What a miracle!

That was so NEAT to hear the heart beat yesterday! We first heard my slower thump-a-thump-a-thump and then she found it, a miracle hiding inside of me, with a much faster heart beat thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. Wow. I didn't think a little thumping noise could bring so much joy and excitement (and relief!). It made Derek get right out of his seat and come over with wide eyes and a big smile too. So. Amazing.

We get to hear the heart beat today!

I'm excited. I know. This was how long we were going to wait until we wanted to tell people. (sigh) No more having to keep a secret anymore. Phew. I'm bad at keeping secrets! :)

Thanksgiving will be so fun this year:

"So, what are you thankful for, Julie?"

"Hmm... well, let's see. (giggle, giggle)".

Dear friend or family member,

I'm so sorry...

• that I slammed my laptop closed when you walked in, but I had my weekly pregnancy update on the screen!
• that I didn't want those teachers to observe in my room; I never know when morning sickness will hit and my students are used to me grabbing a chair and sitting down in the middle of a lesson :)
• that I barely helped rake the mountain of leaves at our house. The smell made me dry heave and I was so tired after the first load or two!
• that I made you all move the boxes into my house when I was just in charge of "directing everyone" to the correct room, my lower back hurt just looking at those boxes, baby!
  
• if I lied to you... I had no other way of explaining WHY I couldn't get that flu shot so I just lied and said I got it.
  
• that I had to get someone to cover my class twice, they only have their labs open at lunch and the obgyn is only in at certain times of the day!
  
• I couldn't finish that WONDERFUL meal you made me, I really don't eat big meals anymore due to the boating.
• I'm always eating when I'm talking to you on the phone... I'm just always hungry!
  
• I make you find every bathroom when we're shopping, I really do have to GO!
• I have not worked out with you at MVP in a long time, something about nausea and lack of energy just turns me off
  
• it took me 2 whole weeks to recover from the Swine Flu, I really was very sick... something about a weaker immune system... :) Man, I'm glad that's over!
  
• I never connected with you right away when you returned to the USA after 2 months... I KNEW you would ask me and I can't lie to you!
  
• I poured half the drink you gave me down the drain while you were out of the room, I knew you'd notice if I didn't drink it! (the other half was great to sip on though!)
• I looked like I didn't like that wine you served us. It was sooo good! Derek enjoyed drinking mine though. :)
  

Thank you for...

• not insisting on toasting with champagne right there when we got our new house
• carrying all those boxes into my house for me
• helping to rake the leaves and lending us the leaf blower!
• making homemade chicken soup when I was sick
• not complaining when I canceled on you for the birthday party and not asking why I don't call as often
• not asking where the baby's room would be, I would've blushed!
  
• saying you care but not pressing for more info when I did need to go to the doctor twice during school
• switching my glass in and out for yours and drinking twice as much when I was given a drink, I knew you could handle it, Honey.

I forgot what healthy felt like

Now I know I am feeling better because:

• I'm hungry every 2 hours
• I can laugh and smile again
• I can keep up with my students (their energy is back 100% too!)
• My morning sickness and lower back pain have returned in full force
• I actually vacuumed the other day
  
• I don't have to sit down and rest after just a quick shower
  
• The only reason I wake up in the middle of the night is to pee... no more coughing spells
• I lost 4 pounds while I was sick but it evens out my clothes due to the bloating :)
• I think I'm a wimpy pg lady...
  
• I'm excited to start unpacking boxes in our new house!
  

I Caught the Bug...

The doctor's office told me not to come in. I think everyone just passes it to each other when they go into their doctor. My temperature was 101 at the highest. The nurse said if it goes over 101 I need to go to the Emergency Room because that high of a temp could be dangerous to the baby. Yikes! I took my Tylenol religiously every 4 hours to try and keep my temp down but it persisted for 3 and a half days! I sat home Sunday through Wednesday. I had sooo much fun:

I'm sure it was the H1N1 Swine Flu. I heard a third of my class was out along with me. When I went back to school on Thursday, I was only a ghost of myself... soooo tired! I did make it through Thursday and Friday though, AND I finished report cards. If you ever choose a week to be sick, don't choose report card week because it is no fun! You sleep 18 hours of the day and work on report cards and sub plans the other 6 hours:

Derek was so understanding and helpful. He put up with all my moaning, coughing, chills, and even slept on the floor the whole week! (it was probably better that way, I wouldn't want him to catch this one!) He said he was only testing out his new camping air mattress... I'm definitely not back to 100% but it's good to be up and walking around again.

One thing that did make me chuckle though: when I called my principal Sunday night to tell her I needed a sub she agreed that I should not come in because one of the other teachers was pregnant and she didn't want her to get sick! Kim, I'm sooo glad you did not catch this, considering we were both on that stuffy bus for a day long field trip and [surprisingly] all of our classes caught the flu! :)