25 weeks and a haircut...finally!

I cannot describe to you how good it felt to get my hair cut tonight. It really hasn't been that long, but my hair has been growing like a weed. I have so much more of it too! The lady that cuts my hair lives in my neighborhood and her children attend my school. She cuts hair out of her house. She is awesome! I always leave her house feeling relaxed and looking beautiful. Meg, I love ya! Did I mention she has wonderful, well-behaved kids...love ya'll too Mitchell and Haley! I feel so much lighter!

Well, things went well at the doctor yesterday. Emma still sounds good and I am measuring right on target for 25 weeks. The doc wanted me to schedule another ultrasound for Wednesday to check my placenta. Until then, he doesn't recommend that I travel and to keep my stress level down. Good luck with that...Interims go home to students tomorrow! I'll keep you all posted on how things are going and hopefully we will have some more pics of Emma to post very soon!

Thankful List

After reading my cousin, Sara's blog, I have decided to write a list of things I am thankful for.They are in no particular order. They are...

1. God's Love- I see and feel it every day. I felt it the most on Friday with our little scare, but I also see it in the way he opens a flower so that it can share it's beauty with the rest of the world.

2. Family- They are my rock. There is no other group of people that I would rather be with. They make me feel truly "at home."

3. My John Allen- He is everything to me. I love the way we laugh together, play together, and he always knows how to comfort me.

4. Emma- I haven't met her yet, but my love for her oozes out. I never thought I could love something so much...or worry about something so much.

5. Friends- The kind that make you laugh until your belly hurts, cry with you, and have been there for you no matter what.

6. Chocolate- When you need a pick me up, chocolate is always there!

7. Christmas- My favorite season. The season of giving. I love the smells of Christmas...trees, cinnimon, and the mall on a busy Friday night. I love the sounds of Christmas...children laughing, jingle bells, and songs. I love the way Christmas makes me feel all warm inside!

8. Clemson Football Season- The weather is cool and the leaves are starting to change. You can smell the hamburgers in the air as you make your way through a sea of orange. You get to see old friends and enjoy time together. And of course, the game!

9. Comfortable Shoes- I love tennis shoes and Rainbows. I wish I could wear them every day. Don't they go with every outfit?

10. My home- In this time of financial worry, I am happy to be in a warm home. Even if the home is farther away from "home" than we would like.

Thanks Sara! This was such a wonderful idea!

5 things all kids should know before starting school...

1. MANNERS! Need I say more...they should know to say thank you, please, I'm sorry, yes ma'am, and no sir.

2. How to take care of things. Students in my class are struggling to take care of things...pencils (end up with bitten off erasers and broken in half), books (no covers, missing pages), glue sticks (dried out because the top was left off), Markers (capless and dried out)...the list could go on and on.

3. How to put things back where you found them!

4. RESPECT...for your teacher, other adults, peers, and yourself.

5. How to tie your shoe, buckle your belt, zip your pants, etc.

Can I get an AMEN, Sister!

Scary Hospital Trip

Around 3:00 today I noticed a little blood when I went to the bathroom. Being a first time mom, I FREAKED! I have a placenta previa so I was told to call the doctor if I had any bleeding. So I immediately called the doc. While on the phone, the school fire alarm starting going off! By this time, I am hysterically crying. Good thing my class was in Music! I call the principal and got someone to take care of my class for the rest of the day... off I go to the hospital. (The doctors at the office had already left for the day!) I got in the car and starting driving. Emma starting kicking like crazy, she had never been that active before. I was praying and I think that was God's (and Emma's) way of telling me that everything was going to be ok. John Allen met me and drove the rest of the way to the hospital. I couldn't believe how quickly I was checked in and things seemed to be moving quickly. I was hooked up to fetal monitors and Emma was kicking like crazy! She does not like to be messed with! Her heart rate was wonderful and strong. So relieved! The doctor came by and discussed how the blood was probably related to my previa. He instructed me to take it easy this weekend and that if the bleeding continued we would have to talk about possible bed rest! Auuugh! Please pray that it does not come to that! He also let me know that I would have to get my Rhogam shot early since I had a "bleed." (Rhogam is for RH negative blood) The nurse came a took my blood to be tested in the lab before I could receive my shot. About 4 hours later, I received the shot! So painful and freezing cold! We finally left the hospital around 8:30...tired, hungry, thirsty, and relieved! Please keep all of us in your prayers. We go back to the doc on Thursday for a checkup.

Let's get ready to rumble...

We are so excited! We ordered Emma's furniture on Sunday and we are planning to paint her room this weekend (light green). The furniture should be here by the weekend!!!! Mom and Dad Alexander bought us the bedding a couple of weekends ago. I am so thrilled to begin to put her room together. Here is a preview of the bedding (pink circles) and the furniture (crib with blue animal bedding) we picked out. Enjoy!

An Ode To My Ankles

My feet are becoming uncomfortable.

Fat, Swollen ankles aren't lovable.

They hurt me all day,

won't they go away!

Just hoping they go back to normal!

***This is a pic of my ankles after the Clemson Football game on Saturday!***

Trip to Death Valley...I thought I would die!

Emma made her first in-utero trip to a Clemson Tiger football game. John Allen, my friend, Julie, and I headed to Clemson on Friday night. We awoke at the crack of dawn on Saturday to head to the Clemson/NC State football game. With food galore and fans in tow, we finally arrived at our tailgating spot around 10:00. We proceeded to unpack all our goodies, chairs, tent, etc. Did I mention that our parking space was about 2 1/2 miles from the stadium (all up hill!) We starting walking to the stadium around 11:00. I thought I would die! Pregnant, Hot, Hills, not a good combo! We finally made it to the game just in time to see the Tigers run down the hill. (My favorite part!) I suffered through the first half and decided to take a break in the shade during half time. By this time, my body looked like a swollen lobster. I put on sunscreen, but I guess the hormones were working overtime! John Allen and Julie went back to the seats for the second half. I told them I would be up in a couple of minutes. I never made it up! Everytime I would try to step out into the sun, I would feel my skin burning and step back into the shade. I stayed under the stadium in the shade and made friends with the police officer. Needless to say, we went straight home after the game and skipped tailgating. I doused myself in aloe vera, took a little nap and enjoyed the air conditioning. Thank God for air conditioning!

No Worries, Just Right

Several of my teaching buddies and I headed to Outback last night for some delicious food and hilarious company. It is so nice to go out with other teachers. Only teachers can understand the life of a teacher...the endless responsibilities, sleepless nights, endless paperwork, and the list could go on and on! My grade level buddies meet for dinner once a month to talk, gab, and complain. We have so much fun! Can't wait till next month ladies! I love you all!

I could kick myself because I keep forgetting to bring my camera! I want to be able to upload photos but I never seem to have my camera! I need to start keeping it in my car or purse...sounds like a good idea!

*****Three days until we leave for Clemson!!! Go Tigers!

Jon and Kate Plus 8

So I have to get a little something off my chest. I love (and I mean love!) the show "Jon and Kate Plus 8." It comes on the Discovery Channel Monday nights at 9 pm. For those of you that don't watch the show, it is about a couple with twins and septuplets. The kids are adorable and I love the way their family interacts. I will admit that Kate can be a little obsessive at times about cleaning, but that is just the way she is!

Recently I have read several articles about the show. The authors of the articles are just plain mean! They accuse Kate of beating up her husband, talking down to him, and some even say that the kids are annoying and have no manners. I think these "authors" need to leave this family alone. If they don't like the show, then don't watch it! There are plently of other shows that you could write about. How about "The Real World" on MTV. Now that is quality television...watching teenagers get drunk, get in fights, and do other nasty things! I'd like to see someone write an article about that, and leave this quality family television alone!

Thanks for listening to me rant!

Send some love...

I think I have fixed our blog to allow anyone to leave a comment. Send us some love!

This is me in my Clemson Orange hoping that Clemson could actually beat the Citadel today. They did 45-17! I am starting to get excited about next weekend. I am taking my teacher assistant, Julie down to Clemson to the NC State/Clemson game. She is a huge Pack fan. The only bad thing is that our tickets are way up in the upper deck! I keep praying that I won't fall.

Bring on the raisins!

I headed to the doctor early this morning for my 22 week check-up. This was the first appointment that I went to alone. It was very odd not to have John Allen with me...even though he doesn't do too much when he comes. It was a regular short appointment. I got weighed...(that number will remain unknown) , they checked my blood pressure 118/66 (very good!!) and checked my iron. (10.9 not so good) I was not surprised by this number considering I have not been able to give blood for like 8 years because "My irons too low." This morning I was given a list of iron rich foods (including raisins) and instructed to take an iron supplement daily. Emma is sounding good! She had a strong heartbeat and was in the perfect location. I should have an ultrasound at my next appointment to see if the placenta problem has corrected itself. I am praying every day that it has!! I would rather not have major surgery!

Emma's bedding was left on the front porch today! Thanks, Mom and Dad! Now, I just can't wait to get the furniture and start putting her room together. I think we might paint this weekend! So excited!!!!!!

On the day I was born.....

In honor of Labor Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you a little about my own labor day. Of course, I don't remember too much, but here goes. I was born 27 years ago on Labor Day. (funny huh!) My due date was August 21st...my dad's birthday, but I came on September 1st. My mom went in for a regular check-up that morning and the doctor told her that everything was "fine." Disappointed that her two week overdue baby was still not ready to come out, my mom headed home and proceeded to clean the entire house. Around 4:30 that afternoon, she started to feel some contractions and her water broke. She called the doc and headed to the hospital. My parents were put in a labor and delivery room. Back then , my mom had to share her room with another birthing mother! The lady in the next curtain, was hollering "Lord Help Me Jesus, Lord Help Me JESUS!!!" This was scaring my mother!
Mom says the delivery was very easy. The doctor told my mom " I should have brought my baseball mit to catch her!" We stayed in the hospital for two days. The day we came home, Mary Jo, Jim, and Allison came down to visit. Allison is my cousin. She is about two weeks older than me. I slept the whole day that day, and stayed up crying all night long. My mom and my aunt, Mary Jo, delt with screaming babies all night while our dad's talked and smoked cigars on the front porch of the house. A good friend of my parents, Mary Lindsey, came over the next day and showed my mom and aunt how to swaddle. Allison and I slept very well the next night. All is all, my mom says that I was a good baby and that I started sleeping through the night after just a few weeks. (I hope that Emma takes after her mother on that one!) I can't wait to share Emma's birth story with all of you....just 18 short weeks!

Labor Day ....Birthday Weekend!

What a relief it was to have a three day weekend! (expecially after a full first week of school!) My parents came to visit this weekend and to celebrate my birthday. They drove up on Saturday just in time for the Clemson game. (depressing!!!) Sunday afternoon was spent shopping for Emma! Mom and Dad bought her many outfits and other things. My favorite was a cute book to write down all of Emma's "firsts." We celebrated my birthday on Sunday night with dinner at Outback and I can officially say "I ate like a horse!" I've read in my pregnancy book that the next couple of weeks is when I will gain the most baby weight. I guess my appetite is getting my body ready for all that hard work! Mom and Dad headed back to South Carolina on Monday and we finished my birthday celebration with dinner at my favorite restaurant...Carraba's! The food was yummy but the company was even better. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life...John Allen, Mom, Dad, the rest of my family and friends. Thank you all for making my 27th birthday special and thank you for just being you! I am so blessed to have so many people who love and care for me and I can't wait for Emma to get to know all of you. You are all so special!