Baby Brenna

Our baby has a name! I guess you already figured that out by the title of the post. We've actually had her name picked out for quite awhile, but for some reason it was kind of fun to not really make a huge announcement. But, here it is anyway.

Sprout will be named Brenna Jane Halsey. We had quite a list of girl names, but we also had a lot of requirements for a name. Jonathan was adament that her name not end with a long e sound. Halsey is kind of a hard name to get to "flow" with names, so that with a little tricky. I have loved the name Brynlee forever, but as you can see, it breaks the long e rule. So I mentioned the name Brenna. My friend Kelley has a friend named Brenna, and I always thought that was a beautiful name. I never really realized how close it was to my favorite name, Brynlee, until we really started getting serious. It soon became one of our top 3. Our top 3 were Brenna, Ashlyn, and Hannah. Hannah got ousted after Jonathan remembered it was his coworker Tim's daughter's name. Also Hannah Halsey is a little sing-songy for our taste. So that left us with Brenna and Ashlyn. We kept going back to Brenna, so we knew that was it. It's beautiful and feminine and perfect for our little angel! Jane is my middle name, my mom's middle name, my cousin's middle name, my great aunt's middle name, and my great-grandma's middle name. We think it flows well with Brenna before it and Halsey after it. Brenna Jane Halsey. My daughter. I love it!

Jonathan googled "Brenna" to make sure nothing terrible came up. Here is what he got.

Pefect, right? I've found several meaning for the name "Brenna". It means sword, which means she'll be a fighter I'm sure. It is the feminine form of "Brennan" which means prince. So I'm going to say this makes Brenna mean princess. I've also read that it means raven or black-haired. Urbandictionary.com says it means "one who dances in cages". I don't think urbandictionary has any credibility.

So, it looks like come February (please not March!) we are going to have us a little dark-haired princess. However, Jonathan and I both had blonde hair at birth. We saw no hair on her 4D ultrasound. So I guess we'll find out!

Same Survey, Different Day

I've composed about 3 blog posts in my head lately, but I really can't remember any of them. So, here is the same survey I did about 9 weeks ago....so you can see how much has changed!

How far along? 26 weeks, 2 days
How much weight gain? about 18 pounds, yuck!
Is your bellybutton in? yes, but not nearly as "innie" as it used to be
Wearing maternity clothes? you betcha - love the shirts, hate the pants!
Cravings or aversions? not really, just getting tired of food
Signs and symptoms? heartburn - I bet this baby comes out with a ponytail!
Feeling baby move? Oh yes, she apparently enjoyed the kickboxing moves I taught her at the beginning of the pregnancy!
Pregnancy milestones? We are 5 days away from the 3rd trimester - WOOHOO!
Upcoming appointments? December 3 - the yucky glucose test one!
Name? Yep, about 99% sure of one!!

I'll update more next week - after our first shower!! SO FUN!!!

Viability

We are officially passed the 24 week pregnant mark. This is super exciting because it means Sprout could live outside of me if something unexpected happen. We are still awaiting an uneventful last 15.5 weeks, but knowing this does bring some sort of relief....and a little awe! I think it's finally clicked with me that a human is living inside me. It could be the constant kicks, punches, and bladder stomping that I feel, especially at night. Maybe it's the crib and cradle that have found homes in our house. But whatever it is, has finally brought a little realization to this mommy.

I'm so ready to meet this little acrobat and learn all about her personality. I wonder if she will be laid back like her daddy or wound-up like her mommy. I wonder if she will be a good singer like her daddy or tone-deaf like her mommy. I wonder what she'll look like, what her voice will sound like, what she'll be good at, what will make her laugh. I wonder what it's like to love somebody as much as I know I'll love her. I am doing a lot of wondering right now.....

Things I've Learned in the Past 6 Weeks..

Okay, so my class this year is really sweet. They are really polite. I really enjoy my days with them. But, oh my gosh, they remember nothing from kindergarten, first, or second grade. I'm talking laugh out loud ridiculously sad answers. We do five Daily History questions each morning that they have to answer without multiple choice answers to pick from. I thought you might want to know some things that you may have forgotten since your days in the third grade...

*George Bush invented the water clock.

*The Nile River is in China.

*No wait, it's in Virginia.

*The James River, on the other hand, was the most famous river in Ancient China.

*Our current president is Abraham Obama. Yes, I'm serious.

*Who helped women get the right to vote? Why, it was "heven". Yep, heaven. I have no clue.

*Helen Keller and Susan B. Anthony helped the slaves on the Underground Railroad.

*Abraham Lincoln was a woman.

*Nevermind, he was our first president.

*We live on the north coast of America.

*Rome and Pompey are states in America.

*Michigan is the country that is under our country.

*The first six words of the Pledge are "United States of America".

*The capital of Virginia is George Washington.

That's all I can remember for now, but I'll be sure to update later when I remember some others. My kids and I had a "come to Jesus" meeting yesterday about their ridiculous answers. And yes, I did tell them that when they didn't pay attention it made me want to cry, and crying was bad for the baby. So sue me. ;)

Prego Friends and a Baby Shower

So yesterday I threw a baby shower at church for my BFF April, her hubby Jeremy, and unborn baby London. It was fun!! I'm no event planner, but I did my best to make it a fun day for everyone, especially them. There was lots of yummy food, a few entertaining games (picture 3 soon-to-be dads and baby bottles filled with tea), and lots of gifts. April deserves the best - she's gonna be such a good mama to little London. Enjoy a few pictures from the day while I continue recovering from the weekend excitement while laying on the couch!

And in case you haven't seen your share of bellies today, here ya go! The TFC pregos....April with London at 35 weeks, Victoria with Micah at 26 weeks, and Me with Sprout at 18.5 weeks.

Look....

over to the right. See the Baby Sprout poll? You should cast your vote! Only four more days until the big ultrasound!!

Check out the Classroom!

So my email/blog buddy Merritt suggested that I post pictures of my classroom, so I decided that would be fun. Apparently my life is so boring that I have nothing else to write about. Actually I have a lot to write, but just not the energy. So instead look at my new classroom - I really love it! I happened upon this room because of the death of my coworker and great friend Susan (Mama Susan as we called her). It was super hard to walk in every day at first, but it gets easier every day. I'm not sure how I feel about it getting easier....it doesn't feel right for it to be "normal" for her to not be there. But I guess that is the way it always is with a loss. I would teach in a 4 ft. by 4 ft. room to have her back.....but I'm thankful for the extra space and especially for the in-room bathroom.

Baby Survey

I'm a really bad blogger. I'm going to try to work on that. I only have like 2 or 3 readers, so at least I'm not disappointing too many people. While you wait for me to have something interesting to say, here's a survey about baby Sprout that I stole from Merritt. The questions - not the answers.

How far along? 17 weeks and 4 days
How much weight gain? 4-5 pounds as of this morning - but I chalk that up to my MIL's cooking this weekend!
Is your bellybutton in? yes, but not much else is "in"
Wearing maternity clothes? the 2 articles that I have....can't find any that fit right quite yet
Cravings or aversions? no chicken, no way
Signs and symptoms? horrible back pain....think it might be my sciatic nerve already.....oh, and heartburn, restless legs, sore gums, headaches, and stuffy nose!
Feeling baby move? Not yet....maybe one little jab last night but I'm not terribly convinced....still waiting! I actually just felt it again....but Jonathan says it might just be the meatloaf, haha!
Pregnancy milestones? The 2nd trimester was fun.....made me worry a little less! Clothes not fitting was a milestone, but not really a fun one!
Upcoming appointments? October 1....it's the big one!
Name? Nope. Jonathan is super indecisive. We have it narrowed down to about 2 boy names and quite a few girl names. We'll start narrowing them down after the appointment!

Meet Sprout...Finally!

Since facebook is the new way to break news, you all know about our exciting, pickles-on-pizza craving news! But, in a futile attempt to make people read my blog, I'm going to give you all the good info here.....and some pictures, too!

We knew we were ready for babies a few months ago. In fact, we actually had a miscarriage in April and were absolutely crushed. We really had to trust and be patient for the next few months while healing from that pain and praying for another healthy pregnancy. On my first day of summer vacation I took a test, and there was a faint line. I had already known I was pregnant just by the way I was feeling.....but Jonathan was harder to convince. He said he wouldn't believe it until he saw words - apparantely lines don't work for him! Luckily I had one digital one that April had given me after Tad was confirmed, I took it the next day, and we knew for sure!

Honestly, it was the longest 3.5 weeks of my life waiting for our first appointment at 7 weeks. It's amazing what losing a baby will do to the optimism of the happy time it's supposed to be. I started having a lot of signs - including terrible nausea. I knew this was a good sign, but boy it wasn't fun. And it hasn't stopped yet! Oh, and by the way - the 5K I ran was a week after we found out - doesn't that make it even more awesome?


We went to the doctor on July 10 and got our first glimpse at this sweet baby. He/She was not much more than a peanut - but have you ever seen a peanut with a beating heart? Awesome! Here, look!
I'm now 13 weeks, woohoo! This means I'm done with the first trimester - finally! Ready to start feeling better! We went to the doctor again on August 6 and got some more pictures and heard a strong heartbeat of 164. Everybody says that means girl - guess we'll see in about 6 weeks! I feel pretty strongly that Sprout is a girl, but wouldn't it be ironic if the first time I guessed wrong was on my own!

And to hopefully answer most of your questions - I'm due February 25 and will take at least 7-8 weeks off. Jonathan and our parents and family are thrilled! I will deliver at New River Valley Medical Center in Radford. I have actually lost a few pounds due to the nausea - no maternity clothes for me quite yet! I crave pizza, breadsticks, and cheesesticks. Meat disgusts me. Healthy, I know! We'll find out boy or girl around the beginning of October if little Sprout cooperates. I go for my 15 week appt. on September 4. God is good - and we are so thankful!

Friend of the Week....eh....Month - April B.

I kind of forgot about this trend. Oops! But, I'm here to catch up and make up for lost time. April is one of my very best friends and I thought I'd tell you a little about her! She is married to Jeremy, who is Jonathan's musician friend and bandmate. I first met April when I visited The Freedom Center with Jonathan when we first started dating. April was very sweet right away, and I honestly can't really remember how our friendship really developed. Over time we got to know more and more about each other and had lots of fun telling our funny stories.

We realized April and Jer were good travel buddies for us - so we took our first vacation to the mountains. Oh, the stories. We took a hike - which let April finally brag on her "outdoorsy" skills. We went tubing down the Little River that was practically dried up. Ask April about the fish that flopped around in her lap - causing quite a bit of panic and some long-lasting scars.

April was a bridesmaid at our wedding - and was so awesome. She went with me to Bristol to fight for some respect at King. She threw me an awesome shower at church (with Victoria's help) and she was always there when I needed her. Now, I get to be there for her - as we anxiously await baby Tad (okay, London) joining us in October or November! Oh, I can't wait to meet that little baby. You wouldn't believe how much he's already been prayed for!!

The last picture is just for April - HELP ME!!!

Celebrating my Students

Ok, one last SOL post and then you won't hear mention of them for a good 8 or 9 months. We got the rest of our scores back this week and I'm so proud of them. In case you care, here ya go!

S.S. - All 19 of my kids who took it passed (17 pass advanced, 9 perfect) and my 1 VGLA passed advanced, too!

Math - All 19 of my kids passed (16 pass advanced, 3 perfect)....All 19 of Sheri's that I taught passed, too! (11 pass advanced, 3 perfect) And my 1 VGLA passed advanced!

Reading - 17 of the 19 that I taught passed (8 pass advanced, 5 perfect) - and of the other two, one was by ONE QUESTION! SO CLOSE!

Science - All 19 of my kids who took it online passed (12 pass advanced, 4 perfect) - Sheri teaches them!

I'm going to miss those kids - they started out really weak in some areas and came SO, SO far!! They are going to kick some booty in 4th grade!!

Mal's Shower

Did I tell you my sister is getting married?? Well, she is - August 8. This Saturday we threw her a fun family/friends bridal shower in Abingdon. It went over very well and she got LOTS of great stuff. I had fun catching up with my family on both sides and friends of my mom from work. We played a few fun games (my mom's major in college was recreation - that is so her element!) and ate some good food (have you ever had crap rangoon? YUM!) and watched her open lots and lots of gifts. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it a special day for her!

We also got to spend time with 2 of the cutest kids on earth - one was Keeley, my sister's soon-to-be neice who is just a doll. She kept asking for Mary, and we couldn't figure out who Mary was. When my grandma (Virginia, by the way) got there, she said "That's Mary!" It was so funny! The other sweet baby girl was baby Jayla, my cousin's new baby and my aunt Donna's precious grandbaby! She was only 4lb, 6oz at birth, but she's growing and is now about 7 pounds at 6 weeks. I fell in love VERY quickly!

And here is my Great Aunt Sue playing with sweet Keeley! I love this picture!!

Vaca and a 5K

Well, we're finally back in Virginia after a whirlwind mini-vacation! Here's the lowdown (with a few pictures to keep you interested!)

Friday afternoon we went to Jonathan's company's summer picnic, where much to my surprise I got meet baby Grayce, who was born about 3 weeks earlier and was still only about 6 pounds. That's about the only memorable part about the picnic for me.....but oh, she was a doll! After that, we packed up and headed out with Maggie to Concord, NC to see my cousins, aunt, and uncle. They dogsat Maggie while we finished the next two legs of our trip.

Saturday was the day of the 5K race I've been preparing for. I'll go ahead and let you know that my pace gradually got slower the week before the race, so I was nervous!! We got to SC and spent the day hanging out with Jonathan, Kelley, Kiran, and Sienna - which was awesome since we'd just seen them less than a week before when they came to see us in VA on their way to Charlottesville. We napped, ate, talked, and played before heading to drop the girls off in Greenville and hit the race! Now, there were over 2,000 people running this race -so it was packed. Kelley and I headed to about the middle of the pack, strapped on our pace chip and race numbers, and got started! Kelley was a little speed demon - so she left me and ended up finishing in less than 30 minutes! I finished in 33:18 according to my chip. That was slower than I wanted, but I ran it and I felt great! I'm already planning my next race - where I will reinstate my goal of a less than 30 minute race!

On Sunday we headed to church with the Caskeys and then headed even further south to Atlanta. We took in Six Flags White Water all day Monday and then headed to Turner Field Monday night. The storm missed us and we enjoyed a great game in right field.

Unfortunately, we had to head back Tuesday - with a stop to pick up some things (my race shirt, ahem) from Kelley's. Then, I broke Kiran. You can read all about that here: Kelley's blog. After we got Kiran fixed, we headed back to VA (via Concord). It was about this time we realize how nice it would be to get hang out with Kiran, Sienna, and their parents more. It was so fun to have just seen them - so Kiran didn't have to warm back up to us and we could just play. Thanks for having us guys - and thanks for running with me!