It has been a wild month with all the tests I've been taking, Christmas and, oh yeah, there's a human inside my belly! We have a lot to catch up on!
First let me get the painful part out of the way... career plans, tests, blah blah, blah. So Dusty and I decided on a career path for me, after losing my awesome job back in September and finding out just how bad the economy / being pregnant can be for finding a new job. We decided I would start the process of becoming a teacher. Now, let me just preface this with the fact that everyone who knew me growing up would tell you they always knew I would become a teacher (believe me they have all told me that lately, in support of my decision).
In college though, it just seemed a little, how to put this gently, a little too bland of a path for me. I wanted to do something awesome and rad and get paid lots of money! Since marrying a rock star went out the window after meeting my soulmate (a football, tough guy...haha who knew!?!) I became one of those people who when asked, "What do you want to be?", would say some junk like, "I'm a free spirit." or "We will see where the wind blows." Well guess what? That can only last so long before you gotta pull your big girl panties up and figure it out! Nothing like getting pregnant and realizing you are going to be responsible for another human's existence and well-being to get you motivated! So here we are, I passed all 3 Praxis tests I wanted to take (Praxis I- everyone has to have this one, Praxis II- are the subject areas you want to teach in, and they are a bee-atch of a test!!! But I took the Elementary Education (grades 4 and up) and Family and Consumer Sciences (to open up high school possibilities) and then I plan to add-on certifications in Spanish and Speech Communications (through college credit hours). My next step is to enroll in William Carey Graduate School to get my Masters of Arts in Teaching, starting with the first 6 hours required classes. Once the first 6 hours are completed (probably by May), I will have my 3 year teaching license. I can then teach away for those 3 years, before I have another 6 hours at William Carey due for my 5 year license. At that point, I will be about halfway finished with my Masters as a whole and I will decide then whether or not to complete it and graduate. So that is what I have spent my Holidays doing... studying! Well no more, at least for a while!
FREEDOM!
Now I am free to enjoy being pregnant! You know, the wonderful 3rd trimester... I am 28 weeks (that is the 7th month people!) and my back is killing me, my hips hurt, I have terrible round-ligament pain and, of course, those damn Braxton-Hicks contractions. All of this is worth it though because when I feel that sweet baby girl kicking in there, my heart melts at the thought of meeting her. Her kicks are way stronger now than ever and Dusty is able to feel what I call "The Jellyroll" where she moves like an eel hitting one side and then immediately bouncing the other side too... like she's in there listening to the Tootsie Roll or doing the worm. It is fun to just hold my belly and imagine what the heck is actually happening in there. I haven't seen a foot yet or the elbow move across my tummy- but I am excited for that day!
She is going to be the cutest, most amazing person, I just know it! I have had some serious pregnancy brain moments... Mix pregnancy brain with blonde and you have my daily ding dong persona down pat. I have also taken to eating everything in sight. I am sure I have mentioned this before, but seriously, if you had a scrap of food left on your plate... "Are you gonna eat that?" haha! I could literally eat all day long, anything I can get in my hands! At our last appointment I had gained 36 pounds and broken the 200 pound threshold! The funny part is, I feel all-tummy so I don't even care that you know how much I weigh... I have never weighed so much in my life and I have 3 months to go, but I am still in 8 long jeans. No worries though! I am attending the hospital's Breast-feeding Class on Tuesday- I am going to shed this weight! Also, I didn't hear anything back about having Gestational Diabetes so I suppose everything is A-OK.
FREEDOM!
For now, I am free to enjoy other things, like... BABY SHOWERS! We have 3 baby showers planned (yes, all for one child!) in the upcoming month. We will begin our journey next weekend (I cannot believe it is already time!) by traveling to Columbus, MS, on Friday night for our co-ed baby shower Saturday, January 12th, Hosted by Dustin's momma, aunt and family friends. It ought to be a blast because we will get to see all of our friends and family there that we may not get to see a lot! Then we pack it up and move out! On to Birmingham, AL, where my parents live. There we will have a Sunday (1.13) afternoon, low-key family and friends baby shower (with my favorite foods!) before heading back to Biloxi, MS. We turn around and have our birthing class at the hospital the next weekend! I am ready for this! I have been watching horrible sights on YouTube of home births- people are weird as shit for posting them too... And, we will still have one more shower here in Biloxi for our new friends on February 2nd! This one is going to be a mad hatter brunch! I am so excited for each one and already know that people are so generous. We have already received clothes, gifts and awesome hand-me-downs! The support of our friends and family has been overwhelmingly like...
FREEDOM!
After putting up my Christmas (at some point, what is the rush? It's already January...), I am free to nest! I have been putting off the nursery projects I have in mind because of studying or traveling and now, it's on! I want to finish up the walls- chevron paint on one, hanging pictures, etc. I want to work on the mobile- I am making my own from branches and multi-textured, multi-colored things. I want to get on the sewing projects- a ruffled crib skirt with matching throw pillow for the glider, the cube backing fabric, to display items/ opening covers, to hide storage. I need to also do some less-glamorous nesting projects like clean out our bathroom storage closet to make room for Elli's bath stuff/ medicinal things. I figure she needs about 1 shelf and right now it is just tons of travel bags and lotions/ perfumes/ hair product all thrown in there unorganized. Glamorous or not, it is all exciting when your hormones tell you it is! Then I also want to work on our Guest bedroom closets. They both are a total mess! I need a craft room if they are ever going to be fully organized! I want to find a way to re-arrange one bedroom (with less furniture) to make a small, organized office so we have somewhere to pay bills, print things, store files and stuff to be shredded, and then in the future, somewhere to grade papers! I have already mastered the kitchen- I designated two cabinets and the counter space below as hers. So we have somewhere to store her bottles, dishes, food processor, bottle drying rack, etc.
Then, of course, putting all the new things away and washing baby clothes and diapers for the little turd. Maybe I will even have time to do some Pinterest projects for Elli- like making bows, pacifier clips, etc. Ah, nesting; It gives you such a sense of...
FREEDOM!
So let's all take a moment to praise the love of my life, Dustin Goley, for the wonderful "push present" he just got me yesterday... If you haven't already seen it on FB (I couldn't wait to tell everyone!), Dustin got us a Cannon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera bundle! It came with a 4GB SD Card, a 16 GB Memory Card, a bag, and a tripod! This way we can get amazing shots of Elli-Anne to keep y'all posted! Don't worry, I have also put some pregnancy mojo into figuring out how to make my photos better with different camera settings. I even started a Pinterest board for photography tips, photo ideas, etc. Hopefully I can get Dusty involved in learning how to take great shots, depending on the picture too! I think he would be really good at it if he took an interest to it! So there you have it folks, we have a baby on the way (in about 10 or so weeks), Baby Showers left and right, a lot of nesting to do, and a big kid camera to document it all!!!
So, be looking forward to bursts of pictures from baby showers, proud nesting moments and maybe even some maternity shots, all soon here on Baby Goley!
Haha... Chelsey and I were talking the other day about how you've always carried weight so well already... not surprised that you're doing it pregnant too! ;)
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