Grandpa Nyhlen and Zoey

I'm not making any announcements...

...but I want to offer informal congratulations and a hearty welcome to any children that may have been born on memorial day 2005! Exciting!

Also, someday I will want to direct Tyler and Judy's attention to their answering machine on which I predicted certain events (and this was before reading Tammy's post).

The blogosphere breaks big news again.......

And We're In Countdown!

Bean,
Today is Memorial Day, 2005. Grandma and Grandpa Livingston were going to have your mom and dad, your Auntie Tam (me) and your Great Grandad over for a grill out. When I arrived at a couple of minutes to noon, Grandma told me that your dad had just called to say he was bringing your mom to the hospital because they thought that her water broke.

So we ate our grilled food at Grandma and Grandpa's and waited to hear if it was true--was Miss Bean really on her way today? Your dad called about an hour later and said that you were coming, but that mom hadn't started contractions quite yet. This meant we could have as many as 24 hours left in the countdown to Bean!

Grandma Livingston called Grandpa Nyhlen and they were already packing up the car to drive down to greet you!

Right now, it is 3:00 and we're awaiting a progress report from dad.

More to come, Miss Bean (and Bean fans the world 'round)!

The Magic 8 Ball. . .

. . .says "It is certain" that Bean will be here before June. Anyone else have a question for the all knowing, always right 8 Ball?

I came home today and Judy had completely rearranged the basement, but still no Bean. Here we are in one of our famous self-portraits. Now taking bets for when the baby will actually arrive. I'm putting my money on June 1st.

Great Grandad is here so any time now, Bean. 

I'm waiting for you bean... any time now. 

Not my best picture, but here I am wrapping up school, waiting for Bean to arrive. Figured I better get more of me up here after I've put pics up of everyone else.

Still waiting. . .

So the "Full Moon Theory" didn't pan out. . . so I am still waiting for Bean to figure out that she wants to come out. . . soon! I will be seeing the doctor again at the end of this week--either Thursday or Friday. Until then I am organizing things around the house and painting my nails.

Grandma Nyhlen looking cool.

I love self-photos!

Aww...A cute photo of Grandpa Nyhlen and Judy at our wedding.

Hi Auntie Nicole

Hi Uncle Rob!

Auntie Tammy? Where are you?

Grandpa Livingston is going to regret fiddling with our camera. Hehehe.

And here's a turtle. We named him Fred.

A nice photo.

A pic of excitement when receiving the new Clay Aiken CD? (and Grandpa L yawning)...

Lively Gran wants her pic to appear. Which one should she choose? This one?

The Waiting Game. . .

Well, I have telling Bean all along that she had to wait until May 20th to start thinking about making her debut. I officially finished work yesterday, would like to clean the house today and then just wait out her arrival.

We went to the doctor yesterday for our 38th week appointment. Dr. N said that she is measuring 37 weeks (the very first time she hasn't measured right on!). I am still only 1 cm dilated.

I have had a few people mention that there is a full moon on Monday--apparently many babies are delivered during full moons. So we will test out that theory soon.

Hope everyone is doing well!

My first audio post

Like Taking Candy From...

...7th Graders

When I introduce myself and my profession to others who had, shall we say, a less than stellar experience in their own schooling, they frequently claim that teachers get in the business because they enjoy power, like bossing kids around, need attention or simply can't do anything else. I get awful defensive at this point in the conversation, and I blather on about the virtues of teachers with whom I have had the pleasure to work.

And then there are days like today where I manage to prove at least part of their theory correct.

As my students were finishing an opening activity, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone, crinkled my eyebrows, extended the antenae and answered the phone. As I paced towards the door, showing the class my back, I began mimicking a conversation. My students had just finished a quiet writing exercise, so my voice was one of the only sounds in the room.

"Hello? Hey, what's up?"

I took a few steps toward my desk, head down, holding the phone in my left hand and pressing my finger in my opposite ear with the other.

"Really? Did you call in?"

Nervous pacing near my desk. I hear various students shush each other. I imagine a hand reaching across to grab a neighboring elbow, demanding the owner's attention. I don't look at them, though. I'm concentrating on the phone call.

"What did they say? Did they say to come in?"

A wry smile forms. I can't tell if I'm starting to laugh at their reaction or if I'm feeling the rush of what this play represents for me.

"Um...OK. Is MaryAnn going to take you in?"

Mary Ann is Judy's colleague and friend, but the students don't know that. They probably aren't completely sure what I'm doing. Then again, some of the girls begin to mutter as if they just saw a darling little puppy.

"Alright. Should I go home to pick up the bag, or should I just go straight to the hospital?"

I barely finish the word "Hospital" before my students begin to cheer. Some of the girls stand up and clap in a kind of ovation, some of the guys raise their arms and throw them forward, uttering phrases like, "No way!" "Are you serios?" Repeat.

"I'm leaving now. I love you. Bye."

When the phone snapped shut, I was greeted like a Titan, like I just hit a homerun in game 7 of the World Series. For a moment I paused, wondering if I had done the right thing. Then again, I have never walked out of a classroom to a standing ovation and I probably never will again.

Maybe that's why I decided to make curtain calls in all of my classes.

My Pre-AP students were so receptive, I decided to do an encore. With a few minor twists of occurance, the smartest students in school bellowed their support for my act. They were all mine...twice, in the same class period.

While I receive no joy from being boss, I do enjoy the power and attention I receive for practicing a craft I was unable to do professionally.

We Have Child Care!!!

The first in-home child care worker we interviewed just happened to be the best! We interviewed several others, and many were good, but she stood out among the rest.

Her name is Lorna, and she's been doing in-home child care for over 6 years. She has gone through ECFE training with her own children and decided that she wants to make a career out of taking care of young kids. She and her husband purchased their house specifically for this business. They have a fenced yard with lots of playground equipment, and if that's not enough, they have a city park right across the street. We really liked what she had to say about infants, routines, working with parents/families, and curriculum for her kids. Also, she's less than 1 minute's drive away!

This is a huge relief for me, as I was extremely anxious about this decision and the availability (or lack thereof) of infant childcare. I was pessimistically expecting to find all of my options below par, forcing me to choose among sub-standard child care or staying home. Easy decision, but hard to manage. Thankfully, the people I've spoken to these past few weeks are very qualified and do good things with the kids in their charge.

We're at the "waiting game" point of the pregnancy. Judy feels semi-frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions and the baby is "dropped," though this is hard to tell because she has carried this baby low since we can remember. Lots of uncomfortable pressure on the pelvis. We have another doctor's appointment on Friday.

I've announced already to my co-workers and students that I wouldn't be surprised if we went into labor earlier than June 3rd, so I'm hoping that I didn't jinx things there. In the meantime, I think I've gone through a bit of nesting this weekend, though my version is slightly different. I have an urge to shop and buy anything and everything that Bean would like or could use. Today I came home with a multi-drawer, colorful supply drawer that would go great in Bean's room. Along with the drawer set-up, I found several cool packages of books. 36 Illustrated Classics for $50!!! Sigh...I didn't pull the trigger, but I was close.

Attention Guests

All friends and family are welcome to post a comment, but please do us the favor of leaving your name with your comment.

This Blog will one day become a gift to "Bean" and we'd like to be able to tell her a bit about who said what and why.

I love the wise-acre comments, but please leave your name. That way I can properly reflect your sentiments :)

Also, for some of my younger visitors (Ahem...7th graders), please make sure your comment is appropriate. If you feel that you shouldn't sign your name for fear of reprisal, then your comment probably isn't appropriate.

Sign All Comments!!! (you can get a free account to blogger and sign it as I do, if you'd like, or simply name yourself when you sign as anonymous).

Thanks!

Tyler and Judy

The Final Countdown

Bean is almost here. So far, the pregnancy has been right down the middle, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if the doctor's predicted due date is right on the mark. Therefore, we expect to have a little less than 4 weeks left.

Today, I spent the afternoon installing the car seat in both cars. We have two 'bases' that the car seat locks into, so we don't have to buy two car seats.

Judy has been tearing apart the entire house as we begin to baby-proof. We bought some space saver shelves to help our closets, we vacuum packed some old blankets and comforters that we don't use, we've thrown a ton of stuff away, and still everything is all over the floor. If the baby came right now, we'd have the equipment to take care of her, even if we tripped over all of our junk on the way to the room.

This week we'll be visiting several child care providers, trying to find the right placement for Bean. We're very lucky that we can use our summer to get Bean started off on the right track, but come August we'll have to hand her over to somebody else. We have appointments with two "centers" and one in-home. The in-homes are less expensive but less 'regulated' than centers. Centers have several attractive options, but they can be large, impersonal and about $100 more a week.

I worry about money and I don't. I won't be shy to spend money, especially to enrich Bean's care, but I don't want to be taken, especially when I could just stay home and be a Mr. Mom.

We'll see.

Swing-O-Matic

 

We got a swing-o-matic from the second grade team at my school.

Look at all the parts!


"$%#(@)*#!!"

All done. :-) Tyler says it was a piece of cake. I am just glad that he did most of the work.

Baby Shower Part 2--at work

The specialists at my school threw all of us pregnant people at school a Baby Shower. That includes me, our tech guy's wife, and one of the second grade teachers (who had her baby 3 days earlier and couldn't make it.)

The shower was held in the Media Center and it was decorated very nicely.

Here is Bean's new hooded bath towel.

Our Spanish teacher, Karina, is a wonderful artist and decorated the wrapping paper. Inside the paper is our infant car seat--another thing for Tyler and I to figure out.

Here is the delicious cake.

Corey and I both got the book Your Baby and Child--apparently a good resource for parents. Tyler is currently reading it.

We also got a Swing-o-Matic--see the next post for how the assembly of that went. :-)

Thank you to everyone I work with for throwing such a nice shower. I am fortunate to work in such a supportive envioronment.

36 Week Update

We went to the doctor today and he is very impressed that I have the "perfect pregnancy." Everything checked out right on schedule. He also said that I am 1 cm dilated and because Bean is so low technically I could go into labor any day now, but realistically I will probably go close to my due date. I have had a ton of braxton hicks contractions--it is amazing how hard my tummy gets--like a big basketball. My next appointment is on May 20th.

Baby Shower Part 1

We're overdue for another post, so I thought today would be a great time to provide a brief update.

Grandma Livingston and Auntie Tammy held the first of many baby showers for young Bean. Grandma Nyhlen came down for the weekend from Grand Forks for the celebration.

I, on the other hand, was at home doing homework. OK, I played a little baseball on the PS2, but I did get a lot accomplished.

I just finished reading Tracy Hogg's Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. As far as pregnancy/child rearing books go, it was a pretty good read. Our friends Adam and Beth Roesch recommended it to us, and after watching their masterful parenting, how could we turn it down? The book centers on creating a bond between parents and baby, listening to and respecting what the baby is trying to tell us with her crys and body movements, and establishing a routine.

And I still need to change my first diaper.

This weekend, we'll be attending a class at Mercy Hospital called "All About Babies." I really need this class because I really have zero experience with babies. I probably didn't hold my first baby until a couple years ago, and the few I've held since then never quite felt right. While I'm told that I should expect to feel inadequate and unprepared no matter how much studying up I do, I think I'd rather go in at least knowing about how not to drop a baby.

Bean is constantly moving in the womb. I have fun caressing fists/feet/head/bum and any and everything that pokes out of Judy's stomach. Every once and a while, Judy will startle with an, "Oh," place both hands on the sides of her stomach and say, "Bean, go to sleep."

It never works.

Pics from Livingston Shower

The Livingston Baby Shower was very nice. Everyone was so generous and Bean is lucky to have such a wonderful family. Bean recieved everything from Baby Banz Sunglassess (from Grandpa Livingston) to hand knitted blankets and hats.

Above--this is some of the kitchen supplies needed to clean Bean's bottles and hold her formula.


This is the blanket that was knitted by Grandma Livingston. It is so soft and very beautiful.


A little hard to see, but this is the bonnet that was knitted by Shari. Bean will look so cute wearing it.


Inside the box? A 4-in-one bathtub. It will grow with the baby for hopefully a couple years use.

Playing around with gifts

 

Two teachers in the house?  Bean is doomed.

Judy says, "Every picture I take with things I'm posing by them.  Every picture you take with things, you're playing on them."  Yeah, that's about right.

Thank you Vanessa and Bob!  It looks great.