Baby story #2

My sister has recently started blogging again, prompting me to do the same. Unlike her, I am going to travel back a few months, and tell the story of baby girl #2.....

Aliza's little sister was quite kind, she actually gave me a full week off after I stopped working, unlike Aliza, who arrived the night that I stopped work. I went to bed Sunday night June 5th, giving baby girl firm instructions to stay inside one more day because I had an interview for a new job scheduled Monday morning and my regular doctors were not on call that weekend.

You guessed it- baby girl had other plans. I woke up at 10:54 to my water breaking- just like Aliza's birth. This time I was an old pro and I knew what was happening. I woke Russ up, called my parents and my in laws and grabbed the hospital bag that had been packed for quite some time. We headed to the hospital, accidentally taking the longer route and arriving after my mother and sister. Along the way I emailed the people I was to interview with, explaining why I wouldn't be there. Contractions were intense and fairly close together, but I assumed I had a few more hours to go and spent some time debating whether or not I wanted the epidural this time around. The doctor arrived to examine me and he was surprised to discover that I was already fully dilated and ready to go. I admit, I didn't believe him at first, wondering how I could possibly be fully dilated already. But it turns out I was and she was ready to arrive.....once again, no epidural for me. I believe at this point I turned to Russ and told him that if my pregnancy hadn't been so difficult, I would have lots of babies because my labor is so ridiculously fast--although since I was in the midst of contractions I have since told him he couldn't hold me to that statement. Luckily it didn't take long-- a few pushes, a nurse asking if I wanted to feel her head and my response "no, I just want her out!", a few more pushes and she arrived, our second little miracle.

Emma Rose

Born June 6th, 12:59 (yes, a mere two hours and five minutes after my water broke)

6 lbs 13 ounces

20 inches long

Introducing......

Baby Sherman #2Due to arrive June 21st.....

We are all very excited--although, admittedly, I am more tired and nauseous at this point. Aliza is very sweet about the baby already- telling us things like "mommy has a baby in her belly, and when the baby comes out, I'm going to change its diaper and put medicine on it to make it feel better." She also loves to give my belly kisses.
I'm ten and a half weeks in and doing better than I was last week. It was a particularly rough patch with a bad case of hyperemesis (that's a fancy way of saying I was throwing up a lot). Now I'm on two different anti nausea medicines which leave me slightly nauseous but managing to keep food in.
More posts to follow of my ever expanding belly....and of course, in ten weeks or so, an announcement of the baby's gender!

240 hours or 3 months...whichever comes first

In just three short months I will be done with a journey that I began three years ago. It started one summer day, with a good friend calling me up and encouraging me to apply for the Educational Leadership program with her. Despite my uncertainty at the time, I also knew that it was time to get that 6th year degree, so I agreed. We completed the paperwork, wrote the essay, took the practice exam and were accepted.
The journey continued with our first class, where the amount we didn't know far outweighed what we did know. It was in this class that I shared the news of my pregnancy and it was in this class that I discovered that I actually became excited about the future career I had opened up for myself by joining this program.
I gave birth to a beautiful little girl and took a break while my friend continued on with her classes. My time away from the classroom was short-- just one summer- because with the reality of Aliza came the realization that I wanted to finish the degree before the time came for playdates and after school sports. She took time off too, to have an adorable little boy, but we came together again, my friend and I, last year- to do what seemed a nearly impossible task- write a thesis and complete a practicum.

Somehow, we survived the year. As I think about what I accomplished last year, and the conditions in which I accomplished it, I am honestly amazed that I did not have a nervous breakdown. I say that in all seriousness and with a little bit of pride....I am stronger than I realize. But, my friend and I made it through with the help of many late night phone calls, cups of caffeine and glasses of wine. The thesis is done, the practicum is completed.

Then came the internship. 240 hours of administrative work spread over the course of one spring, one summer and one fall. I haven't actually totaled my hours, but I am guess-timating that I currently hover around the 120 mark. Halfway there, and more than halfway through my year long internship. Three months to go. We had a meeting tonight, where our advisor suggested that if we were that far away we grab a pencil and start seriously figuring out how to accomplish the 240 hours. As we have done many times on this journey we started so long ago, my friend and I looked at each other and wondered "what are we going to do?" The panic started to set in, but something was different.....this time- this time we stopped.
We reminded one another of all that we have done:

Coursework
Pregnancy
Childbirth
Mommyhood
Two different exams, two sections each- over four hours of testing
Thesis
Practicum
Teaching

We can do this.

And in three months? It will finally be over.

Overheard...

We were taking a short extra recess break today at the same time as the Pre-K students. I overheard the following conversation between two of my third graders:

Student 1: Who do you think is cuter- the pre-K kids or Squirt? (Squirt is our class pet, a leopard gecko.)

Student 2: (without any hesitation at all) Squirt.

Summertime!

Aliza summer '10

(Click the link for a brief video of some of our summer fun.....)

Toddler talk

Posts are piling up like leaves in autumn around here, but they all require me to download pictures, which I can't seem to get myself to do....so instead, I will share some recent conversations I have had with a very clever two year old.....

Aliza: Hey! Guess what happened today?
Me: What happened today?
Aliza: The sun went down down down and the moon go up up up and it's night.
Me: You are right!

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Aliza: Mommy, you are still number 1.
Me: What?
Aliza: You are number 1 mommy.
Me: Oh, OK.... (I had no idea I was #1, or even that my #1 status was in some jeopardy)

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Aliza: Tunnel coming! (it sounded more like tnnne coming, so we were, understandably, confused)
Russ and I: Huh? What did you say? Toes?
Aliza: Tunnel coming!
Russ and I: (looking at each other with confusion, plus we were several miles away from the tunnel, it wasn't even in sight yet) What Aliza?
Aliza: (more insistent this time) TUNNEL COMING!
Russ and I: OH! The tunnel is coming! You are right! We go through the tunnel to get to Nonna's house!!!

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Me: Aliza, you can't eat that right now, you are sick.
Aliza: I'm not sick! I'm 2!

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Me: Aliza, how do you spell your name?
Aliza: A-L-I-Z-A! Aliza!
Me: Yay!!!

Is it any wonder I spend my days laughing at her?

(Re)discovery

This summer has been one of discovery for me so far. Or rather, I should say re-discovery. Somewhere in between writing a thesis, working on a practicum and starting an internship, plus teaching my most difficult class in 10 years and being a mom to a toddler and a wife, I lost the time, energy, desire, motivation.....to do the things that I enjoy doing.....

This summer I'm slowly finding them again. It started with reading. Reading for pleasure. Not journal articles that I had to analyze and synthesize, not professional books that I had to learn from and apply, not curriculum from other grade levels that I had to understand and create lessons for. Nope, just honest to goodness literature. Some good, some not so good....some old friends I've read time and again, some new books in a series...I forgot the sheer joy in losing yourself in a book.

I've also been working out again. I'll admit, it hasn't had much impact on the baby belly I can't quite seem to lose, but, man, it feels good to do it. Working out is one of those things that you do just for you. To be healthy, to feel good, to burn off that ice cream cone you ate with your daughter....it is a uniquely individual endeavor and kind of like my little gift to me.

This past Christmas I got a bike. I haven't ridden a bike in well over ten years.....it's not a skill you forget though, as the saying goes. Lately I've been taking some bike rides around my neighborhood. The feel of the wind on my face and the peace that comes from riding is turning into one of my all time favorite activities. My next challenge is to ride to the bike trail and go for a much longer bike ride.

Taking collectively these endeavors might not seem like much, but, for me, it feels as if I'm finding myself again. It took awhile after the school year ended for the tension to ebb away but, finally, it has. I am content, peaceful......happy.