days) means I don't see so many of the older kids I've had for 2 years! It's so nice to leave in the middle of the day, but I do miss their faces. Ryan's side of our family will get to come up for the long weekend and come to the shower!! How cool is that!? Once we have this shower, I think our nursery will be officially "finished" and waiting for her to fill it out. I can't wait to get to do that and then of course to photo-document every nook & cranny of it, lol. =D As if cyberspace cared.

The other big development of the week was.... back to school!!
I started teaching yesterday (Tuesday), and it was crazy!! My biggest class yet; 12 kiddos, with 2 of them 3. (I've had classes of 12 for part of the year both years past, but never from Day 1) Most of my kids are 4, and 2 are almost 5-- they are nice to have because they are more reliable as leaders. =D I have lots of younger siblings of previous students, which is always fun, and a few kids whom I've had before, since our program is for kids 3-5. I was really glad to have my friend Joy (who will take over for me from mid-September to December) there as well as my other friend Caitlin, who took over my Monday-Wednesday pre-K class for the year. They were both mostly observing, but also were extra pairs of hands. I forget every year how young & needy the kiddos are at the beginning of the year! By year's end they've learned so much self-control and know the routines & consequences so well that they are far easier to teach. The first few weeks it's basically all re-directing, reminding, explaining and correcting. Things take FOREVER!!

The kids are a great group, though-- I can tell we've got some real firecrackers, and some really fun personalities. A couple kids are definitely going to require a firm hand. The littlest ones need lots of loving and re-directions. They have memory spans about as long as they are... that is to say, short. And I still love working with this age!!!

I'm SOOO glad I'm only doing this part-time this year; getting up super-early again made my stomach rebel. I think I know why I was so sick 2nd trimester now... Anyway I am enjoying the kids and will be glad to come back & teach them in January! It worked out perfectly.