Wrapping Up the School Year!

Eventful would definitely be an understatement for what the last few weeks have been like. First, for the fun - I was like a kid in a candy store at the scholastic warehouse sale. Even Brian had fun! It really was a blast going to a warehouse full of books open only to educators with nothing over $5 and actually having a little one to buy them for! Needless to say, Breck now has a great start to his collection. Seriously, when it was all said and done, I totaled the original list price for the 76 books I got, and it would have cost me $691. I paid $117! Quite a deal! And reading to my son every night is one of the most precious things I just cannot wait to start doing. Matter of fact, since he is big enough now and can start recognizing voices, I plan to start our nightly ritual now. We'll see if my favorites become his! And speaking of things for Breck, his room is definitely becoming all boy. I found a cute football player to stick on the wall and a little football that hangs on the wall with a hook. We have some cute shoes hanging from it right now but we really need some baby cleats! And somehow the idea of adding a guitar sounded good. So after hours at the music store, Brian picked out a cool electric guitar for an early Father's Day present from me and Breck. It hangs in Breck's room for decoration, and though we thought a black one would look better in the room, Brian loved this one that looked like his acoustic guitar. I figure with all the football stuff that will inevitably end up in the nursery, a little brown wasn't so bad. Now, the idea that my little boy has an electric guitar (and an amp!) in his room seems a little ridiculous, but his daddy sure loves it! And I have to admit it looks pretty cool. Did I mention that there

are also LED lights in his room now too? They are mounted above a cool storage shelf we found at IKEA. They cycle through several different colors, lighting up the whole room. Those that know Brian will not be surprised one bit.

Now for the crazy - not only do I have the distinct pleasure of walking slowly, becoming winded easily and occasionally waddling, I now also have a bit of a limp. Yep - I am wearing a boot on my right foot yet again. It's a long story - and not a fun one - but let's just say I can't wait for school to be done with. I am hopeful that when I return to the doctor this Friday, she will let me out of the boot early. I expect her to say that I need to finish the year with it on, but I sure hope that's it. With me at 25+ weeks, she didn't want to x-ray, but

she suspects from the swelling and bruising that it fractured in two places (my middle toe and at the base of that toe leading to the foot). Crazy enough - neither of those places are where it was injured before! Just what I need - new fracture areas to ache in the cold. Yippee... :( I have had some pain in my abdomen, which I suspected was the result of wearing this dreadful five-pound contraption, so I called my OB. She saw me today just to make sure all was good with Breck. He is doing well - kicking would be the least of what he is doing inside there! She said it was to be expected that I would have some pain in my abdomen because he is getting bigger (he's 2 pounds now!) and my ligaments are being stretched out. The addition of the boot causes all of those pains to be a bit more pronounced. So, she just said to take it slow - not sure if there's any way I could be slower!

Now, for more fun stuff! Saturday was our 11 year anniversary! It's so much fun thinking how we have spent more than half our lives together now (16 years if you count the five years dating). I am blessed beyond measure. Seriously, my heart is filled with joy when I think about how good God has been to me in blessing me with Brian.

He is such an amazing man with a heart full of love for me that he is not ashamed to show with expressions of affection daily. And oh how he loves our little boy! I know he just cannot wait to become a father, and I look forward to seeing him fulfill that role that he has desired for so long. I know he is going to be amazing at it! (Breck is kicking his agreement even now!) So, we enjoyed a fun anniversary Saturday, starting out at the Taste of Addison in the afternoon. We went there last year and had tons of fun with friends. (It's kind of funny because my friend, Andrea, was pregnant last year and this year her little girl, Kennedy, got to join us. Next year, Breck will get to be part of the group and Kennedy can show him the ropes!) And let me just say, there is no better place for a pregnant woman to be! Brian propped me up under a shade tree, there was a

nice breeze on a warm day, live music nearby and all the food anyone could crave within a few feet. Brian spent the day running from booth to booth for me. I sampled quite a bit - sampled because after a few bites I was good and Brian ate the rest! We had steak, pizza, fajita nachos, ice cream and a snow cone! Then, after 6 hours, we went to the Melting Pot for an anniversary dessert. Of course, by the time we got there, I was happily starving and Brian had worked up an appetite, so we enjoyed quite a bit of food before the delicious chocolate fondue dessert. I love a place with all my favorite things to dip in chocolate - strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers, brownies, pound cake, cheesecake and rice krispie treats. It was the perfect day. And to think it is our last anniversary before Breck gets here made it all the more special.

Well, just 7 days of school (with students) left. My school is throwing me a baby shower next week, which I am totally excited about. And then friends and family in OKC are throwing one the next week. After that, we'll enjoy a bit of a vacation and then summer school. I have a good gig though - the smart kids that want to get ahead in a virtual school. That's right - they are all on computer, and I just have to supervise. Not a bad deal at all! Other than that, just find the pool (conveniently out our back gate), and that's where you will find me for the duration of this summer.

6-Month Checkup

We had our monthly checkup today. Breck is continuing to do well! Some checkups are anticlimatic - blood pressure, measure, heart tones, etc., but I still love getting to hear his little heart beat away! (That's all the video at the bottom is - the recording of his heartbeat.) Even knowing the appointment would take a whopping 10 minutes, Brian took off the morning just to be able to hear his little boy for a few seconds. He has steadily grown stronger so Brian has enjoyed getting to feel him kick on occasion. Boy feels like he is dancing away in there but oftentimes by the time Brian puts his hand there, he stops! I find it quite distracting to be in the middle of teaching grammar and Breck just starts kicking away. Don't know if he is trying to tell me to stop with the grammar lessons already or that he is preparing to become a scholar. I prefer the latter but Brian just rolls his eyes at that suggestion. At the beginning of my pregnancy I ended up losing 10 pounds from being so sick and as of today, I have officially gained six more pounds, bringing my total weight gain to 10 in 6 months. That's right - he's growing but technically I'm back at 0! I like the sound of that - especially after my oh-so-honest 8th graders greet me on a Monday morning with, "You look huge today!" Uh, thanks...

We have spent the past few days shopping around for a learning center. I say learning center because we really don't want to put Breck in daycare. Daycare to me is just a glorified babysitting service where they collect a paycheck and count the hours until you pick your child up. We want Breck to be in a wonderful, nurturing environment where I am assured his safety and learning are at the forefront. I think we have finally found a place that meets those needs. We were both really impressed with Primrose because they have a daily curriculum that begins even at 6 weeks of age. Our little one will learn sign language and they focus on spatial recognition, language acquisition and music theory, in addition to activities intended to develop motor skills. As he grows, so will his curriculum. They encourage elements of language, math, science, art, etc. on a daily basis in a structured, well-disciplined environment - which Brian and I love! They are a bit pricey, but I think it is well worth the cost to have people working so closely with Breck. Here's their website link: http://www.primroseschools.com/schools/main.aspx?schoolID=55

I am so excited about Mother's Day! It is my first one with my little boy. And I've been spoiled already via his daddy :) Brian got me my mother's

ring a while back. I love it! It says: Faith, Hope and Love - which is just perfect. So, he went and got it engraved the other day with "Breck's Mom." And then he gave me my really special gift. He wrote a song for me and Breck AND recorded himself playing it on the guitar and singing it to us. I already have it downloaded to my phone. Breck and I love listening to it. Of course Brian is steadfast in the claim that he doesn't sing well but he is an amazing writer and so accomplished as a guitar player already! And I love hearing him sing because it is an outpouring of his love to us. Ok - I'm sure he is embarrassed that I've mentioned it at all but everyone deserves someone that loves them and their child that much! :) We are both so very blessed.