Comparisons

Before Christmas break, my teammate at school suggested we take a belly picture so that we would be able to compare the "before" and "after" of what my students would see. We forgot to take another picture right after we got back, but now that we've had yet another full week of not seeing our students (that's right, no school due to ice yet again today), they may notice the change. The first picture you'll see was taken on December 17, and the second was taken yesterday (January 12). So, 3 1/2 weeks have gone by in between photos. I definitely see a difference, but I am happy to say it's not a super HUGE difference (meaning I'm so glad I'm not super huge!). Last week, one student DID say, "You DID get bigger, Mrs. Rengering!" so we will see what they think after having another week of not seeing me when we the kids come back to school next week!

In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on my ever-growing and changing shape!


28 weeks, 5 days. Taken at school (12/17/10)



31 weeks, 3 days. Taken at home. I wore the same shirt on purpose!

Snow in the South!

Well, it's getting close to 8 A.M. on a Tuesday, and I am sitting here at home on the computer, not at school! This is our 2nd *snow day* in a row! The snow started late Sunday night, and when I woke up Monday morning, there were already inches of it (and for here, that's a lot!).  Here are some pictures I took!

front of our house around 7 AM

Betsy really enjoyed the snow at first!

the view down our street





a view of our house later in the day

 The snow continued to fall throughout the morning, but then it turned into freezing rain. We now have a layer of ice on top of the snow. In fact, it's hilarious to let Betsy out now because she hates trying to walk around on the ice! Because of the ice, the roads have gotten pretty bad, so school was canceled again today. All kinds of places are closed, even the fast-food joints around town! It's crazy! I was supposed to go to my doctor for a check-up yesterday, but my OB/GYN's office called mid-morning and said they would be closed.

However, Jerry isn't as fortunate as I am. He and the other employees at the Lodge still had to brave the weather and drive to work, which of course worries me to death until I hear he made it okay! That's the way it goes when you work in a field where you take care of others! I still hate it for him though, selfishly because it'd be more fun to have him home with me, but also just because I know it's stressful for him at work with the weather like this. Other people may not be able to show up due to the roads, and he is responsible for keeping enough staff on hand. For his sake, I am hoping these roads clear up soon, but the forecasters say it may take awhile for everything to thaw.

Meanwhile, I'm a little more than 31 weeks along in the pregnancy and am feeling pretty well! There are definitely periods of discomfort, mostly at night. It is hard to find a comfortable sleeping position, and once I do, our baby decides to do a somersault or two to get me all uncomfortable again! The weeks are zipping by, and we are trying to be sure everything will be ready! I have a few baby showers coming up, and it will be so fun to get everything set up, put away, and ready!

30 weeks already!

Each post I write, I seem to mention how I cannot believe how far along into the pregnancy we are! Well, I will say it again! 30 weeks today!? Really?! That means somewhere around 10 weeks left! I suddenly feel like I have a million things to do to prepare for her arrival! Today, we went out and bought a few little items (gotta love clearance!) and a pack of diapers. I've told myself that we should buy a pack of diapers each time we shop, just to have them on hand (rather than needing to buy a LOT at once). We'll see how it goes! I know there is still a lot to do to prepare, and I have faith that it WILL get done, and we WILL have everything we need for her when she arrives. It's still an overwhelming feeling though, especially for someone like me (a control-freak planner!), who would really like to have it all DONE and ready well ahead of time.

Tonight also marks the end of my Christmas break, which is definitely a bummer. It's been awesome having the past 2 weeks off to spend time with family, relax, and just do whatever! Starting back to work on a Monday is even more of a challenge because I know it will be a LONG, exhausting week with the students!

Below I've posted a few pictures of things we've gotten to get ready for the arrival of our sweet girl!

Our crib with bedding in it!

Personalized sippy cup (for down the road)! A Christmas gift from Jerry's parents.

Clearance purchase! Daddy picked it out (surprise, surprise!)

Glider from Audrey's Great-Grandpa Max & Great-Grandma 'Laine! Also, lots of books from Grandma Terri!