Foundation Forms

I was so excited to drive by the house yesterday and see that the foundation forms were not only put up, but poured!  You can see that it it is turning into a house!  Now is when everything is going to start to pick up and move quickly.  Now if only the weather will cooperate!

This is a shot from the right side of the house.  The front mound of dirt is the garage.  You can see the main part of the house and morning room in the back.  I am soooooo excited that I can hardly stand it!

Pregnant moment of the week:  I wouldn't walk around the house because I was too scared of losing my balance and falling.  What happened to me jumping over large holes and climbing high mountains/rocks?  I had to get Travis walk around and take all the pictures. 

Sub Plans

Sub Plans...You Will Not Defeat Me!!!

I have spent the majority of my long weekend completing sub plans for when I go on maternity leave.  Let me tell you, it is not an easy process.  Luckily I have a great team this year so I am not worried if I forgot anything important.  They will keep my sub up to date and informed.

I planned out what needed to be taught each week and came up with activities and practice for most things.  She will have to see what the team does for some of it.  I also got all my centers organized.  The two big things I have left are planning for math and making copies.  With the new core curriculum, I need to talk to the team leader to get the math map since it is changed so much from last year.

I broke it down by week and color coded it.  I have file folders with the resources and a long print up of standards to be taught each week (also color coded).  It was no easy task, but it is done!  Now just to get everything copied and made!  The hard part is done!

My sub box.  I went ahead and planned for the rest of the year.  I don't know if I will be early or late so I went ahead and did it all!

35 Weeks and Dropping

I can officially count how many weeks I have left on one hand!  I have five weeks to go , but I am hoping she comes before then.  I keep telling her that she is due March 17th instead of the 23rd so she will come then.  My dad keeps telling me that she is going to come when ever she wants.  We will see what happens.  I think it would be fun to have a St. Patty's Day baby since 3-13-13 is not likely. 

One good sign that she is getting prepared is that she has dropped.  I have always heard of this happening but never really understood or noticed it on others.  Several people at work this week even commented that I "looked different," "dropped," and I am "carrying low now."

I don't feel so full/thick around my top and the bottom of my belly seems soooo heavy.  I had to hold my belly up last night when I was jogging because it felt so heavy.  Her dropping was a gradual process.  Last week I started having lots of lower back pain and by the end of the week I was feeling all the "symptoms" of when a baby drops.  I am now at the stage where I waddle more than walk and my stomach is constantly tight.  All I can do is laugh at how I must look.  

Travis has been really good at being sympathetic and rubbing my back every night.  Other than the lower back pain, I am feeling great!  I really do need to count my blessings with how well this pregnancy has gone.  I feel huge, but realize that is nothing compared to what others suffer.  I attribute a lot of it to staying active and eating decently, but I guess my mom gave me some good genes too.

Here is my picture from 33weeks vs. 35.  Can you see the difference?

Footers

Let me just start by saying this was the longest week ever and I am really looking forward to this three day weekend!  I am exhausted and ready for the break!

The house this week was pretty disappointing.  It was a gorgeous week and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get things done.  The footers were put in on Tuesday, but nothing else happened the rest of the week.  I went by every day in hopes of seeing something accomplished and was disappointed.

Footers:
(Sorry it is dark. I didn't have my camera until I went by with Travis that evening.)

We did get an email from our PM today saying that they are waiting to get the foundation walls poured but the forms were dropped off today.  Next week they plan on pouring the foundation, installing the gravel for the garage, setting the basement structural steel, waterproofing the home and possibly pouring the basement and garage slabs.  I am hoping it all gets done!

Everyone has been asking me how the house is coming and they are very doubtful that it will be finished by April when I tell them how much is done now.  I am still keeping my fingers crossed but realize they may be right.  :(

1 Transfer

As a missionary, you do everything by transfer, or 6 weeks.  You track how many transfers you have been out, how many transfers you have left, how many transfers you have been in an area and how many transfers you have been with a certain companion.  Each transfer you make goals, set things to work on, and focus on certain people and things.  There was a saying that you could do anything for a transfer.  It was only a short amount of time.

As of today, I only have one transfer left until I have a baby if not less.  That is not long at all!  If I recall correctly, the last transfer of my mission was the fastest.  It seemed like I couldn't get in everything that I wanted to.

With that being said, the stress of getting everything done has really hit.  I am not so stressed about the baby as I am about life.  I am definitely a planner and you can't plan the arrival of a baby.  She may come early, she may come late or she may be exactly on time.

I officially have a long term sub lined up for when I am on maternity leave.  That is probably my biggest stress right now.  I am really excited about the sub, but how am I supposed to plan 8 weeks worth of teaching now?  Everything is based on the students and how much they are understanding.  Besides being a planner, I am also an organizer.  How do I organize 8 weeks worth of material?  And when will that time start?  I need to plan the next six weeks so that I can prepare plans for the following 6 weeks.  That is a long time!

I have started reading birthing and child raising articles and books now instead of pregnancy ones.  I just don't think anything can really prepare you until you have first hand experience.

I haven't really done anything for the baby's room either.  We will be moving just a couple weeks after she arrives so we aren't even setting up the crib.  My parents and Travis' mom are planning on coming when the little one arrives so we need the baby's room for company anyways. 

I am putting all other buying on hold until I have my baby shower so I can really evaluate what I need.  It is so hard though because I just want to start getting everything ready now. 

I did finally find a diaper bag that I like.  Too bad it is $150.  Travis vetoed it before he even knew the price.  He asked why everything had to look like a purse.  He said he would never carry a diaper bag like that.  What was your favorite diaper bag and why?

This is my favorite one so far.  This is a runner up that Travis said he could handle. (I tried posting the picture, but it wouldn't let me.)

There's a Hole in the Ground!!!

Yesterday was full of let downs.  To start it all off, I was going on day 3 of killer migraine.  I had a doctor's appointment and found out that I can't deliver at the place I wanted and was told that I couldn't be induced until 41 weeks even though at my last appointment they told me I could be induced at 39 weeks.  I thought I would drive by the house to see any progress and all I found was an empty lot.  Then I had to go straight over to church and didn't get home till late after not being home ALL day. 

Today is a totally different story!  I woke up head ache free and had a great night's rest.  The weather has been beautiful all day!  It even hit the 50s!  The best part though, was the text that I got while I was on my lunch break. 

"Travis/Amber, Good news.  I picked up your permit this morning and we are digging today!"

Wahoo!!!!  I could hardly keep my excitement in!  I told the other kindergarten teachers and my principal right after school.  My principal just built with Ryan Homes this past year so he understood my excitement. 

Of course I had a ton to do after school and couldn't leave immediately, but knowing that I could go see the start of our home gave me motivation to work quickly.  I didn't do everything I had planned because I was so anxious to get over to the lot.  (I just wanted to get started on my planning/organizing for maternity leave.  It can wait another day.)

I was so excited as I drove around the corner to see our lot.  I was reminded of a song from Girl's Camp when I saw it.
"There was a hole (There was a hole)
In the middle of the ground (In the middle of the ground)
The prettiest hole (The prettiest hole)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around"

There was definitely a pretty hole, but definitely not any green grass!  So, here are some pictures from today!  (Warning:  you may get sick of seeing house updates.  I plan on going by the house everyday for the next few weeks because I hear things go fast once they are started.)  I can't wait!!!!!!

This first picture is for my nephew, Sam.  He loves construction vehicles so I tried to get a picture with both in it.  You can tell the sun was shining because it is washed out and I am too lazy to edit it right now. 

 I didn't think about it while taking the picture, but I thought I would post this one to show other houses being built right now.  There are at least 8 in progress that I know of.  You can see two that have their backs to us.  There is another one straight across the street from the house on the right and one next door to us.  I am curious to know if the other Palermo broke ground today too!

 Lot 428.  That's us!!

33 Weeks

Guess What?!?! I am having a baby NEXT month!!  I am 33 weeks!!  That means I only have 7 weeks to go before this little princess arrives...49 days to be exact!!!  It could be less than that if I get induced a week early like my doctor said.  That doesn't seem like much time at all!

The stress of getting everything done has hit me.  The only problem is that I don't really know what I need to do to prepare.  I have a crib and mattress (thanks mom and dad!) as well as lots of other things people have given us as hand-me downs.  All those things are nice to have, but are they the essentials?  I should probably get some newborn diapers and swaddle blankets, but I don't know what else I NEED.  Of course I could go out and buy tons of new clothes because a girl can never have too many clothes, but I don't even know what size she will be.  Will I need premie (highly unlikely), newborn or 0-3 months?  It is so hard to plan for such a big change that is about to happen.  Not to mention that we are trying to get rid of stuff at this point so we won't have as much stuff to move a few weeks after she is born.

I am very excited though!  Just a few quick updates so that I can remember during future pregnancies.  She has started moving more and more.  Everything at my last appointment looked good.  I am still feeling great!  Of course I am getting more tired and achy if I push myself all day, but that is normal.  I am afraid that I am starting to waddle a little when I walk.  I blame it on the fact that I get Braxton hicks contractions all the time so it is more comfortable to waddle when that happens.  I can still wear my wedding rings and my belly button has not popped out yet.  I am feeling huge, but I am 7 1/2 months pregnant so that is normal.

Some of my friends that don't live nearby have been requesting pictures again.  So, first I will show you a cute picture of me and Travis from our honeymoon.  I have been craving another cruise lately!  It was absolutely amazing and I wish I could go back now, especially with all the snow and cold weather we have been getting!

And here I am at 33 weeks