prego probs

Attention: my title is not referring to spaghetti sauce. If you were expecting a post on cooking, you clearly have never read my blog and need to stop reading now.

Recently I shared the non-bombshell that I was expecting. If you've seen me in the last 3 months, this was not a surprise.

I am happy to report that my sugars are under control, for now, and I am finally gaining some weight back.

On to today's topic... Pregnancy Probs.

My current problems//happenings//embarrassments stem from a serious condition. Any mama out there knows what I'm talking about, and if she says she doesn't, she's lying. Or too stupid to know she has it.

Ouch.

It's called Pregnancy Brain. It's real. And I have it. Badly.

Google it. Promote awareness of this serious issue.

Don't believe me? Allow me to give you examples.

What not to do when you are pregnant....

1. Avoid list-making. Big no-no. "I'll remember it later." That's the devil talking. Or the hormones. I will literally walk to one side of my classroom, get there, and then not remember what I was planning on doing 5 seconds earlier. Fortunately it's easy to fool 7 year olds. Tip of the day: walk around with post-its and a pen at all times.
2. Drive. A few weeks ago, I pulled out of the church parking lot and drove about a quarter of a mile down the wrong side of the road without realizing it. Apparently I suddenly felt British. I also had a run-in with the large cement wall in the parking garage at the hospital {for an OB appointment of course}. I guess there is a wall there so that you eventually stop before gliding into it. Luckily, there were just a few scratches. Oops.
3. RSVP to events. You will RSVP, make arrangements, and then on the day of the event, realize you have double-booked yourself. Just say no. It's less embarrassing.
4. Sell your house. This brings on extra important dates to remember {which I explained my lack of ability to do in #1}, a large quantity of important to-do items, and meetings with financial folks. Those of the financial breed seem to talk in a foreign language to women who are pregnant. They sound like Snoopy on Charlie Brown. All I can say is thank goodness hubster knows what he's doing. Otherwise we would be homeless. And penniless.

Along with Pregnancy Brain, there is also the ever-present issue of Raging Hormones. If you say, "that's a woman problem", I will say, "I'm going to punch you in the face." And I probably will. Then, I'll blame it on the hormones.

Examples...

1. Watch TV with a pregnant lady. During one car commercial, a dad puts his little girl on the school bus for the first time and they are both nervous. He then drives beside the bus to check on her and sees her laughing and having a great time. That commercial made me cry. Then, comes the commercial with the dancing middle-aged ladies showing how much movement they have in their maxi pad. When I hear the background music and see them shaking their groove thing, I literally want to throw something at the TV, scream, and tell them how ridiculous they look. Rage. It comes unexpectedly.
2. This week I was elated at the sight of baby geese. You would've thought I won the lottery. Geese are such a rare sight. 
3. Wait in line at Taco Bell with a mom-to-be. It brings out the best in her. Recently, I waited in a 20-flippin-minute line. It literally took 6-7 minutes per car to bring them one bag of food. The person in front of me ordered 3 dollars worth of food and could have napped while it was being made. Hunger + hormones = Fury. 
4. I find incredible pleasure in watching people mess up. Today, I watched Sergio Garcia {who is not my favorite athlete} butcher the last 2 holes of a golf tournament in royal fashion. While most people might feel sympathetic, I laughed hysterically. Then, I tweeted about it. Last night, I found entertainment in just how gloriously awkward Tyler Hansbrough is on the basketball court. Evil.

Words of advice: Don't underestimate the Raging Hormones. And please don't stop reading my blog now that you think I am the cruelest person on the planet.

I promise some interesting blog posts this week. We're moving. And I'm prego. Did I mention that?

Some entertaining moments are ahead...

lemons

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

For the record, I hate that saying. I want to whine//complain//rant//punch something. I do not want to make lemonade. Or anything else domestic for that matter.

Recently, it seems life has given me plenty of lemons. Extra sour. 

I'm pregnant.

Just so we're clear, that is definitely not a lemon. Let's call it a grape. They're my favorite. And purple.

You know how many women have that pregnancy glow? Disgusting.

I have the pregnancy death look. The one where everyone says, "I knew you were pregnant. You look so tired." That's code for you look like crap. Let's be honest. My hair's never done. No amount of make-up will give my face any color. And if you saw my leg hair, you would be the nauseous one for a change.

I am 13 weeks along and still experiencing intense nausea. My doctor prescribed me pills to help with this, but of course my insurance strictly limited the amount I can have. Apparently no one that works for health insurance companies has ever been pregnant.

In a 2 week span at the beginning of April, I lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks. Oops. Unhappy momma. Unhappy doc.

Then I topped that off with a sinus infection and pink eye. And antibiotics that make the nausea worse.

So what fun did the doctor have in store for me next? How about a 3 hour glucola test.... I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy, so I get to endure this barrel of fun early on in the pregnancy.

I really would like to see researchers come up with a better test. Making a nauseated pregnant lady fast for 15 hours, drink a ton of sugar at once, and get blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours does not sound like the best remedy to me. Just my opinion.

I had that glorious little test yesterday. After surviving, it turned into a migraine so intense I could not sleep and emptied my stomach in the middle of the night. And the headache continues...

Moms, feel free to read this post to your teenage daughters and thank me for the free birth control.

To say I am frustrated, is an understatement. I hate neglecting life. I have neglected hubster, junior, church, and missed way too many days of school. I am sure there are many little things, phone calls, emails, and this poor blog that I have neglected as well. This is the hardest for me. All the things that bring me joy on a daily basis are so hard for me to do right now. 

Right now, here is the only lemonade I can possibly squeeze out. Despite all this crap, my baby is alive and kicking. God has again trusted me with the most precious gift on Earth.

I guess it's not so bad. It will definitely be worth the outcome.

disney daydreams #2

It is this time of year that I find myself cursing mother nature. Gray skies, wind, and now snow flurries. At least give me rain.

Today is the perfect day for a daydream. A Disney daydream of course. Let's face it, I can't help myself.



<a href="http://www.raspberrybeige.com/search/label/disney daydreams" target="_blank"> <img style="border: 1px solid #474747;" border="0" width="125" alt="raspberry beige" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kxH_lXUm_pg/UOnOM0dQOrI/AAAAAAAACLg/z3CgliN8TpM/s150/disney-daydreams-150x150.jpg" height="125"/> </a> 
There are endless topics to discuss when talking about Disney world.

Today, I'm going to discuss what might be my favorite topic, hotels. I love, love, love the hotels at Disney World. It is my most favorite part of planning.

Just so we're clear, this is entirely my personal opinion.

For me, when we go to Disney, it is all about convenience. Therefore, I always stay on Disney property.

Unfortunately that comes with a hefty price tag.

There are the "value" resorts, which are somewhat cheaper and have suite options. However, these are also, in my opinion, noisier, more crowded, farther away from everything, and a busing nightmare.

I have had the privilege at staying at several of Disney's Deluxe resorts. They are stunning, each in their own way. Disney knows how to do some serious theming. If you can afford to stay at one of these, by all means, go for it.

However, my favorite and most practical resort to stay at, is on Disney property but not owned by Disney World. It's the Swan Hotel, which I believe is owned by Westin. Although it is not owned by Disney World, guests still get all the same perks as Disney Resort guests, except for Magical Express to and from the airport and the dining plan. These are not perks I typically use, so this was not an issue for me.

That being said, I think the convenience and cost of the hotel makes up for missing out on a few perks.

My favorite thing about the Swan Hotel is its teacher discount. The Dolphin Hotel, which is on the same property as the Swan, also has this discount. This discount makes the trip much more affordable for my family. It's still pricey, but I don't feel like I'm busting my budget just on the hotel. They also have special rates for members of the military and nurses, as well as their own seasonal special offers.

My second favorite thing about this hotel is location. In my opinion, this is the best location in Disney World for a variety of reasons.

• You can walk to Epcot (which has the best food) and Hollywood Studios (although it is a longer walk to the Studios).
• You can take a boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
• There is the option of bus transportation everywhere. 
• It is also very close to the boardwalk, which has lots of fun things to do, more delicious food to fatten up on, and has stunning views at night.

The Boardwalk

The Dolphin Hotel

The Boardwalk

Some people with young kids prefer to stay near the Magic Kingdom. We found it very easy to catch a bus to Magic Kingdom or walk through Epcot and get on the Monorail.

The Swan and Dolphin share multiple pools, have some fantastic restaurants, and also have an impressive miniature golf course.

The Swan has the most amazing beds you will ever sleep on. They call them "Heavenly Beds" and for good reason. Seriously, nap time was glorious. While it does not have a "Disney theme", we found the accommodations top notch, clean, and quiet. We went in summer, a very busy time, and did not find it crowded at all or crawling with screaming children. It attracts many conference-goers and business people, which means a calmer//less-kid-meltdown-prone hotel.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong staying on Disney property. Will I always stay at the Swan? No, and it may not always be my favorite. But I think it is a hotel that is often overlooked, because it is not a Disney hotel.

Now, if I could just get hubster to book another vacation...

spring break recap

I am always thrilled when spring break rolls around.

This year, the joke was on me.

I spent the entire week battling what appears to be a sinus infection and topped it off with a double dose of pink-eye yesterday.

Glorious.

Here is what my night stand has looked like for the past 3 days...

Meds, Kleenex, and just to clarify, that is a spit cup on the right.

Luckily for you, I spared you a photo of the inside of that gem.

Spring Break '13... Thank goodness you're over.

attn gramps: it won't kill you

The elderly are known for many things: wisdom, bluish-hair tint, and contentment {I think}.

One thing they are not known for is their skill when it comes to the use of technology. I think many of them believe Facebook is a result of the devil and/or the government, the computer is spying on them, and that technology in general is a complete waste of time.

Have you ever watched an old-er person use a computer? Have mercy.

My mother, dear woman {just to clarify, I am not calling her elderly}, who can do pretty much anything, still does not use the terms "email", "text", and "voice mail" properly. She's an extremely intelligent lady. But when she types, it resembles that of a monkey playing the piano. Buttons are pushed, but it ain't pretty. Gmail is overwhelming for her and let's not even get into checking voicemail on her phone.  Someday when flip phones are obsolete I will have a lot of entertainment.

I love you Mom.

While I do see the devil frequent Facebook and while I think we spend way too much time on status updates and staring at a screen, I will say that technology definitely came to my rescue tonight. It can definitely be a temptation in hundreds of ways, but tonight, it was an answer to prayer.

I was in one of my oh-so-mopey states and my brain was starting to wander aimlessly, which is never good.

So I read a quick devotional, which has nothing to do with technology, and then God did the rest.

With the computer and my phone.

If an 85 year old were reading this, she just fainted.

Seriously though, let's examine how technology can actually be good.

First, I quickly went to iTunes on my iPhone and played a song I had downloaded this morning after hearing it played on TV and using Shazam to figure out what song it was {best app aver}. My mom just stopped reading this post due to 3 technological devices and an app in one sentence.

I will admit there were some tears when I actually sat and listened to the lyrics. On my iPhone.

And just so we're clear, that is a video from YouTube. And it's 100% appropriate.

Following this pick-me-up, I continued on my most recent iTunes playlist which, besides the previous song, included:

• Feel Again {One Republic}
• Between the Raindrops {Lifehouse feat. Natasha Bedingfield}
• Higher & Higher {Jackie Wilson}
• Anything Could Happen {Ellie Goulding}
• What I Like About You {The Romantics}
• Take Me Home Tonight {Eddie Money}

In case you haven't noticed I have an odd taste in music and tend to generate completely random assortments of music. Thank you iTunes.

While listening to this blissful music and dancing in my chair, I got on the computer. Don't worry, it didn't kill me.

I got on my Passionfruit Dashboard {right now Mother is wanting me to explain what this is but I know there are no amounts of words that will allow her to understand} and renewed a swap with one of my favorite blogs: Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine with my morning quite time?

This chick is stinkin' hilarious. And she's a mom. And she tells it like it is. I love that.

So I read her latest blog post, which led me to another blogger, who apparently is quite well-known, but I of course had never heard of him. His name is Jon Acuff, he's a Christian writer//speaker//blogger, and he is downright humorous. In the first blog post I read of his, he talked about a headgear. Can I get an Amen? My preteen angst identified with that right away, and I was laughing hysterically. And I preceded to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And that is not at all stalkerish.

Why haven't I told you about my headgear before? Or my incredible history with the field of orthodontics... We'll save that for another day. Actually it might take me a week. It was quite traumatic.

Thank you phone and computer for not killing me this evening. And for showing me that God is truly present everywhere. We just have to look in the right places.

Mother, I hope you are still speaking to me. I know you'd leave me a snippy comment, but you probably can't figure out how.

Ouch.

I love you.

thursday therapy

Right now I'm seeing my two favorite therapists: Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

I was feeling much better until I was forced to watch a Wal-Mart commercial. Not a fan. I much prefer the people of Wal-Mart video.

Pat & Jen {we're on a nickname basis} would like to know how my day was. I would love to answer, "great", "not too bad", "just another day in the neighborhood", but that would be a lie.

Well, Pat & Jen, let me tell you.

Poop on a stick.

That is how I would describe my day, and quite frankly, I don't care if you find that gross//whiny//inappropriate reading material.

I could go into some gory details involving digestion issues, but no one wants to read about that. So I'll just mention it, which is much less disgusting. 

Also, Pat & Jen, I am a little annoyed at the beautiful weather//scenery you are enjoying on your little romantic rendezvous. Right now, I feel as though Mother Nature is cursing me. Day after day. After day. After flippin' snow-filled day.

I am a champion whiner and Mother Nature is not helping.

Anywho, here are my top 10 reasons I know I'm ready for Spring Break {and actual spring weather}.

David Letterman, you got nothing on me.

10. My students are losing what little emotional stability they had. There were tears in the cafeteria, tears in computer lab, and at recess. They are tired. They need a break. And so help me, so do I.

9. My coat is starting to feel like a straight-jacket. It is making me claustraphobic and angry everytime I put it on.

8. I feel as though I'm drowning in a sea of germs. Stomach flu, respiratory flu, strep throat, and continuous snot.

7. The most exciting thing in my life right now would be putting on a pair of capris and flip flops.

6. I want to throw every last pair of boots sitting in my hallway at school. I hate boots. They are heavy. They are used in snow. And watching first graders constantly put them on, take them off, and attempt to put on their other shoes is old news to me.

5. The equation 2+2 seems too strenuous for me at this point in time.

4. I have the sudden urge to pack up and move to Florida.

3. My son is tearing apart the house.

2. I am having evil thoughts about the meteorologists and their ridiculous forecasts. I will be asking for a lot of forgiveness in the near future.

1. My brain has officially disappeared. Today I got in my car after work, set off the panic button, bent my fingernail backwards turning off the panic button, and then put the car in drive instead of reverse. Whoops.

Right now, I could go for this...

via

Followed by this...

via

 

 

And a night like this...

via

My therapists have forgotten about me and are too busy flirting//lifting in the lake. Shoot.

I think my incessant complaining sent them away.

I'd promise next Thursday will be better, except it's Grandparents' Day.

Look out my creepy little monkeys.

r-e-s-p-e-c-t

I love that song. In case you've lived in a bubble your entire life, here is Aretha Franklin killing it.

We sang that song in high school show choir {I was a cool kid}, and we rocked it. As much as white girls could.

The title of this song is what's on my mind lately.

Respect.

Unfortunately, I feel as though this word is becoming a foreign concept.

I read a blog article today about the Steubenville rape case. In this article the author {shockingly a male} went on to say that he rarely believe 'rape' exists. While I agree this is a very controversial case, I felt this author made some seriously disturbing points. To summarize, girls are putting themselves in these situations knowing what could happen and have no right to be upset when it does. He found it more upsetting that these boys' lives were ruined than some silly girl who was drunk crying 'rape'.

The lack of respect for the girl in this case is disheartening. While I do not condone her choices in any way {and she clearly made some bad ones}, I cannot imagine the horror she must be feeling. I do not know what happened. I was not there. Neither were you. But as someone who, at one point in life, made some poor decisions concerning alcohol, I can safely say that I never took a drink thinking that it might result in an assault. The picture these kids took, the laughter that most likely ensued, and the public's 'horror' at the ruining of two promising football careers shows me that 'being respectful' is not currently on our list of important character traits.

My prayers go out to all those, boys and girls, parents and kids, that were affected by that case.

In my six years of teaching, it has become obvious to me that there is a general lack of respect for others that seems to be running rampant in kids of all ages. The language, the gestures, the mocking, and the complete defiance of those in charge are frightening to me. I was not a kid or teenager that long ago, and believe me, kids did a lot of stupid things back then, too. But I never would have even thought about swearing at my parents, flipping off a teacher, mocking a coach, or yelling at an adult. Believe me, there were many adults that I could not stand. However, there was also an expectation of respect given to adults. That didn't mean you couldn't question them. It meant you did things civilly instead of acting like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum.

Back then {I sound so old} it seemed that the 'dis-respecters' were the exception to the rule. I'm not so sure that's the case anymore.

And where do you suppose these kids are getting it from? Mom cussing at the driver who just cut her off? Dad calling mom all kinds of not-so-nice names? Uncle Joe keying his ex-girlfriend's car? Perhaps from all the lovely reality TV?

I used to think this only happened in the big cities {yes I was that naive}. I see it at my elementary school, middle school, and high school. And believe me, our town is the epitome of Small Town U.S.A.

As a prepare for my son to one day go to school, I wonder how in the world I am going to teach him respect when every day he is going to see a complete lack of it all around him.