Brag

I'm going to take this opportunity to do a little shameless bragging. If you're not interested in me patting myself on the back, you can go ahead and hit the road.

The Northwest Passage is the school newspaper at Northwest, where I had my first full-time teaching job back in 2010-2011. I was recently sent a copy because I'm mentioned in an article about a former student of mine.

Hayley was an all-star student and I adored having her in class as well as seeing her a church on Sundays. She's now taking three languages at NW and has big plans for the future. I can't wait to see where God leads her!

My first year was incredibly challenging and I was absolutely convinced (by the end of first semester) that it would be my last. Honestly, if I could've found another job I would've left the profession in a heartbeat. As I finish the end of my third year I'm still not 100% sure I'm in it for the long haul but mentally I'm so far past where I was back then. It's pretty amazing to read her quote and see how much of an impact I had when I was at my worst. 

I hadn't seen Hayley and her family at church for quite a while and when we caught each other on Sunday she ran up and gave me a hug. She was so excited to see that I'm pregnant and I was grateful I could thank her in person for her kind words. 

I can only hope for more experiences like this in my future. This is why I teach.

30 weeks

At 30 weeks ...

- I can't believe we're almost down to single-digit weeks left! Wowza the time has gone fast.

- I'm having a terrible case of pregnancy brain. Or it's my regular forgetfulness and I'm blaming it on the baby.

- my daily pregnancy emails tell me he's about 3 pounds and is nearing his birth length.

- I'm getting ... well ... how do I say it ... large. And in charge.

- I was telling Laura I think the baby is going to run out of room and she politely reminded me that I have a long way to go. AKA suck it up, sister. (Get it? Sister? I crack myself up.)

- Baby Simms is still nameless.

- I'm very proud that I ate fish two days in a row this week. Never mind that one was parmesan-crusted and served with fried potatoes. Or that I polished off a family-size bag of Wavy Lays this week. I'm getting those Omega-3s!

- I'm still counting kicks and I totally get why pregnant women all joke that their child "is going to be quite the soccer player!".

- I had my first pregnancy charlie horse in the middle of the night. I was such a whiner that I probably made poor Rob think I was going into labor. Seriously, how did I do it when I had them every night in Mexico for a month?! My calf and foot got all mangled up into a mutant mess and wouldn't straighten out. I was still majorly sore the whole next day!

- I can't wait to meet this little baby! Rob and I are getting SO EXCITED!!! Each day we're one one step closer. :D

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful ...

- for a beautiful little niece who turned two last Friday.

- for a handsome little nephew who turns one this Saturday.

- that we'll be living closer to family and won't miss out on as many celebrations. With so many rugrats there are a LOT of celebrations!

- for Cory's continued improvement. I can't even explain how this fills my heart with joy!

- for a student who made up a cutesy rhyme in class the other day. We were practicing vocab with plastic food and she had the apple and pear. "You're the apple of my eye, we make a great pear!" (Accompanied by a huge cheesy grin.) In another class, another student made a point to give me the apple since that's what students are supposed to do for teachers. Ha!

- for my lab assistants. They are helping me accomplish so much before the end of the year.

- for the cards (and giftcard! and money!) we got for our anniversary yesterday. People are so thoughtful! I'm also excited that we already have a babysitter lined up for next April 24.

- that the weather is about to make a turn for the better. The warmth is long overdue.

- for Rob's new gym membership. He loves it so much and it gives him something to do when I go to sleep at 9:00!

- I could loan my wedding veil to a friend. Well, actually I've never met her. And I don't even remember her name. She's Rob's ex-coworker so I guess that makes us friends by association, right?

- we're not the only ones going through some craziness in our lives. Two of Rob's good friends from school are also expecting while trying to get their offices up and running. Babies, babies, babies!

- for credit card points. We cashed in $350 worth from my account which almost covered the brand new video camera which is supposed to be delivered this week!

- that we will soon have new neighbors. Hopefully the kind that don't play the same song for nearly 30 minutes during my morning routine. Here is what I heard today: Russian Roulette. Have I ever mentioned how much I detest Rhianna?

- that we have been the quiet neighbors for 3 years. (Seriously, Rob is like a ninja. He frequently attributes it to his "Indian blood" AKA a long lost ancestor is part Native-American.) I have a hunch that a baby might change our reputation.

- for the best husband in the world. He made such a fuss about us not doing gifts for each other then cheerfully claimed that he "won" when he realized I followed the rules and he didn't. How can I complain when the gift was fresh made chocolate-covered strawberries and a create-your-own cupcake from a bakery at the Plaza? He knows me so well. :)

 

Anniversary

Happy anniversary to my better half. I couldn't have asked for three more amazing years. Who knew signing up for Intro to Cultural Anthropology would lead us to where we are today! That was six and half years ago and there are plenty more changes to come in the near future. Moving, new jobs, and most importantly - expanding our wolfpack to three. So much to celebrate!


He keeps getting more & more handsome!



29 Weeks

At 29 weeks ...

- things are still progressing nicely. No major changes or noteworthy issues this week, thank goodness!

- there's still lots to do to prepare for the big arrival. On one hand, I'm glad we have some time but 11 weeks doesn't sound like much!

- my main concerns are: getting temporary insurance for the baby, the move in general, whether or not I'll be ready to work Aug 6 for new teacher orientation or even by the first day on Aug 15, and my newest addition: the fact that this little angel has to actually come out of me. 

- we had our childbirth class (the origin of my latest worry). 

To say Rob was not excited about spending his entire Saturday (9am-4pm) watching graphic videos and practicing breathing techniques is an understatement. However, he was a trooper and obviously learned some important info. I'm glad we went and it was a helpful day overall. 

The highlight of my day was when five of us couples were squished in the elevator and it started making a buzzing noise as the doors closed slowly. Everyone laughed nervously and started joking about going into labor (especially the girl who was already dilated to a 3. What?!) . I turned to look at Rob who did not think it was funny and really didn't appreciate when I said, "It's ok, he's a doctor!". Night.mare.

Oh, and I clearly thought we would be the star students with him being a doctor and a me a teacher, but I failed us miserably when we showed up without the only thing we were instructed to bring - two pillows. Whoops. It worked out find since we had time to come home over lunch but I was disappointed!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful...

- this baby is so active! He's already setting records: I just recorded 10 kicks in 29 seconds. Settle down, little guy!

- for a disappointing tour of OPRMC. Yep, you read that right. Our decision was made the second we walked in the door and it just went downhill from there. SMMC, here we come...

- for a great 3rd hour today mostly because my least favorite student skipped for the 12th time this semsester. My Frenchies have been all but beaten down this year from our challenging and nearly impossible curriculum. I've decided not to teach the subjunctive which gives me a whopping 9 days for vocab this chapter! I'm loving the freedom and flexibility to incorporate some different activities we haven't had time for yet. Today we did a speaking activity where they were supposed to small-talk with their partners for two minutes with no English. You should've seen the smiles on their faces when I cut them off and told them it had been five minutes!

- for Rob's semi-successful solo trip to the grocery store today. This time he only came home with two half-price containers of donut balls, 80% beef, and Doritos. Well, at least it's improvement from last time ...

- that I finally kept a straight face today while playing a very very mean pregnant lady trick. My victim was a former student when we saw each other in the hallway today.
- Sra Simms, you're pregnant?!
- What?
- I didn't know you were pregnant!
- What are you talking about?
- (she looks at my belly with a very concerned look then there's a loooong pause)
- Ha, just kidding!

- for another April birthday. Happy second 29th today to a beautiful big sis of mine!

- for a job opportunity Rob recently discovered. We're trying to be level-headed and not get our hopes up or make a rash decision. Hah, like I'm capable of that!

- for a chiropractor in Cedar Falls who has made Cory a happy camper. I can't believe I just said Cory and happy camper in the same sentence. This is the greatest of all Thankful Thursday entries!!!!! 

Fire

Sad news, friends! Rob's cousin Sarah and her family have lost everything in a house fire Thursday night. I can't imagine the stress, grief, and helplessness they must be feeling, especially after reading the details here.

The blaze

There is good news, however. Read what Sarah posted on her Facebook: Bill, kids and I are just overwhelmed with the wonderful support and donations from everyone everywhere! We can't thank people enough! Our family, friends and community are amazing! Thank you all so very much! We love you all!

How GORGEOUS does Kaitlyn look in this donated dress she wore to prom Saturday night?! 

If you're interested in helping out, check out the Give Forward account here.

28 Weeks

At 28 weeks ...

- it feels like baby Simms keeps trying to crawl out my belly button. My whole lower belly protrudes (see photo below) and gets rock hard until he shifts positions again. Someone should explain to him that's not how it's going to happen. Stat.

- baby has eyelashes and can blink! He can also dream. Hmm, I wonder what he's dreaming about in there.

- Rob sang the following song to me, "Tammy the camel has ... one hump! Tammy the camel has ... one hump!" etc.

- we got to meet Harper! Whenever I'm around babies lately it just really hits home that we're going to have our own little angel SO SOON!

Harper Grace Beerends

- we finally got to take a tour of Shawnee Mission Medical Center. It was absolutely beautiful and we got tons of information. The only bad part of the day was the other people in our tour group. You know how there's always that couple in situations like this? Well there were three of those couples.

- I laughed out loud after they showed the pull-out couch in the hospital room and a guy standing next to Rob turns to him and says, "Hey, man. That's not gonna work for you, is it?" HA!  

- we're in the process of finding short-term insurance for the little guy. It's neither fun nor easy.

- we're also in the market for a pediatrician who will see our little angel one time. Yep, all this work for one measly visit! Ok, it's probably the guy who will do the circumcision which is fairly important.

- I passed my gestational diabetes test!

- Rob thinks he has the name all figured out but I just can't jump on board yet. 

- I'm desperate to lay flat on my back! I think I've gotten more comfortable with sleeping on my side because I've been tossing and turning less. I hate to be greedy but laying on my stomach would be nice too!

- Rob and I are wishing we were in Chicago this weekend in Chicago.

- my snoring continues to be a serious problem. For Rob, obvi. It doesn't bother me at all :)

- I read a funny meme that said, "I feel like my mind is an internet browser with 2,956 tabs open. All the time." Yep!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful  ...

- that we don't have to make up any snow days! YahooOOOoo!

- that I'm not as far behind as I thought I would be after missing two days of school. I guess that preparation paid off. And the fact that I left them movies to watch and didn't assign homework. :)

- for the nice note my sub left: Tammy, Your classes were wonderful both days! They all sat up and seemed interested. (The French 2 kids loved the movie!) I did not have any problems with electronics. :) They are such neat kids - I enjoy them and I'm sure you do as well. I hope "Baby Simms" is growing and kicking. - Anita

- that I had Anita, the best sub ever. Not only does she leave pages of detailed notes (and super nice comments), she also checks EVERYTHING. It's so incredible to come back to!

- for a few productive and fun days in Ankeny. See Laura's blog for proof on the fun part: Part 1 Part 2

- that we tentatively found our future apartment. Check it out: Woodland Reserve

- for my coworkers: past, present, and future. I'm so blessed!

- for April birthdays! Kael's is coming up Saturday ... I can't believe he's going to be 8!

- for the nap I took yesterday. I was attributing my sleepiness to the long weekend, crazy schedule, etc. but Rob pointed out it was probably a pretty serious sugar crash after the glucose test! Hah.

- For the rose on my desk at school. A coworker of mine applied for grants and somehow got us a set of iPads for the World Language department and the Shawnee Mission Education Fund presented us with a big check, flowers, and two tickets to the theatre. What are the odds of me prying my dear husband away from baseball for a night to go a performance?

- for upcoming baby showers! They're the best and I have three planned in 10 days. I'm going to be a party.animal.

- for friends' milestones and celebrations as well. Melissa's bachelorette party also falls in that 10 day span and her wedding is two weeks later. Oh, and I've been talking wedding plans with Kristen which is one of my very favorite after school activites!

- for the songs I teach. Most are pretty ridiculous, but today my Frenchies got a taste of Celine and I love that it's still stuck in my head. Je chanterai, je chanterai, je chanterai, je chanterai toujours... I was THISCLOSE to convincing my third hour to perform it together.

28 week appointment

Today was my 28 week appointment, and it went well! I had to drink the sugary concoction at school an hour ahead of my scheduled time and it wasn't near as bad as I feared. The only downside was that I had to gulp it down in 5 minutes.

I met Rob at the clinic and had my blood drawn first for the glucose tolerance test. Thankfully she didn't have any issues (like they usually do) getting the needle in, especially since she commented that I was dehydrated. I wanted to snap back that yes, talking in my "teacher voice" all day to a bunch of high schoolers will do that no matter how much water you drink. (I fill my water glass in between almost every class period.) Not many people are aware that teachers purposely teeter on the line of dehydration because there isn't time to use the restroom.

Anyway, we met with Dr. Bauer Holthus after that and everything was good! I love listening to the little heartbeat and getting the reassurance that everything is progressing as it should. It's extra nice to have Rob by my side at these appointments! I'm thankful that he has the time off and can be more involved than most dads at this point.

Dr. Bauer Holthus gave us some more information and pre-registration forms for the hospital and we got a few of our questions asked. Let's just say the pros and cons aren't quite as lopsided as I thought they were. We're touring SMMC this Saturday and OPRMC on Wednesday so hopefully we'll have things figured out soon.

She also instructed me to start monitoring kicks each night and that I'm supposed to feel at least 10 in a two hour period. After dinner I downloaded an app and gave it a shot. I wasn't at all surprised when it only took 9 minutes to record those kicks! He's a squirmy little guy - even now as I'm writing this post he's bouncing all over in there.

I should find out the results of my glucose tolerance test within a couple days, then only 2 weeks until my next appointment! Yippee for not having to wait a month in between anymore but yikes that the due date is creeping up so quickly...

27 weeks

At 27 weeks ...

- babe is as squirmy as ever!

- I'm now entering the THIRD TRIMESTER! (Well, depending on how you count..) Where did the time go??

- I'm getting nervous ready for my glucose test this Wednesday. I know it won't be that bad, it's just not something to look forward to.

- I've been staying up later. I think it's a combination of more energy and a later sunset.

- Rob is officially done with his preceptorship! Actually he got to leave at lunch on Wednesday (2 1/2 days early) AND got a $100 check for helping train two new employees!

- I'm still eating lots of salty foods. I may or may not eat two rounds of chips in the afternoon.

- my pregnancy newsletter tells me the baby can cry now. How is that even possible?! And what would he have to cry about?

- my heartburn has gotten a little better, until I bought the most delicious, juicy pineapple at the store!

- I can still wear a handful of non-maternity clothes which you may or may not believe based on the pic below.

Riddle

Q: What do you get when your (hungry) husband goes to the grocery store all alone?







































A: Two family-sized bags of Doritos, premium cookie dough ice cream, center-cut bacon, and two bags of Easter candy.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful ...

- that Rob and I had a nice, quiet Easter in KC. It's very strange to not be with family on a holiday, but we made the most of it and savored one of our last calm weekends as a twosome. Thankfully Mary provided a delicious Easter dinner last weekend in Glenwood so we didn't feel too guilty eating cheeseburgers on Sunday. :)

- for our church's musical performances. We saw the choir perform at Christmas (for a split second ... that's another story though) and they were just as delightful on Easter. I really appreciate a good singing voice since mine's so terrible. Fun fact - Rob can sing Elvis, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Aretha Franklin and everything in between. I'm never disappointed on our car trips! Except that he can't listen to a song the entire way through. Ha!

- that I can share the story of the Resurrection with my students. While it is a culture day about Semana Santa, I go a little extra in depth with the background info!

- that I don't have to share my classroom next year.

- for this baby who doesn't let me forget for a second that he's in there!

- that Rob and I are getting closer on names. Now we just have to decide how contemporary or traditional to go.

- for our trip to Ankeny this weekend. On the schedule: apartment tour, chiropractor dinner in DSM, meeting with my future coworkers (round two), and celebrating some April birthdays!

- that I finally get to let my students watch a movie. Two whole class periods even! I hope they're happy campers.

- that I'm going to give less homework next year.

- for a surprise Rob said is waiting for me at home. He always hints that there's a puppy waiting for me, but it's usually a snack of some sort. AKA the kind of treat that I would prefer. :)

- for this: Rhea Lana. A coworker shared it with me and I'm not sure if I'm going or what to expect, but I'm thankful to be in the club now. You know, the secret club of moms (and grandmas) who know these kinds of things and always share info with each other? Yep, I'm officially in. I even know about Amazon Mom!

- that I'm finally to the Spain chapter in Spanish 2. Bonus: it's food vocab - yippee!

- that I don't teach metals. I had to cover for the shop teacher a couple days ago and it was immediately apparent that I was way out of my element. While the students were all shockingly quiet and respecful, I was silently terrified of them ... and everything in that area of the school. Coming back to my own bubble-gum and butterflies classroom made me realize how many students probably hate how cheerful that environment is.

"Weld or Die"