March 2011: Belly Watch

I haven't found the perfect March "belly watch" picture. So I need you to help me pick from the possibilities.

The perfect picture would (a) show off the belly (b) catch me on a good hair day and (c) at least suggest that I'm awake (as opposed to totally fatigued and spaced out). The photo would also be focused, with reasonable lighting.

This is actually harder to achieve than you might think, given that I now work twelve hour days with no benefit of caffeine. I'm also often asking coworkers (or my mom) to take my picture under the lovely fluorescent school lights.

And don't even get me started on the hair! Sigh. I miss the days of being able to dump chemicals all over my scalp for brighter, fuller tresses.

Farewell, various beloved toxins! This whole pregnancy thing is making for a much healthier me, in many respects. (Well, aside from the whole gobbling of Girl Scout cookies part...)

So... which photo should we put in Buffy's scrapbook? (Have I started the scrapbook already? Of course! It's called "nesting"... also known in certain circles "avoiding my grading.")

Feeling the Love

Can I just say how much I adore being pregnant? Yes, it's amazing to grow a little person. Yes, it's awesome to feel her kick (often at odd hours--she's our little night owl already).

But what I really appreciate right now is all the love and support from our friends and family. It thrills me that we'll be bringing our daughter into a world with so many good people in it... especially since they're all ready to welcome her!

I've got loved ones all over the globe, spreading from New York to China. So many people, be they near or far, have offered their congratulations. It means a lot. Truly. On top of that I've got hand-me-down baby items coming my way. I've got experienced mothers (including my own) patiently answering my frequent (and ridiculous) questions.

When I came back to school after discovering the baby's gender, my gal pals at work surprised me with adorable pink goodies. It was the perfect way to liven up what I'd thought was a regular humdrum Monday. I was (and continue to be) grateful for their support and enthusiasm. Plus... how adorable are these baby clothes? Seriously.


Even my students are getting in to it. One of my T.A.s named my baby bump "Buffy," and some other kids tacked on "Jane." (Apparently "Buffy" was too informal, but the "Jane" just classes it right up... shades of Blue Castle, anyone?)

A whole class period--in which many of the members have issues with vulgar language--decided to give up swearing because "it might harm the baby." They've since begun policing my other class periods and have expanded their ban to include (a) all peer-to-peer unkindness and (b) "anything that might stress out Ms. D." It's incredibly sweet. All I can really say is "wow."

Chivalry isn't dead, folks. It is alive and well in American teenagers. They don't get nearly enough credit for their decency, so spread the good word!

Work in Progress

The Europe trip: it would be nice to finish our blog entries about that... oh, soonish.

Why? Because there's a whole new adventure up ahead that I anticipate will pull focus from just about everything else. That's right: we're having a baby!

I'm due July 9th. I'm also past the stage where my students stare at my belly, wondering if I'm (a) getting fat or (b) finally pregnant. (I finally put them out of their misery and just told them... though it was really fun to watch them stew.) My belly finally looks like a baby bump, instead of just spare flab. Yay!

On Thursday, we had our second ultrasound. Baby is doing well and is quite active--the ultrasound technician commented, "You've got a wiggler on your hands!" We also found out gender: we're having a girl.

At 21 weeks inside Mommy, Miss Sassy Kicks already has some definite opinions. (I would expect nothing less from a daughter of ours!) She's a huge fan of peanut butter, and keeps begging Dad for more Girl Scout cookies. He's already fabulous at spoiling his girls, so we have quite the stash of Tagalongs in our pantry! I'm adding walnuts to everything I cook or bake, and we go through tons of milk.

Now, if only I could get her more excited about the benefits of gentle exercise for Mom... or maybe I'm just blaming my preference for napping on the wee one!