Feeling UN-appreciated

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. A week when children, parents, administration and others are supposed to let teacher's know how much they appreciate what they do. Instead, the governor today announced budget cuts for teachers and other state employees. Our pay will be cut starting on our next paycheck. For me, it will be about 100 dollars and then another 100 dollars out of JAP's paycheck too. (He's a state employee too!) Thats 200 bucks! Do you know how much diapers and formula I could buy with 200 dollars? Enough for the entire month! This makes me wonder if the governor herself is taking a pay-cut? **While writing this, I watching the news, she is taking a cut too**
I sat watching the NFL draft on Sunday and was flabbergasted to find out that the #1 draft pick got a contract worth 78 millions dolllars! What a country we live in. A 20 year old football player gets 78 million while teachers making "pennies" are getting their paychecks cut. Some teachers are even losing their jobs! Our school alone is losing about 15 people! I have decided to boycot professional sports...(I have to say, it's not really that big of a deal, I don't watch professional sports anyways...except Braves baseball...love them, but not watching! I promise!)
Well, I guess I must be thankful that I still have a job. I know that the governor is just trying to save jobs by cutting our pay. Just stinks...for lack of a better word. Maybe I should become friends with Matthew Stafford, the new quarterback for the Detroit Lions. He should have some extra money lying around!

Missing my Doodlebug!

Emma is spending the week with Granna and Papa. We had the bridesmaid luncheon this past Saturday and are traveling back to SC for the wedding this Thursday so we decided to leave "doodle" with the grandparents. She is doing WAY better than her mommy. I miss her terribly, but I did get to go shopping after work today without a baby to entertain. That I did enjoy. We took this picture at the luncheon on Saturday....Emma enjoyed snuggling with everyone and Meredith didn't mind sharing the spotlight with her new niece. She is so A-dor-able! This is the one and only picture we got of her in the grass, she started trying to eat the grass and the photo shot was cut short. Silly Girl!

My new classroom blog

I have enjoyed blogging about my everyday life, so I decided to start a blog for my classroom. I am excited that I will be able to share what we do in class daily with parents and I think the parents think it's a pretty cool idea too! I have made the blog so that only invited guest can read it, but if I know you and you would like to read it, shoot me your email and I will add you to the list. Hope you all are having an awesome week!

**This is a picture of my classroom door display for our school's 80th Birthday! Happy Birthday RES!

What to drink?

Saturday marked the beginning of the wedding hoop-la. I had so much fun with "the girls" at Meredith's bacheloretter party. We met at a hotel in downtown Charlotte and began the night with dinner at a sushi restaurant. Not my favorite choice, but at least they did have something other than sushi. Didn't think I should eat raw fish while I am still breastfeeding. Then we headed down to the EpiCenter...a huge place in downtown Charlotte with restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and a bowling alley! It was very nice! We hit up several bars and played some silly games. I had a great time, but I did feel a little out of place. I used to really enjoy going out, but now, I kept thinking about Emma and what she would be up to...mostly sleeping!
I also decided to have my very first drink since getting pregnant. I had such a hard time trying to pick out what it would be. I finally decided that I wanted an ice cold beer and it was delicious. Beer is good and cheap. Just the way this Mommy likes it! I'd much rather spend money on Emma!

Three months of Baby Bliss

It is so hard to believe that just three short months ago I was holding my newborn and thinking how lucky I was to have a healthy baby, a devoted and loving husband, and a supportive family. I still feel like I am floating on Cloud 9! Emma is such a joy. She has changed so much in the last month. She now talks...her favorite saying is Ahhhh Ummmm. She loves to smile at strangers. She is very fond of people with white hair...expecially her great-grandmothers. Her new favorite thing is splashing in her bath...she slaps her hands down in the water and then kicks her legs. We have had to move bath time to our tub instead of the kitchen counter. She was making too big of a mess. (a.k.a. Daddy doesn't like his new hardwood floors to get wet.) I can finally get a bow in her hair...which is growing at lightning speed and not falling out. (EVERYONE told me it would.) She is looking more and more like her Daddy everyone says. I personally can't tell. She looks like a good mixture!

Reese's (my brother) wedding is t-minus two weeks away. I am still feeling huge and not looking forward to being in a strapless gown. I AM super excited about the wedding, just wish I could look a little better for the pictures. I have to keep reminding myself that it took 9 months to get this way, and it will probably take 9 months to get back to normal. I need to get some really good tanner, maybe spray tan? Maybe some Spanx? Give me some ideas ladies.

Trying something new

Getting ready to open the big box. Doesn't Emma look excited!

Emma helping Mommy read the directions.

All finished. Chunky little legs just barely touch the floor.

So many colors! So much to do!

This thing makes all kinds of noise. I love music!

The doctor said she could start playing in this at four months. She officially turns three months tomorrow. I thought I would let her try it out today...she is so strong and loves to stand up! She loved it. I might let her try it out again later this week.

Daddy's Little Girl

I am really enjoying seeing John Allen and Emma develop their relationship. I can tell already that Emma is going to be a Daddy's girl. Her face lights up when he enters the room...she loves him so! I love this picture of them, Emma had just gotten her bath and was reading her bedtime story. Yes, she can read already. Teacher's kids are smart you know! ~Random thought...have you seen those commercial about Your baby can read? Wonder if that works?

In other news, Emma started daycare today. She is only going for one week and I believe it may be the hardest week of my life. I'm sure she was fine, but there were several things I didn't like. First of all, they left her paci attached to her bib all day and just let it dangle on any object she happened to be sitting on....the changing table (ewww!), the bouncy chair, and who knows where else. She doesn't really take a paci unless she is fighting sleep so I told them she didn't really need it. John Allen and I both came to visit her on our lunch breaks and commented on the same thing... the paci! Secondly, when I came to pick her up, she had the wettest diaper ever. I'm hoping this was just a coincidence. Maybe I'm just being picky, but my little girl is everything to me. I want to know that I am leaving her in loving and safe hands. It doesn't help that I am a total OCD. I clean everything and never let anything she touches touch the ground. I've always been a very clean girl....don't like to get dirty. My parents knew this early on. I refused to do outside work and told them I would clean the entire house if I didn't have to go outside and rake leaves, clean gutters, or whatever they happened to be doing. To this day, I have never cut the grass...don't really even know how to turn on the mower...sad, but true!

~Pray that we all make it through the week! Love to all!

Remember the Reason

We had a busy weekend. JAP made his way to the Masters on Friday while Emma and I stayed in North Augusta with his Grandparents. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon of meeting new people, strolling with Tilda, and watching Wheel. We left Augusta on Saturday morning but not before running into a brick wall and blowing a tire! Way to go, JAP! Since we spent several hours at the Tire joint, we couldn't make it out to the Zoo...Emma will have to wait to see the animals. Sunday we went to church at Riverland Hills. The church was full so we had to watch the sermon in the fellowship hall on the big screen....sad not to see the sanctuary but the sermon was wonderful and really got me thinking about the reason we celebrate. I hate that so many religious holidays get to be centered around non-religious things like Santa and the Easter Bunny. I hope that as Emma grows, we can make sure she understands the reason we celebrate. The overwhelming love of Jesus and what he did for us so many years ago.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

This is the first bible verse I memorized and it is the one I always think of on Easter day. Happy Easter everyone!

Easter Sunday

Auntie Joan Aubrey and Emma

Don't I look cute in my Easter dress.

Enjoying the sunshine

Where did the Easter Bunny go?

Babbling Baby before the stomach bug bit.

Baby Blue Eyes is blue...

We have reached yet another milestone. This one is not as joyous and I was hoping that it would be a long time before we would reach it, but alas Emma is sick. Little darling caught a stomach virus. Poor baby has gone through an entire pack of diapers in three days and gotten a nasty diaper rash to boot. The pediatrician said just to watch her fluid intake and make sure she does not get dehydrated. It should all be over in 24-48 hours. It's just no fun to watch your baby in pain. I wish I could switch places with her. I pray that she gets better soon and gets to enjoy her first Easter Bunny Visit!

Updates

I am too tired to write out a long blog, so here are some short updates.

~ Emma is talking up a storm. She loves to scream and kick in the bath. Her new favorite time of the day!

~ Robbers are still out and active in our neighborhood. Three more break-ins.

~ I just had to pack up my entire classroom because we are getting new carpet. My first week back and I had to stay after school to pack up. Uuugghh! Realized too, I have too much stuff. Must Clean Out!

~ Only four weeks until Reese's wedding. I still look pregnant and my stomach (uugghh!) that's all I can say!

~ Emma is going to daycare next week. Pray for us! It's only for one week. Then we have more family coming to keep our darling!

~ I need clothes for school so badly, but refuse to buy clothes in the size I need right now. I WILL NOT be wearing this size much longer. Anyone have any workout tips?

~ Spring Break officially started today! I will be cleaning and enjoying Master's week. I love watching Golf with my hubby!

Enjoy the rest of your week ladies and gents!

Crime Watch 2009

Scary news in our neighborhood. We have robbers. Just this week, three houses have been broken in to. Our neighbor's house was one of them! They are taking electronics and jewlrey mostly and ransacking the house in the process. Why does this all have to go down the week I move Emma up to her room and put away her pack-n-play?!? I think we might be setting up the pack-n-play again and getting a security system. With the economy the way it is, I have a feeling it will only get worse. Sad, but probably true.

Saturday Morning Snuggle

I will spare you the pics of me and JAP, but Emma is adorable when she wakes up in the morning! We had some family snuggle time in our bed this morning. I love Saturdays!!