14 Weeks

Welcome to the second trimester! This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces.
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Okay, this week in our life:

- I've done lots and lots of cleaning in the bedrooms. With a lot of help from my mom, we actually got just about everything done that I had planned to do this summer. Of course, I planned to get all that done much earlier in the summer. Of course, I didn't plan on being so incapacitated so early on.

- One of the big reasons that I needed to get my butt in gear and get things cleaned up around here was because my mom and I hosted a shower for my good friend, K, at my house. She and her husband are adopting a beautiful 6 year old girl after many years of fertility issues. It's so amazing to see how life turns out. You think you want something for so so long and then BAM! Your destiny presents itself in a very different way. It's wonderful to see them all together - they all just can't stop smiling. :) I couldn't be happier for them! Anyway, the shower was this evening and everything went very well. It was great to see some folks from school that we hadn't seen in quite some time. We have a great group of women that work together.

- One of the other big reasons for the big clean up push, is because it's time to start going back to school. People who are not teachers have no idea how much time it takes to get an elementary classroom ready for the school year. No, we do not show up the first day of school - our first contract day, with the room and materials all set. Pretty much every elementary teacher I know spends at LEAST one, and usually two, weeks prior to the start of the year in their room every day getting everything ready. Yes, it's a lot of work, but those couple weeks are usually some of my favorite days that I spend in my room. I get it all the way I want and then the little buggers come in and mess it all up! j/k! I love diddling around in my room. Yes, the summer always seems too short. You finally get used to a summer routine and then it's time to get back to the school year routine. I'm anxious for school to start and see how I do with so much more packed into my day. I have had nightmares that I've fallen asleep during reading groups, or that I've taken my kids to music and fallen asleep at my desk and forgotten to get my kids.

- Some excting things happening- I'm currently taking a class through our ISD about writing. I did a similar class last year and LOVED it. Some days I wish that all I had to teach is writing all day. It's hard, it's challenging, but the program we do is awesome. Yes, I get geeked about learning new things. I'm a nerd and proud of it. But I'm a nerd with good hair. :) Also, I am going to a conference OUT OF STATE! Whoohoo! Hotel and room service here I come! This one is about assessments and when I get back, I'll be helping train other teachers in my district about what I learned. No pressure! I'm going to have to take very good notes! The conference is about 6 hours away, and I'll be riding with 2 other women. T asked me the other day if they are aware of how fun I am to ride in the car with. I sleep. The car turns on, and I'm out. Always have, always will. No wonder my parents and my grandparents took me all over the country when I was little - I was a fantastic traveler. No DVD player, no cds - all I needed was a pillow. Anyway - fun, crazy, busy times ahead. My next post will be from KENTUCKY! :)