9 Month Pregnancy Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures from our recent photo shoot--I never thought I would make it this far!! Enjoy :)

Updates Again...

Still no baby!
I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow and at my last doctor's appt on Thursday, I was still 1 cm dilated but now I am 50% effaced. The doctor said my cervix was a lot softer so I guess that's a good sign that we will be going soon!
My doctor also said if I am still pregnant at my appointment this Thursday then we will schedule a c-section. She said she will give me one week past my due date to try to have the baby naturally but after that, it's a c-section. I guess VBACs can't be induced so it's either do it natural w/ no help or have another c-section.
Not great options but I'm just excited to meet this little girl so however she has to come out, is fine with me :)

Mike and JJ have been great helpers--yesterday I thought was "it"--my back was killing me all day and my contractions were about 13 minutes apart at the closest. Mike and JJ let me lay down all day and rest. It was great (if you ignored the contractions and pain!) But then the contractions peetered out around 11pm so I guess the baby didn't think it was time yet!

We will keep you posted on when the big day happens!

Mendon Ponds

Mike took JJ on a hike in Mendon Ponds Park. Mike said that he loved wandering all over and didn't want to leave :)

More Easter Pics

JJ loved dying eggs and really liked having his first Easter egg hunt. His new obsession is 'Cars' so in his Easter basket, he was blessed w/ tons of Cars merchandise!

Happy Easter

Updates and Such

We are still here w/ not too much new to report! No baby yet--I'm 36 1/2 weeks and doing alright :)

I'm going to work for one more week and then stay home til the baby comes!

Today at RSD, there was a shower for myself and Christine, another teacher who is due 3 weeks after me. It was great--we were definitely spoiled! I can't wait to put the lil one in all of the cute clothes :) We even got big brother/little sister shirts for JJ and the baby :) too cute!

Here are some recent pictures of JJ--he loves his lady bugs! We are working on not pinching them and "breaking" them as he calls it :)

Also, we had a ton of snow last weekend, Jay loved it! I wish I wasn't so big so I could go sledding/tubing/hiking etc in the snow...oh well, here's hoping for next year!

For the West Wing fans

An interesting look at how the current political campaigns compare to the 2004 season of The West Wing.

As a fan of both the show and Obama, I thought this was entertaining!

J-A-Y-S-O-N

JJ has learned to spell his name--in spoken English, in written English and in ASL!
Enjoy two video clips-- one of him signing his name (Sorry if it's dark) and one of him writing it.
Gotta love my bi-bi baby!

Some of JJ's favorite birthday presents

Lisa, Kevin and "Baby Emma" gave JJ a play-doh animals set--I highly recommend this for toddlers--JJ loves putting the animals together and not worrying about it being perfect (think Mr. Potato Head but w/ a play-doh body)
Scott, Jen and Tyler gave JJ a batman costume--he loves running around and making the cape "fly"!
A communal gift for JJ--The RSD science teacher donated the tank; Barry, Christina and Lucian gave JJ a gift card to pick out the fish; and Mommy and Daddy bought the rest! JJ named the four fish Nemo, Dori, Hey Little Fella (can you see a Finding Nemo theme??) and Up n Down. Mommy changed Hey Little Fella's name to Rip Off cuz he died in two days...

Pictures of JJ's First Day

JJ getting ready for school
JJ's all ready!
After school hangin' out
Notice that the backpack never comes off!

Feeling Like a Craptacular Mom...

Today was JJ's first day of school!! And ofc, I'm working and not there.
Ugh, I never knew I would feel so guilt ridden as a working mom...

BUT, Mike just sent me this message so I'm feeling a little bit better:
"When we arrived there and he was so excited. We walked into building as Mrs. Wasnock was standing by to welcome Jayson in. He walked fast straight to same classroom. Then we walked up to Jennifer's office. JJ is excited and grabbed her hand. He pulled her and mine hands to classroom. Jenn showed him where coat and bag hang up (#9) he seems so distracted with other kids ha he jumped and walked ard in room while other kids sat down on floor. Teacher aide laughed and told me she'll handle him until he settles down then I said bye bye JJ. He came up and kissed me then walked away."

Mike also said "far out small world" cuz Gerry Bateman was at the school to observe a teacher working w/ one of the mainstreamed Deaf kids. Gotta love the Deaf community! Also, Jennifer that Mike mentioned above is the secretary at the school--she's a CODA so she interprets for Mike when we go to school. It's nice to have someone in the front office that can communicate w/ our family--especially since Mike will be the one picking JJ up and dropping him off every day.

I'm glad JJ is adjusting well and having a good time--I'm hoping he never knows how heart-breaking it is for me not to be there. Will let you know later how the rest of the day goes--I also have some cute pixs to publish of his first day of school outfits--JJ got a new backpack to bring to school and his been wearing it EVERYWHERE (even to the bathroom and to bed!) :)

Juno

I HEART THIS MOVIE.
Maybe it's because I'm pregnant.
Maybe it's because the opening scene of the movie features Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office).
Maybe it's because I only go to the movies once a year...
but man, was it good.

Lisa and I leave the kids home w/ the hubbies and head off to the movies once a year (yes, I know it should be more often but that's just not our reality...) and this year we picked Juno to see.

We went to The Little--cuz where is a better place to see a movie??--and it was so good. Ellen Page rocked and the dialogue was amazing--just a very good honest real movie.

And hey, a movie that can get me liking a song by a group called the "Moldy Peaches" has to be something powerful...

Click on the movie poster to see the trailer (complete w/ Rainn Wilson's best line ever)
Click on the picture of Michael Cera and Ellen Page to watch them perform the song 'Anyone Else But You' by the Moldy Peaches.
Click here to see the lyrics to 'Anyone Else But You'
Enjoy!

JJ's Three Year Check-up

We took JJ for his three year well check yesterday--hard to believe my baby isn't a baby anymore!
He did great--passed everything with flying colors--he could even identify the letters and pictures on the eye test! The nurse weighed him twice because she was concerned that in one year he has gained 8 pounds..but the weight was accurate, he's just a big tall boy!

I looooooove his doctor--ever since JJ had stitches he has some "issues" with doctor's offices but his dr is so great, JJ just loves him and responds really well to him. When the appointment was finished, Jay told his doctor "that was fun, see you soon!"

We also had to get all of his paperwork and shots records up to date b/c JJ starts preschool tomorrow! I think I'm having typical (at least I hope it's typical!) first baby leaving the nest jitters--I've even become that awful parent who has already emailed the teacher...
I know Jay will love it and he will do great but there is a definite part of me that is struggling to let him go! At least Mike is the one who has to take him and drop him off ;) I would hate to embarrass him by being "that mom" who is sobbing and taking pictures in the parking lot...

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Our Pregnancy Photographer

If you get a chance, check out http://www.bellisimaphotography.com/
That is the website of the photographer who has been doing our pregnancy pictures. Some of our pictures are displayed under Maternity and others are under Portraits.
Jennifer, the owner of Bellisima Photography is great--she comes to our house, works really well with Jayson, and is extremely affordable. If you are local, I highly recommend her!

Hard to believe we will be shooting our 9 month pictures next week!

Jimmy Tops Sarah

On a lighter note...

Jimmy Kimmel finally responded to Sarah Silverman's video regarding her extra-curricular activities with Matt Damon.

It's pretty funny--how many celebrities can you count? Enjoy a much needed funny break :)

Kevin Mowl

Our friend, Kevin Mowl, passed away this morning.
Click on this link to the Democrat and Chronicle to see the first of what I'm assuming will be many news articles.

Here are some additional links:

Channel 13

R News

Channel 10
Also, on the left in my links list, is Kevin's webpage.

34 weeks...

Well. Today I am 34 weeks and I am about at the end of my rope...

I have maxed out my ideal weight gain--last week at the doctors, I wanted to physically hurt the nurse when she was taking my weight--don't they know how traumatic (and loud) it is when they slam the metal weight thingy up to the next 50 pounds??
It was like I was watching in slow motion--slide the little measuring thingy to right. little more. little more. oh no, we are at the end and then BAM--whizzzzzzzzz it gets sent flying back down to the other end and then the giant SLAM as she throws the weight marker up another 50 pounds. And then she starts all over--little more to the right. little more...At this point, I was horrified and just staring and sending brain waves to her to a.) BE QUIET and b.) have a little compassion for the fatty on the scale... ugh. it was just ugly.

I told Mike last night that I am having such an internal struggle--I hate being this big but I. am so. hungry.
Please, someone tell me what hormonal/chemical need this baby is having that causes me to crave peanut butter cup ice cream at all hours of the day/night?

Dancing Machine

On Monday we had a family party for JJ's and his cousin Sam's birthdays--they are one year and one day apart so it's nice for them to celebrate together.

After playing w/ all of the new toys, my sister got out the karaoke machine and boy did Jay love it! (I'll ignore the fact that he liked singing to High School Musical the best...*shudder*)
What he couldn't decide tho was which he liked better--singing to the crowd or checking out his reflection in the fireplace :) Vanity run in my family much? It might be genetic....

Anyhow, enjoy the video--and ignore the nose picking at the end...gotta love the three year old bad habits that have already kicked in!

Success!

Well, the party turned out great!! Everyone came and all of the kids had a great time :) The cake turned out well and most importantly, JJ loved it!

On Sunday, my mom, Steve, and Katie came over to visit with JJ on his birthday (and ofc, brought presents!)

Mike and I gave JJ a trumpet for his birthday--he absolutely loves music and any kind of instruments so we just knew he would love it. We also got him a fish tank but that has yet to be set up ;)

Updates

Morning,
Just a few updates--I had an ultrasound yesterday-- the baby is head down (yay!), weighs 4lbs 6 oz (double yay!) and I'm not dilated yet (triple yay!) :)
So, she is growing well, despite the blood loss found in the high AFP level and I'm thankfully not dilated yet despite my sinking and dropping belly!

This weekend we will have JJ's birthday party...I told Mike that we were going to have a small get-together--I'm too darn big to be cleaning and cooking and entertaining...
Well, that plan went right out the window.

We will have 20 people over (7 kids under 7!) and I'm working on the menu now... JJ picked out the cake he wanted--click here if you want to see what I am going to tackle making tonight...thank goodness Scott is coming over to help me finagle it and figure out what I am doing!
I will take pictures of the final result--if you see a photo of a Wegmans bakery cake instead of the train cake--you will know it didn't turn out pretty!

Have a great weekend and I will post tons of birthday party pixs on Sunday!! And YAY living back in New York has it's perks--schools are closed next week for February Break--can't wait to take it easy and enjoy a week off!!

2 going on 16

JJ has become adamant about getting himself dressed in the morning...based on his clothing choice for this day, I feel we have a future angst-ridden, skateboarding teen on our hands!! And please notice the shorts...it's like 5 degrees outside....

Boy in the Bubble

Unexplained Illnesses

Just as Markeritis has struck in the southeast, Stickercoli is running rampant through Western NY...while a rationale has yet to be found, it appears to be self-inflicted...

JJ's Learning!

Here are two videos of JJ taken by his nanny--one video is of him learning about paint, the other is him learning to write his name! My baby is growing up so fast!!

I dropped...

So, I'm only 31 weeks and on Monday I obviously dropped--for the first time I can see actual separation between my boobs and my stomach....This is making me really nervous!

Anyone have a ball park figure for me of how long after you drop do you go into labor??

Never having any of this fun the first time around is making me feel utterly unprepared and clueless!!

Yes We Can

I have not decided who I am voting for yet but I really liked the concept of this video--taking a political speech and making it into a musical collage/video.

**Transcript of the speech used in the video**
There is something very "Kennedy-esque" about the way he can deliver a speech

FUNNIEST Video

Ok, seriously? This might be the funniest video I have seen (since Sarah Silverman's video last week...).
I now understand how our tech department feels when people ask stupid computer questions--this is priceless!!
Enjoy :)

A Funny Op-Ed Piece From The New York Times

Cool Video From D-PAN

I know this video for "Waiting for the World to Change" isn't new but I still love watching it.
Enjoy!

Funnies

I'm still bummed about our crappy weekend (although Mike said JJ was in a great mood this am and showed no signs of being sore) so I found a couple of cartoons to cheer me up :) Hope you like them!

Worst Mother of the Year Award

What a weekend.
So, JJ takes music classes every Sat am at 9:45 at Eastman. He loves these classes but it's really tough for him to wake up (God bless him and his love of sleeping in!). So, yesterday I woke him up at around 8:45 and asked if he wanted to go to music class. He answered w/ a groggy "No...." I asked him if he wanted to sleep some more and he said, "Yes, good night." I'm not arguing w/ him so I went back to bed. Strike number one.
He woke up a little before 10 all psyched to go to music class. Lesson learned: 2 year olds don't understand the concept of "it's too late" very well. He asked about music class all day. He was still talking about it today, sigh.

So, then I decided that since we had all morning free, and my sister was taking her boys to get their haircuts, I would bring Jayson too. You have to understand--JJ HATES getting his haircut. We're not talking crying or whining--we are talking kicking, screaming, it takes three people to hold him to get a haircut. Part of me wants to let him just grow his hair down to his knees so I don't have to deal w/ it. But the other part of me (that has my father's military genes) says "Suck it up and learn to get a haircut--this is the real world." Strike number two.
The poor kid screamed bloody murder the entire time--to the point where people were coming in to see what was wrong w/ this kid. It was awful. So fun music class=0; horrendous, awful mommy torture=1.

By this point, I'm feeling pretty guilty. He had a crappy Saturday. I was determined for him to have a super Sunday. I made plans w/ Lisa so that Emma and Jayson could play in the afternoon and then we could watch the Superbowl. Great. Calm and fun.
Well, my fate/karma/the crappy mommy gods had other plans.
JJ was playing this am and wearing my shoes (he loooovvvveesss to wear "big people" shoes). And he fell. Into the table. And cut his chin. Now my "mommy gut" didn't start blaring and going off and thinking the cut was bad. Yes, it was a cut; yes, it was bleeding a bit--but JJ didn't cry for long and I thought it was fine. Until it bled through two band-aids and then I didn't think it was so fine anymore. Well, I waited almost 4 hours before we took him to have it looked at b/c I really was on the fence about how bad it was. The doctor took one look at it and said he needed stitches. Great. Strike number three.
So it took four of us to hold him down--Mike was on arm and leg duty, the nurse held his head, the doctor did the deed and I was in JJ's face telling him everything was ok. I'm such. An f'ing. Liar.

Well, he survived (w/out any novacaine--the dr said it was faster to just stitch it than to give him a shot and wait for it to get numb and then stitch it--ugh) and is happy as a clam--but now I feel like crap. People warned me that one of the things that you will never fully understand until you are a parent is true guilt. Well, I get it. I am responsible for guiding this little man on his beginning journey through the universe and if this weekend is any testament as to how I'm doing--man, are we in trouble. So, as you can see from the photo above--he got his haircut. And the Dora band-aid is covering his first battle scar under his chin.

Lord help us on Friday when we have to go have the stitches taken out--next weekend can't get any worse right? RIGHT??? groan.....

A Feel Good (about your family) Book

This was a great book--I hate to admit that typically I am not crazy about non-fiction, but this book was such an attention-keeper. In the spring, I'm doing a memoir unit with my seniors (typical memoir stuff--Frank McCourt, some Alice Walker essays, etc) and after reading this, I ordered it right away for my kids to read. It's honest and startling but doesn't leave your feeling emotionally scarred and constantly thinking about it.
And hey, the family in this book will leave you feeling soooooooo much better about your own growing up experiences! A selfish reason to read it, but true!

This Video Cracked Me Up...

http://vids.perezhilton.com/assets/5e34d861b3de5/width%3D410%26height%3D315%26player_profile%3Dvega-test3?embed_location=http%3A%2F%2Fperezhilton.com%2F2008-02-01-so-awesomely-awesome&version=1.20#

Please Please Please tell me that this link works!! Sarah Silverman made this video for her boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel to celebrate his 5 years on the air as a talk show host. I think that she is hysterical and the fact that she got Matt Damon to do this--it's just classic.

Sorry it's not captioned but it's basically one line repeated--"I'm f*cking Matt Damon"

Sorry also if this offends anyone but this might be one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time!!
Enjoy :)

Good Read

I was just reminded of this book that I read over the summer--my sister read it for her book club and gave it to me--I really liked it.
The forum that I am a member of (www.rochestermommies.com)just picked it as their Feb book club book and it made me remember how much I liked it!

Just thought I would pass it on and share!

BTW--since I already read the book for Feb and I don't have enough on my plate ;) could someone recommend a good book for me? Unfortunately, with the baby sucking all of my brain cells, I need a pretty simple beach read :)
The Golden Compass and A Great and Terrible Beauty have both been sitting by my bed w/ no possible finishing date in sight...Just can't seem to get into them--maybe after the baby's here...

Thanks!

I'm screwed...

Ok. So this post might not make much sense b/c Mike and I agreed that we wouldn't share the name of the new baby until she arrived.

HOWEVER,
when we found out it was a girl (about 4 months ago) we were trying out different names and we asked JJ to say them (cuz, c'mon on--what's cuter than a two year old w/ a speech impediment saying words that you want him to say??)
So, it was really cute when he said one name--for sake of argument, we will call that name "Baby Yadda Yadda."
And since it was cute to have him say it, we would ask him to say it all of the time.

Well, that name stuck. And am I still crazy about the name? Hmmm...it's ok...
But now, I like a new name--let's call it "Baby Blah Blah."
So every night, JJ will talk to my stomach and say, "There's Baby Yadda Yadda!" and I try to throw in little interjections and say, "Well, we could call her Baby Blah Blah--which name do you like better? Baby Yadda Yadda or Baby Blah Blah?"
And he gets very serious and stern and says, "It's Baby. Yadda. Yadda."

(Man this would be so much easier if I could tell you the names we are considering...BUT moving on...)

So, now I feel compelled to name the baby Baby Yadda Yadda b/c JJ is convinced that is her name. Again, it's a cute name but it's starting to get really popular and I worry that I don't like the name as much as I now like Baby Blah Blah.

Confused? Sigh. I warned you this probably wouldn't make much sense. Please offer tips if you have any!!

Why it's all worth it :)

Hi~
A little background--
Every night, JJ and I spend a some time together working on the laptop--there are so many great educational sites out there that work on his emerging skills-- like counting, the alphabet, signing, colors, shapes, etc etc etc.

Well, we found a new site last night that has crocodiles around a pond of fish. All of the fish are different colors. You have to listen to the website and read the captions to follow the directions of which color fish to click on. For example, "This hungry crocodile wants to eat the blue fish--click on the blue fish."
Well, JJ thought it was HYSTERICAL that when you clicked on the fish, they would get this horrible look on their faces and then spin away like they were drowning (does he have a sadistic sense of humor like his mother??)
He was absolutely dying in the beginning but by the time I turned on imovie, he wasn't laughing as hard but it's still funny to watch him crack up :)

Enjoy!

A Better Place...

Happy Evening,
My hormones have mellowed, much to the appreciate of those around me ;) and I wanted to share with you all (especially those of u with Macs and itunes) some great children's music. The Land of Nod does some great "Nodcast Podcasts" of children's music that JJ and I love.
Go to http://www.landofnod.com/blog/mitchellandjenkins.aspx
and you can either listen directly to the music or download the podcasts for free. JJ's favorites are Dan Zane and Elizabeth Mitchell and I have to agree--my kids got great taste! I really enjoy the children't music that has come out as of late--thank goodness the days of Barney and other cheesy music are a thing of the past. We also love Laurie Berkner and They Might Be Giants (oddly one of my college favorites!) that have switched over to the kids market and have some great songs. So look them up if have a chance!

So, JJ and are lying on the couch listening to good mellow, hippie, happy kids music. Not many better ways to end a hectic day :) Good vibes to you all~

Pregnancy Sucks

*DISCLAIMER* I know pregnancy is a gift and a miracle and I am blessed and I am growing a beautiful baby and yadda yadda yadda...
HOWEVER, today I am feeling all of the negatives that come along w/ pregnancy and I need to vent >:[

I hate heartburn. Explain to me how drinking water and breathing can make everything from my throat to my stomach feel like an inferno. Let alone, that I can't even get near all of the food that I am craving--chicken wings, pasta, pizza, any fast food, orange juice...

I hate iron pills. I miss going to the bathroom. enough said.

I hate hormonal imbalances. I am so moody (gee, can you tell from this post??) and I hate that I go from stark-raving mad to weepy in a matter of 2 seconds. Poor Jayson. He must think I am going to snap any minute--or that I have snapped and this is what the second coming must look like.

I hate leg cramps. Why, oh why must I wake up every night howling and shaking Mike out of dead sleep to help me rub out these little bastards??

I hate braxton-hicks contractions. Either be the real thing or get out of the way and stop bothering me.

I hate sleep deprivation/exhaustion. I miss sleep. I know it will be worse when the baby comes and I am up feeding and burping and changing poopie diapers--well, actually that doesn't sound so different from what I am doing now--minus the poopie part. Damn iron pills.

I hate dumb people. Some of the comments I have received at work: "So, how much weight have you gained exactly?" "You are only 7 months?? You are so BIG!" "So when is the big day?...Really?? Not until April?? Wow, that's far away..." and my favorite: "Sorry, I forgot that the baby is sucking your brain cells and intelligent jokes go right over your head." Death to dumb people.

Now I know I should be thankful--thanks to this little bundle of kicking-at-all-hours-of-the-day-and-night joy, I have shiny hair. I have great long nails. I can postpone jury duty. I could probably almost park in a handicapped spot and not feel that guilty about it. Almost.
And ya know, I have a very patient husband (never mind the cautious look he always keeps in his eyes like he is watching a rabid dog) and a very cool kid who puts up w/ all of my crap. I am not in Iraq, or Britney Spears, or running for president.
I CAN make it six more weeks and I WILL pop out this baby and then, rest assured, I will be back to bitch about how hospitals/labor/postpartum/newborns probably suck too. Gosh, can you wait to read about those too??? Hello?...*crickets chirping*...anyone still out there??

Book Recommendations

Just wanted to share the best books that I read in 2007--go figure they are teen books but I think any adult will love them--
My students were after me for months to read them but I thought, "hmmm, vampires and teen love? No thanks."
Then I finally gave in and loved them!
The best was Twilight (number one in the series) and then New Moon and Eclipse were pretty good also. I can't wait for number four this fall!

7 mo pregnancy pictures

We are taking pregnancy pixs this time around--we did 5 mo, now these are from the 7 mo shoot--we will also do 9 mo and then post baby when there will be four of us in the photo!

BACK IN BUSINESS!

New Year, New attempt at keeping this blog up and running~
I'm struggling to get back into the blogging business but I really want to keep our friends updated with pictures of Jayson, our life, and ofc the new baby!
I'm 30 weeks (tomorrow!) and I'm having a hard time not having flashbacks--I hemorraged at 30 weeks w/ J and ended up in the hospital for what felt like months on end. So, if we can ge past this week, I think I will feel a bit more calm.
My goal is to make it 6 more weeks and then what happens, happens!

We had our "refresher" child birth course yesterday--we are attempting a VBAC this time around...after hearing all about natural labor yesterday, it makes me wonder which is better/worse?/easier--a natural birth or a c-section...at this point, I feel like I'm dreading both! Maybe this one could just stay in until she decides to walk out delicately and softly on her own...

Well, it's after 10pm and some of us have to get up in the am, work all day, and then come home and be a single parent all night (gotta love working on opposite shifts from the hubby....arg...) so I should put down the laptop and walk away...
Here's to continuing this blog (attempting for the third time!) and talk to you all hopefully soon!
night!
~L

'nother book

Just finished The Divide by Nicholas Evans--LOVED IT. It was a no-brainer, enough for me to enjoy whenever I could pick it up and it really kept my attention. Best book I've read this summer.

I got a library card but every book I tried to get they didn't have (remember its a very small farm-town library) so I ordered a couple of books from other libraries--Little Earthquakes per Juz suggestion and Fannie Flagg's new book. I just happened to grab The Divide as I was running past the fiction section chasing JJ (you would have thought he was in heaven--biggest maze he has ever seen!!) and it proved to be worth it. Same author as The Horse Whisperer. good, good, good.

Today the three of us went to an arts festival (there seems to be one every weekend in a different part of the city) and JJ had fun :) we walked all over looking at things we can't buy b/c we dont have a house to put them in and then went to a restaurant/bar on the canal for lunch and ate outside. It was great for JJ to watch the boats go buy and the bridge going up and down. Haha, Mike and I ordered beers cuz... why not, but we forgot that it's Sunday and you can't buy alcohol until noon (it was around 11:45). Is it like that all over?? Haha, I thought it was pretty funny but then felt like a lush b/c I wanted a beer before noon! I can't tell you how much I missed good beer--gotta love Labatts Blue! Mike loves it b/c he can go in anywhere, voice "blue" and they know exactly what to bring him! When we lived in Cali we couldn't even find the stuff so there are little pleasures in being back here :)

This week Mike is doing remodeling work all week so it's just me and JJ! We hope to hear about Mike's job soon b/c we need to start thinking about daycare, commuting an hour to work and back everyday until we move into the city, etc. We talked briefly today about maybe getting a short term rental on a townhouse or something in the city so we aren't blowing all of our $$ on gas...so see see.

Beautiful weather here--humidity has gone down so that helps but it has started to get chilly at night, Mike is worrying that the cold weather is already on its way!
Happy weekend :)

I just finished Digging to America by Anne Tyler--it was good...not OH MY GOD I WANT TO READ IT AGAIN good, but it kept my attention.
I started Prodigal Summer by Kingsolver but I'm struggling to stay interested in that so I think I will go get a library membership and get Little Earthquakes that Juz recommended. Me so broke, no buying books here!

The expenses we have had are rediculous...I thought we would be saving $$ b/c we aren't paying rent...yea right. Movers cost $5k, shipping the truck another thousand, now registering the cars has cost $300 and one can't pass inspection b/c of a crack in the windshield so thats another $200...ugh...so frustrating...Down payment for a house, what?

Mike had an interview at RSD for a dorm position, fingers crossed! He feels that it went well so see see. He is also the newest member of the Rochester Chapter of high school football referee's! Ha, its awesome and he likes it--can't get football out of his blood and there aren't any deaf teams here for hs so he will ref. Scrimmages start in a couple weeks and he's excited.

I've been keeping myself busy w/ JJ--he has learned to drink from a straw (milkshakes and juice boxes are a big hit) and to high five. His new favorite words of this week are apple and tractor :)

I went yesterday to the cottage and my grandmother and I made strawberry jam! yum! We have quite the operation going...next is peach jam, then sweet chili sauce, then pickles, then applesauce. Any orders??

I'm off to wait for the glass guy to come fix our car windshield...have a great weekend everyone!! OH AND LISA AND KEVIN HAD A GIRL!!! Emma, 6 lbs, 6 oz, no epidural and Lisa looks like she never even had a kid one week later...such a bitch... haha--happy weekend!!!

Ahhh...job!

I got a job!
RSD called and offered me the hs english position :)
I was very impressed/flattered w/ two things: first, when they asked if I was interested in the position, I said yes. They said good, but if I wasn't interested, they were ready to offer me the kindergarten position! Second, and probably the greatest compliment I've ever received; one teacher on the panel (deaf) has two students that go to school there. She already decided to pull them and mainstream them in the fall. BUT she told the panel that if they hired me for the english position, she would keep her kids at the school.
HOLY SHIZNIT!
Makes me feel great but nervous at the same time. What if I dont live up to their expectations, blah blah...

So, I'm super excited to get in there and do my thing (aka make some changes...) and see how it goes!
Tomorrow I have to go and meet w/ the supt to "negotiate my salary"...eh... I'm never very good at that kind of thing... I really really need a job but at the same time I really really need a good salary. So see see and will keep you posted!
It's hot and humid here, jj is sleeping and i'm off to read a book--gotta love summer!