Full

Either I ate way too much at Thanksgiving, or there really is a baby growing inside of me...I think it is a little bit of both....

It's Christmas!

And...It was fun coming home because I was able to unpack all of Abby's new things....It was nice to get unpacked and settled back into normal life.  I also got to decorate for Christmas, make homemade chicken soup and light a fire.

After Jack left...Gus was exhausted....I even called him out of his crate and said, "Gus, treat!"  He lifted up his head, opened his eyes, and then laid back down....

Our crystal ornament tree (all white lights with crystal ornaments...My mom used to have a special tree like this when we were growing up and she always let me help her set it up), this brings back fun memories!  It is right in the window so when you drive by you can see it!

I saw this on a blog and decided to try it.  It is a Styrofoam circle wrapped in ribbon.  I got some decorative little things at Hobby Lobby to spice it up.

Ann Arbor Hands on Museum

There were little colored squares on the ground and Sam and Beaners had a fun time running from square to square.

Man...This kid is beautiful.

Waiting patiently to go into the museum.

Love this picture.

They LOVED the room full of foam blocks!

Elli had a hard time getting to the middle of the pile because she had to climb over so many blocks.  It was really cute.

Beaners is a patient little girl...She was waiting for the tornado to form.

Being in the ambulance made her nervous, check out her face!

It was a beautifully chilly day in Michigan.  The sun was shining, but it wasn't like the CO sun...We were all still chilled to the bone.

Overall, it was a REALLY fun day.  

Shower in Michigan

I have the most amazing aunts...They take care of me like I am their own daughter and they throw some awesome parties.  They threw me a shower...the food was delicious, the decorations were beautiful, and everyone had a good time.  It was great to see all those people I don't get to see all the time.

28 Weeks + The Turkey Trot Predict

Sarah and I before the run...

Showing off our preggo bellies!

Shh...we took this picture before we ran because we both didn't have time to hang out afterwards.

37 seconds past my guessed time of 31 minutes.

(The guy behind me (the one with the mustache) was OUT OF CONTROL. He would breathe in and then HEAVE out afterwards...If you want me to describe it to you one day, I will....)

Did it!

I ran a "race."  It wasn't really a race, but a "turkey trot predict."  The goal was to finish and run a 5k at 28 weeks pregnant.....I did it!

Thanks Sarah for doing this with me, I would have never done it alone!

Here are the results, Sarah is #15 and I am #55 (that is being closest to our predicted time...
http://www.pprrun.org/results/2010_results/2010_turkey_trot_predict_5k.htm  I ran it in 31.39.

The internet is too slow for me to update pictures, I will soon....

Wow! I am pregnant!

I woke up today to a stomach that was huge!

 (I know in a few weeks this stomach will seem small, but it was huge today!)

Come on baby Abby, keep growing!

What a Day!

Yesterday I spent the entire day in Denver at and IB training.  It was a great training led by a teacher who used to teach at AIES.  I left with a lot to chew on both in my teaching career and in my personal life.  It was one of those great trainings that left me with a long "to do" or "to try" list at the end of the day....I came home mentally and physically exhausted (the room we were in was about 80 degrees and this pregnant lady was not fond of that....)

But, that meant today was incredibly busy..Lots of  stuff to do and lots of errands to run (something I am not crazy about).  But, here are some of the things I accomplished today:
1. Went to church
2. Dropped off Steve's snowboard at REI for a free wax (although, it was more than a free wax because his board was so scraped up...I figured as a present I would make it "as good as new" and spend a little more) - Hopefully he can get in one boarding day when he comes home.
3. Made a return at Kohl's - bought a brush to baste chicken for $2 with a coupon.
4. Saw some friends for a few seconds at a clothing swap.
5. Got the windshield fixed so that our long crack won't get any longer.
6. Found some maternity clothes for the shower this weekend, so I can try to look cute.
7. Sold a chair on craigslist for $20.
8. Ran 3 miles and clocked it, 31 minutes, 42 seconds.
9. Went grocery shopping and got all that I needed for our K group potluck on Wednesday
10. Got a Christmas present for Steve
11. Took a shower
12. Cleaned the kitchen
13. Raked the front yard and mowed it (yes, I was the weirdo with the lawn mower out in November)

It was a busy and productive day...Now the things I have to do before bed:
1. Make Christmas Cards
2. Make a present for Steve's parents (ohh...I bet the suspense is killing you Midge!  Haha, only Andy, Steve and I know this secret).
3. Order some things online for Christmas

I like making lists...I like checking things off a list....Can you tell?

27 Weeks

Steve gave me a hard time and said my pictures were "not of great quality."  I am not a professional photographer and don't claim to be, especially when I have to take the pictures on my own with a timer....I also find editing pictures a pain the in butt...So, you get what you get. :)  

Today one of my students asked if he could touch my belly....Not sure what the protocol is with that type of request.  

Bite me Duct Tape....

Today I RAN....Ran 2.6+ miles and didn't stop.  No cramps, no duct tape, just me (in my regular running clothes) and the cool crisp air; it was delightful and as I finished my course I SMILED ear to ear because I RAN THE WHOLE WAY.  (In my non pregnant days, this was a normal run 2x a week and was not much of a problem).

Thanks Katie, Melissa, and Alison for your laughs and kind words, I thought of all three of you on my run today....

I am going to sign up for a 5K with Sarah (Don't worry, I am not planning to run WITH Sarah, she is carrying child too, but I know that she could kill me in any race, any day, any time, and under any circumstance).  My goal is to finish...I think doing a race at 28 weeks pregnant is pretty awesome and I want to mark that off my bucket list.  So, next weekend it is!

Things not to do....

Yesterday I learned something....when you forget a sports bra to work out in....Duct tape might seem like a good idea...But it isn't.

It does the job to support you (a really good job), but doesn't always let you breathe.  I got severe cramps while running and officially had to stop and walk (and this time it wasn't just because I was tired).  I cried while on my "run."

Steve told me it was the duct tape...But also said, "You know Carey, you might be at a point where you can't run anymore, and that is OK, you are 27 weeks pregnant."

I hope it was the duct tape.....I really don't always enjoy running, but I love it that I can do it.  It is a little smack in the face when your body says "no" but your mind says "yes."  And, right now I have to follow what my body says, not my mind. We will see, I try running again tomorrow.....

Valerie, Suzanne and I had a great laugh looking at the turquoise duct tape over my t-shirt.....I wouldn't allow pictures.

Thankful

I am thankful for a few things today:
1. A husband who is humble, hard working, and who puts others before himself.
2. A school "family" that lifts me up even on tough days
3. Friends that work hard to understand the difficulties of military life and realize the sacrifices that are made
4. A different, better, higher paying job for my brother

The last few days have been pretty good...

Work is wonderful - I feel fulfilled and satisfied there.  I work with some great friends where we laugh, exercise and cry together...I have great kids in my class with parents that want to work together with me to see their child excel.

My friends are incredible and call me on a daily basis just to see how I am doing, even if we don't have anything to talk about.

My mom and I talk almost every day and if I don't talk to her for one day, she says, "Well, you haven't called me lately, and I am worried about you..."  She lets me talk about anything and everything whether it is important or not.

My brother called with great news and I am so happy for his family and their new adventures.

All in all, it has been a pretty good week...

Veteran's Day was today and three of the kids in my class had parents step up to talk to our entire school about how they serve in the military.  I am proud of what they do and I was thrilled that they would take time out of their busy lives to come to an elementary school and talk to 600+ kids.  I love my job and I love the kids and parents I work with on a daily basis.

Several of my friends wrote on Steve's facebook wall today and it was so nice to see that they appreciate him and take the time to write on his wall even though they know he can't always check it while deployed...Some even wrote about him on their blogs and that really meant a lot to me (Jen, Jennifer, and Cathy).

And with snow comes CHRISTMAS CARDS

My friend, Melissa, blogged about these Christmas cards.

What a great way to spread the word about great cards and a great deal.

I have made our cards on paper the past two years and sent them out with pictures printed on the back....It is hard to get those all together and I am thinking that when BK arrives, I will need to limit my writing time and do something a little less time consuming.

I would love to have a place where I could document all of our Christmas Cards as the year goes on and maybe make a small photo book out of it.  

I'm thinking this year I may go with one of these:

I love the idea of lots of pictures, but I feel like I have to write something on the card!  It is so fun to read Christmas cards, I figured everyone would want to read about us, right?  For the rest of the Shutterfly Christmas Card collection go here.

Another thing I love to make for the holidays are calendars. Look here for some great templates.  I LOVE to give these as Christmas gifts and whenever Steve leaves for a deployment I make him one.

Steve and I are all for decorating with pictures rather than buying expensive wall art....This is a great way to transform some of our favorite pictures into wall art.

Bloggers, go here to see the deal!

It Snowed....Which means.....

Two years ago (when Steve was gone last time)....I got a little excited for Christmas and needed some joy around the house, so I decorated early (and, as in early....I mean early.....Before Halloween!)  This year I decided to take it a little easier and wait till the first snow fall....Which happened today!

Thankfully, mother nature waited till after the 3:30 bell rang to make her grand entrance.  But, by the time I left school at 4:30 today there was snow on the grass!  And now there is even more!  It is already dark outside, but I figured a "not so great" picture was better than no picture at all.

So...Snow means....

...The Christmas decorations come out! 

I haven't put up the tree yet, but I did pull out some of my favorites: a snowman given to me by one of my students with a card that said, "It's tall....Like you"  and some classic Christmas CD's and DVD's.  I think Elf will be playing on my computer as I grade papers tonight.  I will
save A Christmas Story for when I set up the tree.

And, yes, those are stockings on the fireplace in the basement.  I am enjoying my hot chocolate and roasted pumpkin seeds....And can't wait for the Christmas season!

26 Weeks