Baby Love

So it has been quite a while since my last post but baby Ryder is here! He is so precious and I have never felt so much love. I know it is very cliche but it is true...there is a reason cliche's exist afterall. Anyways...life with Ryder is perfect. The labor was long (five days long to be exact) and I was exhausted by the end of it (but oh my lord was that epidural was ah-mazing) but once I held that beautiful, screaming baby life was complete. I have always felt my life was missing something and although my amazingly wonderful husband filled the majority of that void, my sweet baby boy is the reason for my existence. He is my great accomplishment. Being a mother is the most satisfying and wonderful thing on this earth. Yes I am a teacher, and yes I love my job 100% and I know that being a teacher is what I am meant to do career-wise, but being a mom is what has made me complete. Mrs. Val at work said it best when I went to visit work: "You will kill for your family, but you will die for your kids" Although my labor was five days of contractions that didn't want to get me anywhere, and I had to be stuck four times for the epidural, I would do it all again for my sweet baby boy because he was worth every bit of it and so much more. I pray that God gives me the knowledge to raise him and the strength to get through all of the hard times because I know they will show up.

Pregnancy Woes and Wisdoms

Ok so I am currently in my 6th month of pregnancy (WOOHOO!!) and little Ryder will be here soon. I mean I start my third and final trimester next week. (I have to take a great big calming sigh when I say that out loud) I mean my little boy will be here soon. As in right-around-the-freakin-corner soon and we have been trying to get things done before I lose what little energy I have. I have spent this summer slowly trying to get this house organized and deep cleaned. So my AMAZING husband, who has been working his butt off trying to get things done that I can't, finished painting and putting up the chair rail in Ryder's room today. He changed out the fan over the weekend, painted the room during the week, and woke up early to put up the chair rail this morning. I mean the room looks great! I have my first shower this weekend so he has desperately been trying to get the room ready for all the gifts that are coming our way.

Here's the kicker....I haven't been able to do squat.

I feel like I have a giant growing inside of me and he still has three months to go. Walking upstairs takes me FOREVER and I get winded just walking to the office at work. I mean it really isn't that far of a walk either. So the other day I got this "I need to clean my ENTIRE house before my baby shower!" notion and set off like speed racer, who then turned into a very determined turtle. My first mistake was starting in the master bathroom. I should have started with the bathtub but I decided I would start with the vanity and toilet. And here I go, I'm doing good, feeling good, cleaning away, and then comes the bathtub. Now for all of you who are or have ever been pregnant, you know that during your second trimester you start bumping into things without meaning to because your stomach could be it's own state. So here I go with my little basketball belly to clean the tub. I spray it down, let it sit (which means I really just needed a break), and proceed to get down into the floor to wipe it down, with my belly bumping into the side the whole time. By this time I'm pooped, and ill. No more speed racer. I really just want a nap. I sort-of-kind-of wipe down my bathtub (the parts I can reach anyways), rinse it out, and I decide "that works, I'm hungry" and go eat a sandwich.

I sit down and eat my sandwich and think "gah I still have every other room in the house to do.."


Did I mention my shower isn't even at my house?

Everyone keeps telling me to embrace it and let people help you out, but I am that little kid in the corner crying "I don't wanna" because I want everything to be perfect for Ryder when he get's here. I mean I am off for the summer I should be able to get a ton of stuff done. My poor husband shouldn't have to paint the baby's room after working all day, I should be able to do it while I am sitting here all day. But I can't. Not only can I not do it physically, but it really isn't safe, and after one miscarriage you better believe I am not going to do anything that could possibly hurt my child. While I know all of this, and I know that I can't lift anything heavy, or climb on a ladder, I have a really hard time believing it. I know I shouldn't try to clean the house like Speed Racer, but I want to.

So although I just told you a slightly funny story about me trying to clean with a basketball for a stomach, the true meaning behind this blog is that we should all slow down a bit, pregnant or not, and do what is best for us and our families. It really isn't best for me to be running around cleaning with such precious cargo on board and it will probably be the same when Ryder gets here. I mean my house is still going to be clean don't get me wrong, but there are more important things than having an immaculate house.

Like I said before I am no June Cleaver, but I am still a good wife and I hope I will be a good mom.

Bandwagon all the way, baby!

So I am a teacher. I teach wonderful high school darlings who just eat up everything I say and leave my classroom with a plethora of knowledge about the wonderful world of literature at the end of the semester. *Cough or that's what I tell myself Cough* One of the greatest things about being a teacher is the amazing schedule I have. I mean 7:30-3:309(ish) Monday through Friday, summers and holidays off, AND spring and fall break. Who wouldn't love that schedule? I mean don't get me wrong it isn't an easy job. I teach 9th grade. I think that in itself says enough, and it gives me an opportunity to play housewife from time to time.

But I digress.

I say part-time housewife because I don't get to be June Cleaver full time, but only on my off days. Now I say June Cleaver but I am no where near the June-Cleaver-type. I mean have you ever watched an episode of "Leave it to Beaver"? That woman was perfect! No, I'm afraid I spend my summer (and other breaks) thinking of crafts I want to do, keeping the house decently clean, and watching re-runs on tv. I also spend this time telling myself "you should really work on a lesson plan or something" as I scour pinterest for two hours. I mean thanks to pinterest I have tons of things I want to do around my house, and my classroom, and things I want to buy for my wardrobe.

So what's the point of this crazy, rambling blog-thing you say? Well for one everyone else is doing it so I thought "hey, why not" and two I thought it might be fun to document this whole pregnancy thing and life when Ryder get's here. I mean my husband and I have been together since we were in high school, things are going to be quite different. So if you feel like seeing what someone else is going through for a change, check in from time to time. I can tell you I am no June Cleaver. I mean I burn things I cook, I set the darn fire alarm off every time the oven is on 400 degrees or more ("it is not my fault though that stupid thing is heat activated not smoke" I say as my husband laughs), and my mother kept all of her craftiness and forgot to share when she had me. I mean I couldn't even make a decent clay pot in high school art. So for all part-time (or hey full-time too) mommies and housewives out there who aren't June Cleavers, let's share some stories. It may look beautiful when you see it on pinterest and think "oh yea, I can totally do that," but it sure as hell doesn't turn out that way.