First Day of Domestication

I have taught school for about 14 years now. This year shall be different. I am staying home with my new baby (who is due SOON) and my 3 1/2 yr old toddler (who will be going to preschool 3 days a week, can we say, "Hallelujah?")

My 8th graders 2010- 2011

Let's back track a little. This summer has been WILD. We have been looking for a house for over a year and finally found it. We found a home out in the country that fit the bill in every way. We experienced first hand the joy that is home buying and I hope you can detect the facetious tone in my voice. Paperwork, banks, loans, signing millions of papers, accounts, inspections, surveys, and more red tape have been floating in our brains for 2 1/2 months. We finally closed on the house on August 13 and a load of heaviness was lifted off of me. We are homeowners, at last.

Syd and her Daddy

Now the hard work begins. Every where you look there is something I want to fix up, do, redo, or overhaul so I can make this place truly ours. I have a baby room to set up. I have a den with nothing in it but junk. There is stuff everywhere and the yard needs major love. At 8 months (nearly 9) months pregnant, there is a limit to what I can do and that is totally cramping my style. I am a tad OCD about my house, and just seeing boxes makes me nauseated, but I letting that go, or at least I ma trying to let that go.

Today is the first day of school. I am usually very excited about the first day of a new year as I enjoy teaching more than a bowl of ice cream, well most days. I was born to work with kids. My little one is here with me today, and it has been challenging to say the least. We are both trying to find our niche in this new life of  "stay at homeness" and it is a struggle right now. New house, new "career," and a new baby on the way is a lot of NEW to deal with at once. Analytical and philosophical as I am, it is tough for me to process my recent change of mental address. It will get easier and @ 3:00 in the afternoon, I am looking around wondering, "Now, what do I do?"

The rain is falling gently now, so swimming in the pool is out. I got stung by a wasp yesterday, so I can check that off my list. A nap was attempted earlier, but a miserable failure. So, I guess I will enjoy my first day of domestication by brewing a cup of decaf and playing Angry Birds with Syd. That should keep me busy for today.

Summah Time

It's 12:08 PM.

So far, I have

1. Made breakfast burritos
2. Gone back to bed
3. Listened to it thunder and rain
3. Watched "Lady and the Tramp" with Sydney Lou Lou

And those are 4 wonderful reasons why I love Summah Time.

Much to Our Surprise

We have another little girl coming our way.

7 Quick Updates

1. The house was a no-go. It's tough when you have your heart set on something and then the other party does not get the message. The seller was asking about $25K more than the worth of the home and wouldn't bargain with us. They also asked that we pay double option fees. What?

2. Today is THE DAY we find out about our little bundle of joy. Boy? Girl? My dad is going with me to the ultrasound appointment. I know it will be very special for both of us.

3. Summer has officially started. I am home. all. day. by. myself. with. a. 3. year. old. Enough said.

4. I have turned in the keys to my classroom. It is cleaned out and organized. I cried a little.

5. Sydney is enjoying swimming lessons. She love lessons....but had a little bit of an emotional day yesterday, but she got over it.

6. Our 11 year anniversary is this weekend. We are going away for a couple of days, listen to jazz music on the patio, eat at my favorite restaurant, and just hang out. I can't wait!

7. My child has a future in demolition. This morning, she has: shredded paper, drawn all over the place, tore off her bedroom door (I am not kidding, she literally tore it off the hinges and it won't even close), poured dirt everywhere, thrown clothes all over the place, taken the pillow cases off every pillow in the house, and completely annihilated the cat's scratching post.

And it's only 10:55.

A step of EPIC proportions...well, for us at least!

My husband and I have been married for 11 years (well on June 9 in about 4 weeks, it will be 11).

We have lived in 4 places in those 11 years, thus, buying a home was not terribly appealing to us. The market has been so weird lately. We've seen houses just sit on the market for what seems like forever and have watched friends struggle to sell their homes. Let's face it, our economy is at best, bearish.

So, we have happily rented. We've rented duplexes, condos, 3 BDRM houses, and even a historical home. We've been super blessed with finding decent looking places for decent prices. We are eternally grateful to the Lord for leading us to safe, affordable residences.

As our family is expanding, the need for a new home is blatantly evident. We are out of bedrooms in our current place, so finding a house is of utmost importance. We have decided to buy a home.

Now, to some folks, that's no big deal. But to us, it is MAJOR. That means, commitment. My hubs and I are commitment-phobic for so many reasons (thankfully not in the marriage department) and this has caused mondo stress in our household lately.

We have looked high and low for a home within the last year. When I say high, I mean, we have seen some DREAM homes, but with nightmarish price tags. Now, some folks will buy a house that is so gorgeous and deluxe that they can barely afford their note, much less groceries and gas for the car. WE are not like that...at...all. We are not about appearances. As long as a house is clean and comfortable, it does not have to supremo-deluxo. If you don't like it, don't come visit.
We're not going to live month to month and wonder how we're going to buy school supplies. Stupid.

As far as low goes, we have seen some of the most pitiful abodes you can imagine. It would take SO much money to make it inhabitable, that it's not even worth the asking price. Some folks are outside their minds.

I've been a little stressed lately about our luck with finding a house. I have asked the Lord to give me peace and help me to trust in Him and His timeline, and not mine. I prefer to move before the baby is born so I don't have to help stress as much with lifting and packing.

I stumbled across this listing the other day. Now, what is strange is that this company is based out of Beaumont and Houston, not our area. So, it was completely a coincidence miracle that I found it.

kitchen (obviously)

I could spend some chilly evenings in front of this baby.

(I am OBSESSED with wood burning fireplaces...not gas, mind you. That is heresy.)

6 Acres of gorgeous land

A sun room for, uh, whatever!

This picture I have of the front of the house does not do it justice, or I would post it. It is set WAY off the road and has a long paved driveway, a 2 car garage, and lots of green grass to roll around in. Yes, we would like to add a couple of rooms and a contractor has already told us how to do it. It is not perfect, but, is definitely workable, and we put a bid in on it today!

Signing my name to all those papers gave me a major dose of heartburn and Chris nearly stroked out, but, we are going to make ourselves do this. After all, baby Chambers deserves a bedroom, not a linen closet.

So, I am praying for God's will to be done. Thanks for agreeing with me!

Nesha

Tough Decisions...But Not Really

This ultrasound pic was taken 2 months ago, so I know for a fact that Dill Pickle does NOT look like this anymore, but it is for Dill Pickle, that I have made a decision.

I am going to stay home next year with Dill Pickle and the Sydinator.

Let me stop here and say I have NOTHING against working moms. My mom worked when I was a newborn (cause she had to for financial reasons), I worked a contract job when Syd was an infant (cause I needed to), and I have many mama friends that work (because it is a necessity). So, let's get that said right here and now. No hate mail, please.

Our current situation is conducive to my staying at home. I am 35 years old and have been in the education business since I was 20. You do the math...I've had the career thing in place for a while now. I've taught many different grades in 4 different districts and have loved every (well almost every) minute of it. I have spent countless hours worrying over, babying, praying for, nurturing, loving, working with, and pouring into OTHER peoples' children. It is my calling. I am unashamed.

But now, I am going to pour into MY children.

I am going to worry over, pray for, baby, nurture, love, and work with MY children.

I am going to sign up to send cookies, plan parties, chaperone trips, and volunteer for MY children.

It is my duty as a mama.

Yep, we may have to cut back in some areas.

We may not get to go out to eat much.

We may not be able to afford EXTRA stuff.

We may even (GASP) have to do without cable/satellite TV

(which we have NEVER had in 11 years of marriage.) Talk about a WASTE of money.

I have been asked, "What about your teacher retirement?"

Uh, what about it?

I have been asked, "What about the kids that want you as a teacher next year?"

Uh, I am not the only caring teacher in the world.

I have been asked, "Aren't you going to get bored?"

Uh, no.

So, there you have it an easy, yet tough decision and I thank God everyday that he has blessed us with the financial means to make this decision.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

17 Weeks Pregnant

17 weeks Pregnant.

I have been completely silent (on my blog) regarding my pregnancy until today.

I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I have been so tired, so busy, and so sick that I have neglected to blog in the first place. Yep, that's it.

Maybe it's because I have such a bad memory lapse that I forgot how to log in and post anything. We'll just say that.

Here are a few things I want to remember for posterity's sake:

January - Received prayer for complete healing of my body so I could conceive again. God touched me.
February 14 - Found out I was pregnant.
February 15 - Drove to Lufkin in one of the worst storms of the season to get blood work done to confirm and check progesterone levels.
February 16 - Found out I was indeed pregnant and my progesterone was fine. (RELIEF)
Beg. of March - Heard the heartbeat. Saw the peanut.
End of March - Heard the heartbeat. Saw my dill pickle.
February 17 - April 12 - Threw up, laid in the bed, wished the Lord would take me home to glory, threw up some more, and then went back to sleep.
April 13 - Began to feel better.
April 20-22 Endured the worst headache of my life.
May 29 - Woke up with an inner ear infection that kept me from walking down the hall. Nauseated with monster headache.
May 7 - TODAY. Woke up feeling good, yet fat, and so happy that we will find out soon (about 3-4 weeks) about our baby's gender. Hoping for a boy, pretty sure it's a boy, 'cause only a boy could do to me what this little dumpling has done to me. Sydney was much kinder, albeit, I had preeclampsia and toxemia in my 7th month.

Only 4 weeks - 16 days - of school left.

Between now and d-date (late September, early October), I plan to

move into a new house
set up a new house
furniture shop
car shop
set up a nursery
buy new baby furniture
..and..
find a large body of water in which to soak my Shamu sized self in during a Texas summer which is prophesied to be BRUTAL. Brutal as in over 100 degrees on a regular basis.

Yippy.
Skippy.