Halfway...and a bit

Last week we reached the halfway mark. I'm now nearly 21 weeks along. Unbelievable!

Recently had my big ultrasound and booking-in appointment at the hospy. And the verdict is in... we are having a baby girl :) So far she is healthy and big, and has all the right bits in all the right places. And she's very bouncy! Dan's been able to feel her tumbling about pretty regularly now. Last night we even saw the first belly-quakes from the surface - :O Hilarious! it's pretty funny seeing your tummy bubble and bounce on it's own!

And everything is just so cute lately! Danny & I were in a new camping store this weekend, replacing one of our dying campchairs. Next to the regular-sized campchairs, wouldn't you know it - itty bitty sized child-sized ones. So much cuteness! I was positively giggly!

I've been having the weirdest dreams. Most of them include my family in Minnesota - usually all of them. Last week my clearest and craziest dream featured Dan and I living with all of my Thurber family in a great big house somewhere. Mom & I were both pregnant at the same time. We were walking around huge and due on the same day! Of course, my mom's baby popped out easily, at home, 3 weeks early. She had a 1 hour labour and no pain and I was so jealous. She was holding my blonde baby brother and saying to me "Oh, ya know, it hurt with you, but now this is my 7th one, and it's just easy now. Doesn't hurt anymore." I woke up very confused...and then just started laughing!

Things are going pretty well. For those of you who knew before that I always weighed about 100 pounds, you'll be pleased and maybe surprised as I've been, to know that I've put on 20 pounds already. I guess baby needs it... but I reckon I look a bit shorter! oh well, it's all good :)

I start a new job contract today - a long-term sub position. So I'm back to working 5 days a week now for the next few months. I'll be team-teaching a cluster class - an intensive 1 day class for new arrivals and beginning level students in grades 6 & 7. It's the class I went on excursion with at the end of last year, and I know some of this year's kids already from working with them in various schools. There are about 15 kids from a handful of schools around the area. The teacher I'll be working with is great. I'm really looking forward to it, should be a lot of fun!
Guess I better go get ready to do that...

Hope you're all well and happy :)

March photos and changes

So we're 18 weeks along today, and here are some recent photos from the weekend. It seems just in the past week and 1/2 - so many little changes! My belly's popped out a bit, and Bubsy is becoming an unbelievably active little character! Dominika reckons since I can feel so much so early, it must be a big baby - a strong boy. Hmm... who knows?! Doesn't seem to be getting too big too fast, thank goodness! Just one more week till we get to see Wee One again.

Thoughts on life in Trimester 2

HI friends :)

Thought I'd update you on some of daily life lately.

I really like being pregnant. Lately I've been shopping for cute maternity tops on e-bay - last night I won a really cute tee-shirt that says "Baby: ingredients: Love (58%), Passion (28%), Hope (20%). Cooking Instructions: Pat tummy gently for 9 months and daydream (Dan read that and he said - well, you've definately got the method down!). Made in Australia from local and/or imported ingredients. May contain traces of chocolate."

Life down under's pretty busy. We really like our house. We have to get a termite treatment to protect us from the little buggers... so there goes our savings. We're working on designing a nursery - we're going to paint and put in new floors and a floor rug and decorate from scratch..that's all very exciting at the moment! Well, I'm picking colours and themes and what-not, and then danny's going to do the actual painting when I'm far away from all the fumes. Ahh, the perks :)

I'm actually studying a lot. I feel like I'm taking 2 courses simultaneously. One could be called, How to Not Screw Up your Brand New Baby 101, and the other, How to Survive the Terrors of Childbirth 102. :) Yeah, there's a lot of reading involved...and interviews with tons of other recent mothers, and some internet research. The final exams for the 2nd course are in August - possibly August 14th, but who knows exactly - there could always be a pop quiz! But the first course - well, who knows when those finals are. In about 18 to 20 years I expect :) So I guess I've got plenty of time to perfect those skills - and all the other add-on courses that come along with it. It's an extremely intensive package deal. If you ever decide to take any of these - beware! there's no going back. There's Enduring toddlerhood, and Parenting a Preschooler, and Navigating the messy world of Elementary School.... Oh my goodness! How exciting!

School is full-on. I can't remember if I've mentioned that I've been cut back to 3&1/2 days this term - they've made massive cuts to education this year, and special ed and ESL are really suffering from it at the moment. grrr... but I'll be back to full time next term starting 30th March, and work up until end of June when the 2 week break comes and then I'll just sit around and study and nest and wait for baby to come :) and go camping! Anyway, I'm working 5 different schools in less than 4 days a week. I'm a whirlwind travelling teacher. It's crazy. But let me tell you, the week goes by fast! Sometimes I get quite swamped - I really have too many students when it comes to managing all the paperwork and admin we have to do - but all in all I quite like my job. I love my students and the variety, it's always incredibly interesting. And sometimes they even learn things from me!

And I guess that's about all the news from down here for now. Hope you're all well and staying warm :) We'd love to hear from you any time.

Talk to you soon,

Alicia

Pictures of bub

My husband is a genius - he got the scanner on our computer up and working again, so I'm happy to share with the world our very first photos of our very first child! If you look really carefully, you can see his/her great big brain :) I'm so proud!

That one's a bit fuzzy, but bubby's waving at us :)