38 weeks {and approximately the size of a small whale. maybe a ship.}

I think I've gained at least 5 pounds since last week.  No joke.  This belllay is getting humungo and we're packing on the pounds!  Suffice it to say that I'm getting ready to have Baby Girl out.

I talk to her every morning on my way into work about how if she really wants to come early, she can only come the weekend before she's due (4 days early).  No earlier.  

I'm only taking two days off before she's officially due and I refuse to make anymore sub plans for my class while I'm gone.  I don't see how other teachers take their full 6 week maternity leave and do sub plans for a sub.  It's been exhausting planning my regular days along with the last 2 weeks for a sub!  

Add in end of year testing, and getting my standards reports in before this kid comes and I get a little grumpy.

And the fact that I have an entire classroom to clean out and pack up as much as I can so I don't have to do too much after Baby Girl comes.  And yes, T and I have decided that I'll take at least a year off of teaching.  I'm officially not going back to teach at Rock Canyon next year.

That fact alone has made the past couple of months a little hard.  It's hard to not feel pushed out of your job or the workplace that you've worked so hard at (especially with the pregnancy emotion rollercoaster going on) when you announce you won't be working the following year.  I'll be the first to admit that this year hasn't been my best teaching year.  I had to accept the fact that my energy levels just weren't up to par, but I don't think my students have suffered for it!  I've made sure of it!  These kiddos are ready for 3rd grade (with the exception of a couple tricky ones).  And that, in itself, is quite the accomplishment for any teacher to be able to say.  Much less one who is pregnant.  

It's a little bittersweet, but definitely for the best.  I'll certainly miss teaching and I wonder what on earth I'll be doing at home that will be productive besides feeling like a cow (yes, yes, I know I'll be feeding our child and raising her, it'll just be an adjustment).  BUT I know that T and I want to be the ones who raise our children.  Not a family member, a friend, or a random daycare stranger.  We decided to bring this baby into the world, so it's kinda our responsibility to make sure she turns out to be a decent person!

Our last prenatal class was last night- a whole 2 hours on breastfeeding.  Interestingly enough, it was interesting!  We both learned a little and T says he's grateful to understand a little bit more about what will be happening with my body.  I am too!   

{yoga pants and comfy shirts are becoming my regular home attire...}

We may have felt some Braxton Hicks contractions lately, but they're pretty mild.  I don't even notice them.  I do feel my belly get tight sometimes during the day, but I always think it's just Baby Girl pushing up against my belly.  So who knows if it's actually contractions?  

No matter what, this kid needs to remember she has to stay in for another 1 1/2 weeks.  T keeps trying to convince her to come earlier.  She's totally going to listen to her mother.  Not her father.

Right, Baby Girl?

Sleeping is a little hard about every 3 nights or so.  It's not that I'm uncomfortable, my body is actually doing pretty well at night!  The silly problem is that I wake up around 4:00 with the wretched "Let It Go" song from Frozen stuck in my head.  My students sing it every. single.  day.  I've come to detest the song because it's keeping me up at night!  I snapped at Tyler the other day when he started singing it as a joke to get me to smile.  Let's just say that song isn't allowed in our house anymore!  I'd ban it from my classroom, but I think I'd have a mutiny on my hands.

These past two weeks have also made me realize I have a problem.  An unhealthy addiction actually.  

Ice cream.

It's my downfall.  Ice cream in any form these days is much appreciated.  Waffle cone form with two scoops of ice cream is best.  Though the ice cream sandwiches T brought home yesterday were quite tasty too.  They might be my new favorite.  Ice cream makes me happy.  

And so does a good-looking husband.  Who, bytheway, has exercised almost every weekday morning of this entire pregnancy.  I made him promise he wouldn't gain any sympathy pregnancy weight so he could be my motivation during the summer to lose some baby weight.  He's definitely kept his promise because he looks goooood!

Exhibit A:

Yep, I got lucky with this one!

He even made asian chicken with an asian salad last night.  He's made this pregnancy as easy as possible for me.  Not many women can say their husbands come home after their own long day of work and roll up their sleeves to help make dinner and do the other household chores around the house.

He's a keeper.