49 Days!

There are 49 days until graduation...GRADUATION!!! How did the last two years fly by so fast??? Oh, I know...taking a full load pretty much every semester, and I haven't taken a semester off since I started back in fall 2007. Yes, that means that my past two summers have been filled with text books, studying and exams. YUCK! Next summer, will be completely different. :)

Time for a Self-Pep-Talk:
You've come so far over the last few years. Remember when you were younger and you never thought that school would be a part of your life again. That that break you took in 2001 actually was permanent. And that you would never be able to finish school like you had always wanted. Well, there is no need to worry about that anymore, because you are here! The end of your bachelor's degree! And you've done it pretty well, if I must say so. Mostly A's and B's with a few random C's throughout the journey. In the end, though, the grades and the GPA won't matter once you get that well-deserved diploma. Congratulations, you're about to be a college graduate!!!

Now for a self induced push towards the goal line:
You know what you need in order to graduate. Of the four classes you are enrolled in, you need at least a C in each of them in order to qualify for graduation. Currently, you are not where you need to be in two of your courses: Auditing and Management: Executive Strategies. I know in your defense that you have only had a couple of assignments in these classes so far, but we can't just let this be okay.

You've had the auditing professor once before and struggled in that class as well, so we're going to lean toward an explanation that the professor's teaching skills aren't that great. How else would you explain why you've done so well the last few years and his classes are the ones where you end up with C's? So, instead of this holding you back, you need to try harder and put more of an effort in order to at least finish the semester with a C or higher.

Now on to Management: Executive Strategies. You know you're not management material, and that's okay with you because you don't want to be a manager. At least at the moment. And executive strategies aren't really your thing either. So, you already came into this semester with an uphill battle. Enter the new, YOUNG professor who wants to make a name for himself, and now you've got an uphill war. However, the silver lining in this course is that there is a group project worth 40% of your total grade, and it looks as if you've got a pretty good group. The only grade you've currently received in this course is only worth 10% of your grade, and the professor didn't seem to be too worried about it, so take some relief in that. Again, you need to try harder and put more of an effort in order to at least finish the semester with a C or higher.

That is all. You know what you need to do, so get it done. This isn't something you can't handle, you've done it before and you will do it again.

See you at graduation in your cap and gown!!!

A room for the nursery...

So, since this will be our first child we have two vacant (ok, semi-vacant) rooms that either could be our child's room.

Our first option is currently being used as our office. Once I am done with school we will be moving the computer out to our new desk that is in the living room. Here are the pros and cons to the office becoming the nursery.

Pros:
- It has hardwood floors, so when there are messes to be cleaned up it will not soak into the carpet

Cons:
- This room is right next to the living room, kitchen and entry way (meaning it may be too loud for the baby if we have company over and the baby is trying to sleep)
- Our only phone jack is in this room which means that there will always be a phone in here. I think the volume can be turned off, but it will still have to be in here.
- It is the furthest room from our bedroom. Now, our house isn't that big so it's not that far, but I think it still deserves to be on the con list.
- The hardwood makes the room a little cooler, which won't be good around the winter time.
- There is no shade from the sun, so during the summers the afternoon sun makes the room blazing hot!


Option #2 is currently being used as a guest room, and I have full use of the closet because our closets aren't big enough to hold both of our clothes in one.

Pros:
- It is right across from our room, so when the baby wakes in the middle of the night we'd be about 10-15 feet away
- It is located in the back corner of our house, so it would be away from all of the noise and traffic when we have visitors over
- It does not get as much sun in the room because of the 3 huge trees we have in our backyard, so it won't be as hot in the summers
- It has carpet in the room, which could keep the room warmer during the winters

Cons:
- There is carpet, so most messes with require cleaning the carpet (although a nice big throw rug could be an alternative to protect the carpet)



Also, both rooms need to be painted so that would be a con for both.

For those of you who plan on visiting us for a few days or longer, no need to worry because whichever room we don't use for the nursery will be a guest room. So we will still be able to accommodate your sleeping needs. :) We also have a bed set up in the basement, so if there are more than 2 of you, it will not be a problem.

I think after writing the pros and cons of each room, the answer is pretty clear, but if you're willing to humor me I'd still love to hear your opinions.

Things are moving along!

Today I am 10 weeks pregnant! We're in the double digits now!!! When I first found out I was pregnant, this seemed so far away and now we're here. I realize I have 30 more weeks to go but today we're 1/4 of the way there. How awesome is that?!

Still haven't been to the doctor, yet. Just 8 more days until that appointment. That also seemed so far away when they made the appointment for me, but now we're almost there.

Other than the cold/cough I've had for the last few weeks I'm feeling good for the most part. Instead of waking up when John gets ready for work, I now stay in bed usually until 9.

Do I feel bad that I sleep in while he goes to work? Yes, but he's not growing a baby at the moment, so I don't feel that bad. Anyway, I had noticed that if I don't sleep in I feel much worse during the day than when I do sleep in, so obviously this is beneficial to me and the baby, and I'm not just being lazy!

Other than that, there's not a whole lot to report. We're trying to get our Christmas plans finalized. I know it's early, but this year is going to be different so we need to plan ahead.

Aside from me being pregnant, there is another reason this Christmas will be extra special. My sister and her husband have adopted a 6 year old boy, Dylan, and this will be his first Christmas with them. So, John and I will be flying (doctor permitted) to spend the holidays with them and my parents and one of my grandmothers.

I'm very excited about this for many reasons. For one, I get to meet my new nephew Dylan. I've heard so many stories about him that it'll be fun to see him in action! For two, I have not seen my sister on Christmas day since Christmas of 2003. SIX years ago! Wow, that's too long. I also haven't been in Texas for Christmas since 2003. Also too long. So, this will be a different Christmas for us, but will be so exciting and special! I'm already thinking of my Christmas shopping list and wrapping gifts. Yes, I am one of THOSE women. But in my defense I will need to ship these gifts to Texas, and frankly, I'd like to avoid the overpriced express shipping costs.

What else am I missing? Oh yeah, school is moving along as well (although not as fast as I'd like it to be) and graduation is 9 1/2 weeks away. John has been doing some hunting, but not much yet. He's been pretty busy with work and other projects around our house and helping his dad out.

That's it for now! Have a splendid day!

I told you so...

When I first found out I was pregnant, some people made comments about the labor & delivery process. I jokingly said that the stork would be bringing my baby...

Well, lo and behold, he came by a few weeks ago, probably to make sure he had the correct address...



* Sorry about the bad photo...I didn't want to scare him off by opening the door, so I took the picture from inside our kitchen window with the screen on.

I also realize that this is not a stork, but it's close enough for me!

Reasons I love the fall...

- The cool crisp morning air (it was 34 this morning)
- The leaves changing colors
- Starting to think about the upcoming holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years)
- Changing from the wardrobe from summer to fall/winter clothes
- Shopping on a cool autumn day
- Starting to make holiday plans
- Making a list for who to shop for Christmas
- Not having to shave my legs every day (I know kind of gross, but it just gets old after a while!)

This year I'm especially happy for the fall because that means I'm only 11 weeks away from graduation! Woo-hoo!!!

Pregnancy Update:
Thankfully everything seems to be going well so far, so there's not really an update. I'm 8 1/2 weeks now, so I only have about 5 more weeks to go until the end of the first trimester!!! I haven't been to the doctor yet, my first appointment is set for October 20th, so I'm sure I'll have something to report after that.