Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!! Psalms 139

MOVED BLOG

2011-07-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

I haven't blogged here in quite awhile. I moved my blog over to WordPress

http://tbiggers.wordpress.com/

Homemade Laundry Detergent.

2009-10-18T15:42:00.006-05:00

Today i made my 5th batch of Homemade Laundry Detergent. I wish i would have been blogging about this since the first batch in JUNE. But I didn't ...so i'll just recap here on today's blog. Lots of friends have done this before me and I've learned bits and pieces from them along the way and incorporated their ideas into my laundry detergent making. Thanks CARLIE for peaking my interest in this subject.

June 8th---I first read about detergent making in Carlie's blog and on her post on www.Acadianamoms.com. All ingredients I was able to find at Drug Emporium and Super One Foods.

.27c 1/3 bar-- Zote Laundry Bar--Shred half bar then process in food processor till fine..
.43c 1 c. SuperWashing Soda
.34c 1 c. Borax

Mix all together in plastic ice cream bucket. 2T per load

The total cost for one batch of homemade laundry detergent was $1.04.

RESULTS--this worked ok but i didn't like using my food processor. I also didn't like the pink stuff--Zote is pink and I really didn't care for the "citronella" frangrance. But the clothes did smell very clean and fresh out of the dryer. IMO.

July 15th
1/4 Bar Fels NAptha (for stain power) ($.79c/bar) cost for half bar (.26c)
1 Sml Bar Kiss My Face Olive Oil and Lavender Bar Soap ($2.75)

Shred both with fine side of cheese grater then place in pot with 1qt of water and stir with wooden spoon till melted. Pour into clean mop bucket and add 4 qt of cool water. Stir well then transfer to old laundry detergent bottle. This gives you 1 gallon of detergent (32 loads @ 1/2 c. per load.) Add drops of essential oil for fragrance. I used Ylang Ylang and Geranium.
USE: 1/2 c liquid per laundry load.

Mix 1 c Washing Soda (.34c) with 1c Borax. (.43c)--Add 1T per load along with the above mixture.
TOTAL COST--$3.72 per batch. This version was more expensive per batch b/c of the soap I choose but still $2-4 cheaper than what i was using before. The best benefit is that its an organic soap bar and pretty safe for us versus the whole bar of Fels Naptha.

RESULTS---While i had no problem with its cleaning ability ---i didn't like the two separate things i had to put into the washer.....sometimes i forgot the Soda/Borax step.

I prepared this Recipe twice.

October 15th

1/2 bar Fels Naptha (.40)
1/2 bar Pangea Organics (cinnamon & clove) organic Bar (3.50)
1c. Borax
1c. Washing Soda

Shred the soap and place in pot of water (2qt) and head on med low until all melted
In separate bowl mix together the soda and borax with 2qt water. Stir with wire whisk until completely dissolved. Set aside.
Once soap is completely melted and smooth pour into bucket. Add 2qt cool water and stir well.
Add dissolved Soda/Borax mixture to the bucket and stir well.
Add 10 drops Ylang Ylang and 10 Drops of Vanilla and 10 drops of Lavender
Transfer to large laundry detergent container using funnel. (the kind with the dispenser) Really big. Holds 2 gallons.
USE--1/2 capful (cap that came with the dispenser) per washload

This one is goopy as it comes out of the dispenser and sometimes i have to squeeze the bottle a little to make it come out so it needs to be shaken each time you use it b/c i think the borax/soda mixture coagulates at the bottom of the container. The detergent bottle i used has a nice handle on it so i just pick it up and give it a good shake then dispense what I need.

Please keep in mind that when making your own detergent you will not have that fresh frangrance smell you get from commercial detergents. You should actually smell nothing at all or a lingering scent of the essential oils you added. If you or your family tends to use alot of perfumes or cologne it may linger slightly even after the dryer step. But your clothes are clean nonetheless. If you smell foul odors IE: body odor then you should increase your soap ratio and add 1T more borax directly to your washer. You can also add regular Arm and Hammer baking soda to your smelly laundry loads which helps elminate odors. IE: socks and baby diapers, towels. Also.....for bath towels you are having a hard time getting rid of their odor you should add 1/2 c. borax to the washer and do a "prewash" cycle using HOT water. Then do your wash cycle as usual.

I have not stopped using fabric softener so i'm still picking up some of the fragrance from that so that my clothes CAN have that fresh clean smell. I use Mrs. Meyers Geranium--A green company as well that I feel comfortable using.

While the ingredients are not actually "frugal" by most definitions they are much simpler and safe than the ingredients being used on most of the commercial laundry detergents on the market today. The frugality comes in where i'm not buying Mrs. Meyers ready made detergent....i'm making my own. Still only costing me under $4 per batch instead of $8-9.

Are there other "green" and environmentally safe products out there that I can just purchase without having to make my own and still save $$? YES however i enjoy making it so until I get tired of it i'll continue to do so.

juneupload 295

2009-08-29T16:10:00.001-05:00

juneupload 295
Originally uploaded by TessieBiggers

Savannah was teething this day! Having such a bad day that I took her to the park.

Trip To CC's

2009-08-07T12:15:00.003-05:00

So...this morning we were able to get out the front door early! Yay. This is a major accomplishment for Savannah and I. Everything within me wanted to take this last week day of vacation and just stay at home but I had alot on my "to do list".

Go to Bank--still dealing with the PayPal problem!
Go to Dollar Store--few needed items
Go to Acadiana High and get a few items from my old classroom I had left behind by mistake.
Finally--the crowning JOY of this morning errand run is to go to CC's on the way home to get my MED Medium Roast with Caramel and HalfnHalf! $2.56 cents. A far cry from the latte i used to get at $4.25. I savor it just as much at only half the price and thats the beauty of CC's. They use this rich creamy Caramel sauce instead of thin syrup like Starbucks.

So....I accomplished everything on the list except for the Dollar Store because I moved number 3 to number 2 and on the way back from AHS Savannah was cranky so i knew she wouldn't be in the frame of mind to take her down at Dollar Store. Therefore, i headed to CC's then home.

We arrived at home and she was sound asleep like an angel in her carseat. So sound asleep that i was able to unbuckle her and take her to the house and put her in her bed and she never opened an eye! Then , with Annie following me, I headed back to the car to get my Med Medium roast with Caramel and half and half! Couldn't wait to get it come back inside and sit here and peruse my daily blogs and sip my wonderful creation...my CC's. Well....that didn't happen because Annie was at my feet coming back inside and i tripped over her and the coffee flew 3 feet away from me out of my hands and hit the ground splashing caramel goodness all over the concrete! Needless to say, I was somewhat disappointed. It was bad enough that I already felt a twinge of guilt by purchasing it when we are trying to cut back on expenses. But...I found 2$ in my classroom desk and thought it was perfect way to spend it. I'm left to wonder "God are you trying to teach me something through this?"

I came back inside got the mop bucket filled it withwater and then poured it on the caramel medium roast mess on the sidewalk and came back inside with my head hanging. I then fixed a pot of coffee and now am sitting here sipping that with plain ole sugar and half and half.

I really want to get rid of that stinkin dog! Right now she's locked in the bedroom because she tracked coffee (caramel goodness) back into the house all over my new hardwood floors so i had to mop before i could blog. I needed to mop anyways but it was earlier than i expected to mop. Now i'm waiting for the first half to dry so i can finish the other half. I hate it when i put my own footprints on my freshly mopped floor so i do half and half.

Don't Let Your Circumstances Determine Your Attitude

2009-08-06T22:54:00.005-05:00

So...today was the last day of 3 days of teacher "in service". For those who don't know this is when teachers are fed information on how to best reach their students, what are the new goals of the school this year, how to make a difference, and so on and so fourth. After 8 years as a teacher I thought I had heard it all. But today we learned about something called the "Fish Philosophy". If embraced could quite possibly change the climate of the school. I'm praying that it is embraced because I'm ready for a FRESH injection in my daily Work life instead of the same old thing. Students need Fun, Hope, Encouragement, to Feel Special. This is the first program I've seen that really seems to incorporate that without seeming contrived.

Be There
Play
Make Their Day
Choose Your Attitude

This year marks the beginning of a new school year for me at a new school. This will be the 3rd year in a row that I am transferred to a new school. The first was voluntary but the last two were not. I must say with the first transfer that occurred last year I had a choice over two schools....one that seemed very dismal and like a prison as far as teaching "happy" goes and the second choice seemed much more bearable. Neither of which would have been a place I really wanted to go. I wanted to stay exactly where I was....COMFORTABLE! The year that followed was less than ideal to say the least. While I did make many valuable friendships...the job was less than pleasurable and I didn't truly enjoy my work. Then at the end of the school year, this past May, I received notice that yet again I was being forced into a transfer. The ironic thing is that the place I was being sent was the place I turned down last year that seemed like the dismal prison! . Fast forward to this week.

Today, I've completed 3 days of in service at this "prison" and I've learned a few things. It is NOT a prison, the people are wonderful, and I cannot imagine why in the heck I believed the lie that said....you'll be miserable if you go there. From what I can see I'll be very happy and able to impact my students in a way I've never been before. This is because I will have much much smaller classes and much more flexibility as a teacher.

So, yet again I'm reminded of a poem "The WEAVER". In this poem one's life is compared to a tapestry being woven by God. If you've ever seen a tapestry and had a chance to examine it you would see that the underside is a little messy looking and its not pretty at all but the upper side is the beautiful side. For the past two years I've looked at circumstances in my life and allowed them to determine my attitude. All I've looked at is the underside of the tapestry God was weaving. I didn't understand the things that were taking place and why it was happening to me! I was angry at the situation. Through this poem I'm reminded that though I see the underside of the tapestry it is GOD who sees the upper side and sometimes that's not revealed until he's ready. Once it is you realize He was in control all along. All I had to do is Trust and Obey. I could have saved myself a lot of strife by simply Trusting and Obeying. Now I am in a place that I know I'll be happier. So what if the circumstances of my transfer were "unjust". I'll spare you all the details of that injustice just to say this. It was meant to be anyway! :)

God is Good!

Whats for Dinner?

2009-08-01T15:55:00.005-05:00

I'm always commenting on FB about what I'm cooking for dinner and my friends almost always ask for a recipe. So this is whats for dinner tonight.

Chicken A LA Crock Pot--don't know what else to call it b/c i made it up!

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1/2 sweet onion sliced
1/2 green bell pepper sliced
3/4 c. chicken stock
1T cornstarch
1 can Cream of Mushroom--fat free

Cut chicken into chunks and brown in oiled skillet. Transfer to crock pot once browned on all sides. Throw in the onions and bellpepper and let them simmer in the skillet for 3-5 min then transfer them to the crock pot. Dissolve cornstarch in chicken stock and add to crock pot. Add can of cream of mushroom. Cover and allow to cook for 2 hours. 1 hour is fine if you're in a rush. Serve over brown rice.

Crash Potatoes

Boil 8-10 New Red Potatoes until fork tender, drain.
Preheat oven to 450 while boiling and generously grease a cookie sheet.
Using a potato masher mash each potato gently on the cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with lots of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, & rosemary--not too much rosemary. Drizzle with plenty olive oil. Salt again. Remember these are potatoes...they need salt!
Bake for 25 min on TOP rack of oven until browned.

Steamed Broccoli with Cream Sauce

Cream Sauce

In small saucepan melt 2T butter, add 1-2 T flour and make a paste. Allow to simmer for about 3 min without browning. Add salt and Garlic powder.
Slowly stir in 1c. Warm milk. Allow to thicken. Pour over cooked broccoli and mix.

Finally In Our House AGAIN!

2009-07-10T14:21:00.003-05:00

For those of you who aren't aware, we temporarily moved out of our home back in early MAY of 2008 to prepare for the baby. This turned into a major headache b/c there was mold everywhere behind the walls so there was LOTS more work to be done than we expected. Then the contractor we hired didn't exactly work to the degree we thought he would so there were weeks sometimes months that nothing was happening in the condo. I guess he had bigger fish to fry. My husband did what he could but at the time he was working 60 hours sometimes 80hrs per week offshore and there was little he could do since the house was basically ripped apart. JB was laid off from that job and was finally able to focus all of his efforts on fixing the house. TJ Guidry, Matt MArtin, Josh Patin were big helps but again there was only so much they could do. Finally someone in our life group volunteered his time and some friends and here we are a year later back in our condo!

Well we've been in since Sunday 7/5/09. For the past few weeks days I've been unpacking and purging like a crazy woman. Its so much easier to let go of clutter when you've been away from it for a year! Not to mention the fact that half of my clothes still don't fit me and Savannah is already 13 months. I'm still carrying an additional 10 lbs and that makes a big difference when all your size 6 pants and shirt used to fit perfect...now they're tight very tight. So, i'm putting lots of things in totes marked "garage sale" Whatever I sell from clothing I'll use to buy new ones and whatever doesn't sell, I'm sending to the Faith House or Hope Center.

Our Living Room is starting to look nice. Book shelf is neatly arranged and furniture is all in its place. Savannah's bedroom still needs some work since its also where the washer and dryer is. There's no sliding door to cover the washer and dryer. I still have boxes of baby clothing in there as well that need to go to the friend that lent it to me that i never got to use.

Bedroom: Finally we've unpacked most of the boxes and the only thing left to purge is the shoes! Shoes shoes shoes! I never knew i had so many till i put them all in one tote! We lost storage space when we got rid of the built in drawers and shelves so that's where all the purging is taking place. I had no idea i had accumulated so many clothing pieces.

Bathroom: hall bathroom is ready and being used but the master bathroom is just a mess. It still needs to be tiled and the toilet needs to be installed and the counter top needs to be installed then the sink. But the Master Closet attached to that is nice. JB just constructed some shelving from scratch. I was able to find some really cute just square fabric lined totes that are going to house small essentials for 10$/4

Slowly but surely things are being put away and hopefully this will be only 1 more week before my days are MINE! School starts again in 7 days so.....time is creeping up on me.

Things Savannah is Doing Now...Milestones....

2009-06-29T21:56:00.004-05:00

She understands what I say. IE:

"go get your book"---she'll go get it, bring it to me, and climb on my lap for me to read it to her.

"Where's your lovey?"--she goes look for it.

"Where's your cup"--She goes look for it.

She points to what she wants.....

If she sees her lovey and she's in that mood....she'll go get it and if she's especially tired she'll drop to the floor right there and lay with it and put her thumb in her mouth....its so cute!!

When she has her blanky and he lovey she tries to get all the pink tags to her blankie in her hand at once then put her thumb in her mouth.

She blows kisses bye bye.
She volunteers open mouth kisses.

She grunts if i'm eating something and not sharing with her. esp ice cream.

She's throwing real tantrums from time to time when i have to use the word "no" or if i have to physically stop her from doing something she's trying to do. She sits down and throws herself backwards...or slaps her hand....at whatever it is she's trying to do in a sassy way.... I'll have to figure out a different method.

If she doesn't want to Walk where i'm trying to take her...she'll drop to the floor and not walk!!

Having fun!!

2009-06-27T17:49:00.001-05:00

Saturday we went to Isaiah's birthday party. We put on her bathing suit and she had a good time. Then she chased the dog around the yard. She ate a hotdog with mommy and drank some juice. She really ran around the back yard alot....when we finally left she was asleep before we got to the redlight. :) Fun Day!

Tired after a day of swimming at isaish's birthday party!!

2009-06-27T17:48:00.000-05:00

2009-06-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

This is how little Miss Biggers spends her afternoons these days.
Due to the heat we've been waiting till after 5.

Things I Never Want to Forget...

2009-06-16T21:05:00.003-05:00

Image by sabianmaggy via Flickr

Things I never want to forget:

... the sound of Savannah quietly talking to herself when she's playing

... the feel of her little head under my chin when she's cuddled up to me in the rocking chair

... the sound of her belly laughs when we play.

...the look on her face when I go into her room in the morning. It's the best, sweetest smile on Earth.

... the wet, open-mouthed "kisses" I get when I say "kiss kiss mommy"... please?"....then she smiles and plants one!

...the way she sticks her fingers in my mouth to touch my teeth and tongue

...her baby breath

...her cookie breath

Lazy Saturday.....

2009-06-13T18:22:00.011-05:00

Well today was pretty uneventful. Savannah and I woke up at 8am and had Strawberry Waffles with Vanilla Yogurt. She devoured one waffle all by herself.

After that we hopped into the car and went to WalMart for some formula and a portable high chair to use at granny's house. We then swung by Aunt Julies to pick up a few things and Savannah was already sleeping in the car so I just went in and out.

When we got back to granny's savannah was still napping peacefully so i was able to put her right into bed and she slept for an additional hour which gave me time to have lunch. After I finished lunch i got the pool in the front yard ready for her and the little sprinkler pad that Stacy gave her so that when she woke from her nap all we had to do was change into her swim suit. We stayed out there for about an hour or so. I read a book while she played back and fourth between the pool and sprinkler pad.

Now it 6:30 and i'm about to try and feed her some dinner. Theres' not much she's interested in these days so its a gamble each time I choose something to feed her whether or not she'll actually eat it or protest. She's been very klingy all day and I'm seriously hoping this is all just a phase. I'm thinking its because i've been home for summer break and she's just not used to having mommy all the time. AND add to that the fact that there aren't 2 children running around here to play with like at Mrs. Stacey's.

Oh yeah...i almost forgot.....I just put together the booster seat and right before i was done i realized it was broken! I should have known better than to buy something that even remotely looked like it had already been opened. It was a Safety 1st Booster Seat chair that straps to the kitchen table chair. It was pretty sturdy and i had already placed Savannah in the seat and strapped her in. It was when i was going to put the tray on that i realized the tray itself was broken underneath and would not stay in place! NOW i have to go all the way back to WALMART which I HATE with the fire of a thousand SUNS!!!!

ALSO--today i spent some time researching how to make a "better" homemade laundry detergent that's both eco friendly and safe for our bodies. In doing so I discovered what I think is a very good recipe in addition to a new BLOGGER. :)

It Won't Be Like This For Long..........

2009-06-08T20:10:00.007-05:00

It Won't Be This Way For Long

A few days ago I was driving to my moms and heard this song by Darius Rucker about the stresses of bringing the baby home, her at 4 entering pre-k, her as a teenager, her getting married etc....and I just wanted to press the brakes and STOP time. I want to freeze time a little longer because it WONT be this way for long. I felt like in the past year I missed something. I got teary eyed in the car, possibly because I was exhausted being up all night with Savannah and fever so I really connected with the words to the song. Then I started to think about the past year and how crazy its been for JB, Myself and Trey and realized that in the midst of this STORM I forgot to REALLY REALLY take time to enjoy the RAIN of LIFE! Its rained alot in my life this year.

Then later on when I got home a Friend who was thinking of me sent me the video below. From it I gleaned this: God never promised there wouldn't be RAIN....but he DID promise that he would always be there. I cried because I was feeling lonesome for my baby....who is now considered by some a "toddler". I cried for my Son who is becoming a Man of God and not my little boy. I cried over regrets with my dad who passed away in January. But most of all I cried because for the past year I've been so busy asking God WHY that I forgot to thank him for everything he has given me and just Trust. God's word says that when we Cry he will LISTEN. When we cry he IS close.

Things don't always work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they will or should. Sometimes we don't even see it coming. We get hit with some form of pain out of nowhere leaving us feeling desperate and helpless. That's the way life is. Still, some will wonder how God can let these things happen to us. How God can just stand by and watch us suffer. Where is God when it really hurts? Well....God is actually closer to us than we think. Its when were in these situations, where everything seems to be falling apart, that He gets an opportunity to remind us of how much he really loves us!

Here are the Lyrics to the Song I Heard: It Won't Be Like This For Long

Savannah's Birthday

2009-05-30T18:23:00.008-05:00

For Savannah's birthday we had all her cousins over and we had a family celebration. She wore a tulle tutu that mommy made the night before. Her cake was made and hand decorated by mommy.

Attendees:

Saegyn
MaKasyn
Isaiah
Jericho
Jaden
Gavin
Cameron

Aunt Lea, Seth, Brad, Rhiannon, Corey, Casey, Aunt Julie, Granny, Mrs. Stacey,

Savannah has been "coasting" for the past few weeks but finally she is taking her own steps. WE HAVE A WALKER! :) She is wobbly and its so stinking cute!! She falls on her behind but gets back up and continues on.

Savannah....learning to walk.

2009-04-19T14:57:00.003-05:00

Walking in livingroom with daddy.....

These days the only way to keep Ms. Biggers happy is to walk around the house holding her hands. She is def enjoying this mode of transportation. I Suspect she will be leaving the crawling behind in a matter of weeks.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T21:28:00.003-05:00

This is the dress granny bought for her for Easter Sunday. At the time this picture was taken she was opening Aunt Adrienne's gift.

I'm a Hersheys Baby!

2009-02-26T17:52:00.001-06:00

This pic was taken yesterday afternoon. She played while I just layer
there. I had to dig clover flowers out of her mouth numerous times.
Finally i gave her this wrapper.

2009-01-26T12:41:00.001-06:00

Do I look sick to you? I just took a treatment and I'm ready to go!!

Earache

2009-01-15T17:58:00.001-06:00

When I have an earache I pull my ears like this and have to be in
mommys lap 24/7

Savannah at Olive Garden

2009-01-09T14:14:00.000-06:00

Me and my DaDa

2009-01-09T14:02:00.000-06:00

I just love my bath!

2009-01-09T13:38:00.000-06:00

Happy new year!!!

2009-01-01T14:01:00.000-06:00

Ready to Shop!

2008-12-31T13:15:00.000-06:00

Going get my booster shots them headed to mall with mom.

Making Butter

2008-12-18T09:39:00.002-06:00

Yesterday in class we made homemade butter. Here are a few pics.

Image by e.marie via Flickr

Basically, we put 1/2 pt of heavy whipping cream in a mason jar plus 1/8 tsp salt, covered and shook. Once we had a semi solid mass in the jar we opened it and poured off the water. Refrigerate for a few min then spread on crackers. I can honestly say most of my students had no idea what we were doing or what was in the jar. I kept this all a secret so that they would be surprised when i revealed what we had made HOMEMADE BUTTER!!!! Just look at that smile :)

Breastfeeding

2008-12-02T20:46:00.001-06:00

I'm afraid our breastfeeding days are slowly coming to an end. I
tapered off so that I could stop pumping at work and it's had an
overall effect on my whole supply. Savannah is not really liking this
much. ESP at night when ages ready to nurse to sleep. I still allow
her to nurse by today nothing came and she was frustrated. And to add
insult to innjury she is cutting her second tooth!!

I'll post an updated pic later.

T. Biggers (sent from IPhone)

My sleeping beauty

2008-11-27T20:22:00.000-06:00

Here's one of many photos! She's sleeping so peacefully.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T18:46:00.003-06:00

Today we spent the day at Aunt Julies. I got up at 7ish because Savannah would have it no other way. I put the turkey in the oven by 8am and wouldn't you know it...JB got called on a job. But thankfully he was back by 2:00. Rhiannon and Brad came around 3:00 and Corey and Casey came in soon after that. They all left around 6pm. Aunt julie just left to go shopping at Walmart. Savannah really didn't take a good nap today and she's been fighting her sleep all day. FINALLY she is sleeping on her daddy's shoulders. His shoulders are like tranquilizers for her. As soon and he puts her there her thumb goes up to her mouth and she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep but as soon as I try to move her she awakes again! Shes getting into the attachment stage where she doesn't want to be away from us.

HOUSE UPDATE:
We are still not in our house. The person we paid to do the work in the house hasn't done any work in the house in weeks. I'm not sure why? I guess we aren't on the top of his priority list. He's already been paid! We should be on the TOP. Somethings gotta give! I'm so tired of not being in my house. Our $$ is stretched really thin. None of our bills are gone just because we aren't in our home. We still have house note, assoc. dues, and all the utilities. In addition we have the KENNEL at a rate of $300 per month, STORAGE at a rate of $300 per month. AND this past week JB hired aunt Julie's boyfriend Messina to do the work we've already paid someone else to do. He worked for M-F about 6 hours each day and got alot done. We still need one more coat of sheetrock mud and primer and paint. Once that is done the carpet will be replaced in Savannah's room. Our bathroom in master bedroom still needs to be tiled but we can move in without the tiling complete. To top all of this off Messina just went back to FLORIDA without warning so the person we were going to be using to work in the house for the next few days is no longer going to be doing it. :( Now were back to square one waiting on someone whose been paid to do the work he was paid to do but not doing it. JB has all next weekend off so he will be working on the house. Hopefully with someone else!!!! I find it kinda funny how everyone always asks "whats up with the house" but NO ONE EVER OFFERS TO HELP IN MY HOUSE!!! I have cousins who haven't even come close to offering but they all want to know "whats up"? The only person whose ever taken the initiative to help us was JEREMY GUIDRY while we were staying at his house. Besides cleanup theres nothing else we can do....we can't do sheetrock work!! For all those who think my husband is doing "nothing" you're wrong.

ALL THIS TO SAY THIS: I'm thankful for my Aunt Julie and the GUIDRYS, and Mrs. Sandra Mayon who have let us stay in their house without complaint. otherwise I don't know where I would be. I'm thankful for a healthy baby girl free from any health issues or sicknesses. I'm thankful for my job. I'm thankful for a husband that works for his family to the point where he's mentally and emotionally exhausted. Last week he clocked in 160 hours! Sometimes MORE! I'm thankful for a sister who helps me when I'm in need. I'm thankful for a mother and father to lend advise. I'm thankful for the most awesome son a mother could have!

2008-10-13T18:35:00.002-05:00

Just playing around....:)

Savannah 4 1/2 Months

2008-10-07T19:12:00.003-05:00

Well Savannah is 4.5 months old and she's a joy! We are so absolutely in love with her and her sweet disposition. She's rarely cranky except when she's overly tired or stimulated. This past week she had low grade temperature and then broke out in a rash last night. Dr. Bailey said this morning that its Roseola.

WT: 14 lbs
HT: ~24 in.

We are still staying with friends while our house is being "fixed". I never in my life imagined it would have taken this long. Thank God for family and friends and their patience with us. My friend Stacy Guidry who watches Savannah every day is where we've been staying for the past 3 weeks. I thank God every day for Her and Jeremy's kindness being extended to us. Without their offering for us to stay with them i'd have to drive every day from NI leaving at 5:45 in order to get to Laf, drop off Savannah and get to work by 6:45 am. Not to mention the track back to NI every night and not getting settled until 7:30 at night due to the traffic when leaving Lafayette at 5 each day. For the past three weeks I get up take care of feeding her and putting her back to sleep then get dressed and leave quietly for work. I don't have to bring her any where. I'll miss that once i'm in my house. :)

So...here we go again.

2008-08-10T18:31:00.003-05:00

For those of you who know me you know that I was involuntarily transferred to Acadiana High School from Comeaux High this year. So Friday was my first day of school. I spent all of this previous week being a little nervous about Friday but when it came it was pretty easy. I mean it was a bit stressful because of the moving from class to class. Oh...let me explain that. I teach FACS I computer lab inside the main building and I also teach Keystone in a Portable Building so 1,3,4, & 5th Hour I teach inside the main building but then for 7th and 8th I have to move to the portable building. Why you ask....?? Because I share the computer lab with another teacher who also teaches FACS I so while I'm teaching Keystone she's teaching FACSI and vice versa. It in and of itself is a bit difficult because i'm not used to working so closely with someone. For the past 7 years i've been my own teacher and done what I wanted to do with my classroom and procedure wise I was the only person making those decision. So this year is a new season in my life in that God may be "stretching" me so to speak. Having to bend and curve to accommodate someone else does not come easy for me b/c I like it MY WAY. So maybe this will "move my cheese" a little. I'm trying to look at it from a positive perspective but its a little difficult. I feel like my world was turned upside down and shaken out inside a different school, classroom, and work environment. I dont' know anyone but for maybe 3 other teachers. Some of the teachers are not too friendly either. I just spent a year getting used to a "new school" last year and now I have to do it all over again. Well i'm rambling and am done now.

Tomorrow will be the first day of actual lessons. MONDAY! I'm leaving from New Iberia because I'm STILL NOT in my house. I won't even begin to approach that subject! NEedless to say in order to drop off my baby at sitter's and be to work on time I MUST LEAVE in the AM no later than 5:50 due to the morning traffic on hwy 90 and inside Lafayette. I like getting to work early though so I can do some last minute tasks like turn in Lesson Plans, make last min copies and such. I teach 1st hour this year on both A and B days so I'll have to really be on my toes. I've gotten pretty used to always having 1st hour off. NO MORE. I'll have to make sure i'm prepared for the following day each afternoon before I leave school. My goal is to pick up Savannah by 4:30 each day. We'll see.......:)

Tessie

In the Middle of the Night--A Breastfeeding Memoir

2008-07-31T14:18:00.009-05:00

This being Breastfeeding Awareness Month I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about it. ;)

Savannah is now 10 weeks old and we've been nursing since she was born. There are so many wonderful memories Savannah and I have already created. From the first time I held her close and she latched on the right way up until now I relish every special intimate moment we have together. To be perfectly honest i haven't loved every minute of my nursing experience due to the "rocky" start mostly being my own fault. But, now everything is going great and my most favorite time to nurse is in those wee hours of the morning when she wakes for her feeding.

I hear her little cry from the other room and know its my cue and no one else's. I drag myself sleepily to her bed and gather her into my arms. At that moment there is no one else in the world that she wants to see but me and no one else in the world prepared to give her what she needs. The world is dark and hushed and it is a time for just me and my baby to do our jobs. Though it is a time of the night when most people would like to be deep in a peaceful sleep I am relishing in the bonding experience that is so special to me and my baby girl.

Savannah is the type of feeder who nurses ferociously for 10 minutes or so and that holds her over for about 2 hours. I haven't put her on a "schedule". Everything is up to her. Its her world not mine. This has been "her" schedule for these past 9 weeks of her life and therefore mine. I haven't had a full nights rest since she was born but amazingly enough I've gotten used to going on just 5 hours of sleep broken in parts.

The first few nights were not easy! Its taken quite a bit of dedication to continue this breastfeeding and there have been times where my own selfishness has tempted me to give her a nice bottle of formula knowing it would hold her over for quite awhile and afford me some sleep. But, when I thought about the bonding and how important it is I didn't falter.

On our first night home with her she went from a calm and quiet newborn baby to a wailing mess! Of course my milk had not come in yet and she was only getting the bit of colostrum she supposedly needed for satisfaction. I felt like nothing was there. I cried at the fact that I was told by the pediatrician to supplement with 1oz of formula. I felt like in some way i had "caved". Afterall, she knew exactly what to do from the moment she entered the world and latched on for the very first time. Why couldn't I hurry up and make milk. I'd heard of moms whom it only took 1 day and here we were in day 3 and still no milk. It took 4 long painful days for my milk to come in, the 4th being the worst. My boobs were huge and painful and in her daddy's words reminded him of the "women on national geographic".

Now she eats well. She eats ferociously and with intent at every nursing session and sleeps for hours at a time. But for the first 7 weeks with her I would wake up once or twice in the night to feed her and put her back to sleep until morning. It is such a special time and I look forward to the waking and feeding my little angel. Her sweet satisfaction once she is full is written all over her face in this peaceful little grin peeking out from behind mommies breast. The view from my point of view is priceless.

I will cherish forever the bond that is being created during my breastfeeding sessions with my angel. The intimacy, comfort and benefits are irreplaceable for both of us. Sleep may be more important than some things but more important than my comfortable, dreaming angel...I think not.

With school having started this past Friday I'm a bit worrisome however. I'm fearful of my "supply" dropping because she's not actively nursing. No pump in the world can mimic the nursing of a baby. I've already experienced a "dip" in supply since starting my pumping last week. I'm managing to pump 2x per day getting about 6 oz each time. So far she's consumed more than that during our time apart so its inevitable that she'll catch up with me on the pumping and my sitter will have to "supplement" with formula. All in all i will still be satisfied that we nursed as long as we did. Many women don't even get this far. Supposedly my supply will remain until i stop completely so maybe eventually we'll just get to the point where she's nursing only in the morning and at night. I believe that would be fine with me. I know the benefits far outweigh any inconvenience that pumping at work may present.

9 Weeks

2008-07-31T07:42:00.007-05:00

Yesterday Savannah had her 2 mo well baby visit with Dr. Bailey.

WT: 11pounds 6 oz.
HT: 22.5 in.
Percentile: 75th

She is doing great. Breastfeeding is still going fine. I'll begin working next week so i'll have to do the "Pump" thing 2x during the working hours. Don't know how that will go yet but i'm hopeful.

Below are pictures of her taken this week. The blue and white outfit she's wearing was given to me at the Baby Shower by Aunt Adrienne and its the first time she wears it.

Daddy came home 3 nights ago with a brand new swing for Gracie girl. She fell right asleep within 5 minutes. I don't know why we waited so long!!! I can tell i'll be using it alot. It has 10 songs, 5 white noise sounds, vibrates at 2 levels, and swings at 6 levels. It also has a mobile that spins. SHE LOVES IT!! THANK YOU DADDY!! and Thank you Aunt Julie for bringing it to our attention that it was high time she had a swing. I had gotten her a vibrating bouncy seat about a month ago that plays music. The pictures below are of her in it. That seemed to make her happy for a time but it was starting to get old on her.

She started going to the sitters last week. We started off with 3 days in a row for 3 hours then this week all day once and 1/2 day once. She's adjusting well. The first day she was cranky and wanted to be held the entire remainder of the evening once we got home. I think she just missed me. :)

CLICK ON EACH IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW IT LARGER :)

8Weeks!

2008-07-25T09:32:00.006-05:00

Savannah is now 9 weeks old. She is beautiful and a daily delight. We can't stop staring at her and just drinking her in. I wish i could bottle the baby smell before it disappears. The picture above is a pic of her in her favorite place....on her dear daddy's chest. He loves her so much he spends most of his time just staring at her. He's a super dad! He even tackled the stinkiest messiest diaper i've ever seen...it ended up with him rinsing her off under the bathtub faucet and handing her to me to bathe.

She's begun with her social smiles and we just wait with bated breath for each and every spontaneous smile. She def smiles at her daddy. SHe smiles at the ceiling fan and the black polkadot mobile her mommy made for her. She likes that so much more than the pink/brown.

First Smiles --6 Wks Old

2008-07-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

This week we got a sampling of some of Savannah Grace's first true smiles. These were not gas as some would say these were genuine smiles. She was looking at a homemade mobile mommy made from white paper and black marker with Dots, Sprials, and other designs to capture her attention. These smiles were absolutely delightful to me and I just could not get enough of her!

Father's Day!!!

2008-06-14T14:39:00.001-05:00

Because mommy has been so busy with baby and Aunt Adrienne visiting....we gave daddy an E-Card for fathers day. This is a pic of what we did on a website called scrapblog.com Its really cool. :) Daddy Loved It!

Savannah Grace Arrives

2008-05-31T14:43:00.001-05:00

Savannah Grace was born on May 20th by way of scheduled C-section. Mommy, Daddy and Granny arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am and they immediately started preparing mommy for delivery. Daddy and Granny came in the operating room and Granny video recorded the entire thing.

We stayed in the hospital from Tues to Friday and went home Friday afternoon. Mommy is breastfeeding and recovering from a c-section which is a challenge. Daddy is Happiest man on the planet and is a good caretaker. He's taken the week of Savannah's birth off of work.

Below you will see pictures of Savannah Grace Just HOURS old and some of her as she is now.

May 31st

37 Weeks --photo

2008-05-11T16:45:00.005-05:00

UPDATE: I found a substitute for next week within the first 30 minutes of the day Friday. Thank God! He's a student intern who just finished his "duties" Friday and happened to be in the office when I was letting them know of my "problem" with the sub.

JB worked in the back yard all day yesterday cleaning that up then we went to Home Depot and picked out the carpet. We went with a "carmel" color since it was neutral and the only thing that was a 72 hour install guarantee. The hall and dining room and living room will be wood floor. I think it will be alot healthier that way. Less dust trapped in the carpeting. I'll have to get used to DUST/mopping the floor daily with ANNIE but I'm going to get the Swiffer broom and see how that works. I already use the Swiffer Wet pads for mopping the kitchen. Less work! No mop and bucket and water to empty out. I don't know that may all get old its just new now to me. So....the carpet should be fully installed by THURS and I have no idea how long the wood floor will take. They have to break up the ceramic tile thats in the hall and dining room right now and then chip away the cement underneath. That will make a major mess I'm sure! So my week off of school will be spent "away" from the house during the day.

I planned on going in to school yesterday to get things ready for the substitute but my feet swole up and got very uncomfortable. So i was going to do it today instead but still the same.....swollen and hurts when I flex my feet.

JB and I went to Lowes this morning to look for a back porch swing with a canopy which is something i've always wanted. That will be my Mother's day present. I want to be able to go outside and lie down on something comfortable and read. I don't know how much reading will be going on with the baby coming but i know I can take her outside and rock her now. If its not too hot.

So here's my TO DO list for the week:
MON
Go to school and finish packing personal items.
Go to First Years DayCare and pay deposit for childcare beginning in AUG.
TUE
Go to Scott Middle to see friends/teachers I used to work with.
Go to Acadiana High School to meet principal. (thats where i've been involuntarily transferred)
WED
Rhiannon is meeting me at home to sort through 3 boxes of baby clothes and put them in "age/wt" order.
Get with Trey to clean out his room. (throw out trash)
Pack my HOSPITAL BAG

THURS
REST
FRI
REST

Last Day of Work--36 weeks

2008-05-10T00:43:00.002-05:00

Well...today was my last day of work. Its started out with me not having a sub to take my place next week because of a misunderstanding between my original sub and the actual date I needed her to start. However, I let the secretary, Mrs. Brown, know what was going on and she quickly came up with a sub for me for that week.

As far as for how I'm feeling I can definitely say today was one of my worst days at work. I felt terrible all day long, couldn't walk right, and had lots of pain sitting down and getting up in general. I took Tylenol when I got to school at 6:45 AND again at 12. I even had to use an icepack on my lower back. My students were misbehaving because I wasn't my usual self and I just basically ignored them and packed my boxes with help from two girls in my 3rd hour. Honestly its only THAT CLASS that tends to get outta control. As loud as they were i did manage to keep them in their seats. The girls helped with the boxes and the boys moved them down the hall into a storage closet for me. The remainder of the day we spent in the computer lab playing a GAME and I sat at my desk trying to get last minute grades recorded. I really dont' think i would have made it through next week.

I'll post a 36 week photo later on this week!

After work I had to go to this "secret Pal" reveal get together. This was where we discovered who our secret pal had been all year long. I was totally surprised by mine as it was Coach Gunner. My pal...was Shelia Monus but she didn't show up. When I got home from there JB and I decided to go to BabiesRUs to pick up some things we needed for the baby and that was sorta fun but after an hour of shopping my feet swole to gigantic proportions. We finally checked out and left and I got to stop by SONIC for a Java Chiller. YUM! I love those. Now we have baby stuff piled in the back seat of JB's truck and I still havent' unloaded all the baby stuff from my truck from my little shopping spree last week at TARGET! We have nowhere to put all of this stuff until TREY moves out and we convert his room to a nursery.

35 Weeks

2008-04-25T20:50:00.005-05:00

Well Its been awhile since I've posted.

Baby is scheduled to be delivered on May 12th and May 19th pending how I'm feeling. I've been having alot of pain and discomfort due to a "fibroid" and low back pain so Dr. Hill choose to move the c-section up from the 26th to the 12th but once I got home I called him back and asked him to push it back one more week to the 19th due to Trey's graduation on the 17th and me wanting to let her grow another week for her benefit. Last measurements by ultrasound approximated her wt at 5lbs 14 oz. and that was 2 weeks ago. I'm getting alot larger by the week. Nothing is comfortable or fits anymore. I refuse to by one more "maternity" item.

My last day of work is the 9th and once i'm off my feet i'm sure i'll be better. Meanwhile I have 2 weeks to get ready for my last day of school. I have to pack my classroom because I'm leaving Comeaux High and going to a different school in AUGUST. For a few weeks there I didn't know if i'd even have a job come August but I got the call yesterday telling me where I had to go. The school board has "cut" my position at my current school and I was offered a position at another school due to my "tenure" status among others being "cut/displaced". Its a relief to now know i'll have a job and thats one less thing I'll have to worry about. God answers prayers. What started out to be a Mountain may even turn out to be a blessing. Only time will tell.

Now I've been thinking about how difficult it will be getting into the routine of waking up in the morning, waking up baby, feeding baby, dropping off baby and getting to school on time. Trey won't be home anymore and I'll miss his help around the house. He does alot! JB says he'll drop off the baby on the days he's "in".

We have so much we need to do in the next 3 weeks:
--pack my classroom
--paint interior
--carpeting / flooring in remainder of house
--Trey's Graduation
--Baby Born
--Pack Trey's room so we can convert it to a nursery
--buy baby furniture (bed/changing table/dresser)
--buy baby necessities (things i didn't get at the shower)

ON ANOTHER NOTE:
I stumbled upon this recipe and you have to try it! Its delicious!

PUMPKIN DIP

Week 33

2008-04-12T19:51:00.003-05:00

Well. Were in the home stretch. Getting excited about the new addition. She moves like a crazy child already! MOM is experiencing lots of back pain and soreness, can't sleep at night. Walking usually helps. My last day of work is May 9th then I will have 2 weeks off to prepare for the arrival of our baby! Trey's graduation is also on May 17th.

We are preparing for the shower this weekend.

30 Weeks

2008-03-21T20:06:00.003-05:00

Mom and baby are doing well. Though some will say "mommy complains much". Baby still kicking ALL DAY LONG! Especially at night when mommy tries to sleep.

Mommy's Cravings:
Blue Bell--fudge bars
Blue Bunny--Drumsticks--caramel
PB&Bananna on toast

28 Weeks

2008-03-12T19:10:00.005-05:00

I'm at my 28th Week. Baby is fine. Mom is OK :( Fatigue, Back pain, sleeplessness, and low iron is all there is to complain about. Mom, Dad, and brother are anxiously waiting her arrival.

She kicks ALL DAY now. Her presence is definitely known. There is never an hour throughout the day that I don't feel her kicking or pushing. She gets hiccups too. Can't wait to see her face. Perhaps we will get the 3D/4D ultrasound in the next month. I'm not sure. :)

75th Percentile

2008-02-17T19:03:00.001-06:00

We had our appointment with the prenatal specialist this past week who did a level 2 Ultra Sound. After checking everything you can imagine and being there from 3:15 to 6:15…..all he could say was that SHE (the baby not Tessie) is a little big. She’s in the 75th percentile for her gestational age (24 weeks).

No detectible heart problem
No bowel problem–all safely contained inside her body
No gap between 1st and 2nd toe (Downs Syndrome marker)
No sign of Spina Bifida
No Cleft Lip or Palate
Brain looks fine
Kidneys look fine
There were many other things he looked for but I can’t remember. All he could say was she was a little bigger but still within the “norm” range.

Wk 24

2008-02-08T19:50:00.001-06:00

Today after church JB and I went shopping for the baby bed and changing table. I had seen it online at Target last night on sale. Since I had been looking at the exact same crib at BabiesRUs.com i figured it was perfect to buy it now since Target was offering it for cheaper in both pieces. Anywhoo...we get there and the sale ended yesterday! I was so disappointed.

I ordered the baby bedding set this past weekend. Its Pink Toille.

My baby belly has defintely increased in size this week. I'm having alot of discomfort. Sleeping at night has been somewhat restless with all the tossing and turning. My tummy is really firm 24/7 and that's whats so uncomfortable. Lots of low back pain too. I'm seeing a chiropractor 2x per week and taking lots of warm baths to relax my back muscles.

I did see my OB/Gyn this week and he has scheduled my appointment with the PeriNatologist. He's a doctor who specializes in "high risk" pregnancies. I'm not really high risk other than i'm 35 and had a previous baby with heart condition. I'm pretty certain that it will be a 1 visit thing. We'll get to see the baby again on a really cool ultrasound. Hopefully they will record this one for us too. We will be taking a really close look at all the baby's organs. Its next Thursday at 3:30.

23 Weeks--

2008-02-01T21:41:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling bigger and bigger by the day! I'm also feeling this baby move and kick at very regular intervals. Early AM, MId Noon, and Early Evening. Also in the morning when I wake up and roll over....she starts kicking. Thats JB's favorite time to try to sneak and feel.

Curiously, I've only gained like 7 lbs but I look like a house! Its sorta weird. I picked up a few new pieces of maternity apparel this past weekend in Houston at Motherhood Maternity. They have such a bigger and nicer store than we do in Lafayette. Yesterday JB came home with a cute new shirt for me and a baby heartbeat monitor/educational system for the baby. You play these CD's for the baby to hear. Probably a waste of $$ but JB was excited about it.

21 Weeks

2008-01-20T19:03:00.000-06:00

JB felt the baby move today for the first time. He was excited. It was cute. Lea got to feel it too. After much deliberation we've narrowed down the name list to a few similar names. You pretty much don't have a choice on the First name since I wouldn't budge on Georgia and JB had to something reminiscent of Georgia...therefore we've agreed upon Savannah. So you get to help us decide the middle name.

Click on the blue button below to cast your vote. :)

ITS A GIRL!!

2008-01-13T21:58:00.000-06:00

Ok. We found out MONDAY that we are having a girl. Now I can refer to this baby as something other than "it". She kicks alot....but not too hard. Just little grazes across my tummy. I'll post Ultrasound Pics as soon as I get them scanned.

Here's The Ultrasound:

glitter-graphics.com

The Baby can Hear!

2008-01-04T00:55:00.000-06:00

"Truly you have formed my inmost being; you
knit me in my mother's womb. I give you
thanks that I am fearfullly and wonderfully
made." Psalm 139:13 - 14

Ok i've started to see a pattern. I know this baby can hear because anytime Annie starts barking, he/she starts kicking. I looked it up and it says that they can start hearing sounds around the 16th week.

Also, when I drink something really sweet like a coke or a Caramel latte ....he/she starts kicking within 20 min. Everytime! I don't drink many cokes these days but I do drink the latte's. Gotta get in the calcium. Thats the only way i'll have it. I do get decaf sometimes.

Trey called from Colorado. He sent me this picture too-----He's already had a snowball fight with all the youth.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T20:38:00.000-06:00

EVE: I cooked a New Year's Dinner of Pork Roast, smothered cabbage, and greenbean casserole, and black eye peas. At about noon JB and I did some shopping and returned home after 2-3 hours. Later on I brought Trey to a New Years party at ELEVATE. Returned home to spend the evening with JB. He left at 12:45 to go pick up Trey from the party. I had fallen asleep at 11:00 Boy...i remember when we wouldn't come home till 3 or 4am on New Years Eve. Times have changed. Thank GOD!!! I actually fell asleep on the couch and JB woke me up to tell me Happy New Year and give me a kiss. That was sweet!

New Year's Day: We slept in till about 10:30 am. I did laundry while JB and Trey watched football. They left at 1:30 to go exchange things at the mall and I went to Target to purchase a baby shower gift for a friend at work. When i got home Trey and JB were packing for his Colorado trip he's going on with ELEVATE. Trey was downloading a movie off of I-Tunes and we weren't able to leave on time so I missed the parent's informational meeting. I brought him all the way to Broussard to sleep over at the Lodge and returned home. JB watched the UGA vs. Hawaii game till really late because he DVR'd it so he could help Trey pack and iron all his clothes for the trip. I stayed up with him in the living room reading online bulletins about pregnancy and breastfeeding etc.... JB had to leave at 1:00 am to be at a heliport to go on a job so I was home alone from there after.

JB kissed me bye and said:

"Im a happy man baby. I have a beautiful pregnant wife, a baby boy on the way, an awesome son, and Georgia WON!!!"

Trey called about an hour ago to tell me they were in Kansas. :) JB should be on his way back home soon.

Biopsy / 18th Week Pregnant

2007-12-27T16:40:00.001-06:00

I had my biopsy yesterday and everything went well. Just a little discomfort and pain. I had to use icepacks for the swelling and pain. Today I'm fine and its still sore. The Dr. who performed the biopsy called to say that the tumor was benign and called it a fibroadenoma. We can talk more about whether or not he'll remove it later when the baby is born and i'm done breastfeeding.

Good News is that I felt the baby move for the first time for sure this week. Little thumps is all i can say to describe it to JB. He can't feel them from the outsite but i know its a matter of time before he will be able to feel it himself.

Twas the Weekend before Christmas

2007-12-23T16:58:00.000-06:00

For unto Us a Child is born
Unto Us a Son is given
And the government shall be upon His shoulder
And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

- Isaiah 9:6

OK. its a few days before Christmas. I've been home alone since Friday night. JB went offshore late Friday evening and Trey won't be home from his dad's till Monday. JB may be home tonight though. Yesterday Aunt Julie picked me up at about 2:00pm and we shopped and went to eat out at Johnny Carrino's. I got home around 9:30 i think. I was very tired when i got home. I stayed up reading "The Uncrowned Queen" till 12pm then went to bed. I still got up at about 9am.

Today started off with alot of Housecleaning. I vacuumed the carpets, mopped the kitchen and hall floors, washed and dried clothes, folded and hung clothes, and wrapped gifts. Finally, around 1:30 i left the house to go get a few groceries for Christmas Lunch. I decided I'm making a Crab and Corn Chowder. JB still gets his Turkey with stuffing and green bean casserole. I'm also making an Apple Cheesecake thing that I saw on Paula Deen today. I am so tired right now i feel like I shopped all day and all I did was go to World Market for spices and Super One Foods for groceries. Its only 5 but I think i'll take a nap. Hopefully when I awake JB will be home. I'm expecting him tonight. We still don't have a Christmas tree so I'm expecting he'll want to go scour Lafayette for a good deal. I saw one last night at Ross's but it was the floor model. IT was a $199 7 food tree for $59. Maybe it will still be there tonight.

I have 3 desserts in my head i need to make. I keep thinking about it! Don't know what. Caramel Apple Cheescake, Sweet Spaghetti, and pumpkin pies.

End of 1st Semester

2007-12-21T21:27:00.001-06:00

Well, I made it through the first semester of Comeaux High School. This week was midterms week. That means 2 midterms were administered by me per day, graded, and entered into the grading system and uploaded to the server. ALL BY THE END OF THE DAY.
TUE: 5th and 7th
Wed: 3rd Hour
THUR: 6th Hour
FRI: 2nd and 4th Hour

The difficult days were Tues and FRI where I had a class at the end of the day and still had to go to the lounge to grade midterms on the scantron machine when others were going home for the day. Then i had to return to my class room and enter these into the computer. then EXPORT the gradebook to the server.

Then all week long I had students asking "What did I make on my midterm" I hate that question! I mean really! You didn't care all semester what the heck you had in my class! Why do you want to bother me NOW! about your midterm grade! HELLO!!! It doesn't matter what you made on the midterm! YOU FAILED EVERY SIX WEEKS BEFORE IT!!! It teach Home Ec. for Christ sake! NO ONE SHOULD FAIL HOME EC!!!!!!!!!

Round Ligament Pain

2007-12-20T19:27:00.000-06:00

18 Weeks Pregnant:

OK i've been having this awful pain in my lower pelvic area for a few days. I finally went to the doctor for it and he said it was and I quote "Round Ligament pain" due to the stretching of supporting ligaments of the uterus. I swear this hurts like crazy. Its causing my back to spasm a little due to the funny way i'm having to walk. Dr. said i need to sit as much as possible. Thats a little difficult being a teacher.

Tonight is Thursday night. Trey has a Justing and Trevor over since he didn't go to school today. Of course when I got home they wanted to know what was for dinner. I put on a pot of rice and opened two trusty cans of Blue Runner Redbeans and cooked up a pack of sausage. Easy and simple. They acted like it was a gourmet meal!

Its midterms this week. Tomorrow is the last day of school. YAY!!!!!! This has been a pretty rough week especially since i'm having this lower pelvic pain every time I get up out of a seated position or sit from a standing position.

Well....gotta go.

Blogging

2007-12-08T17:41:00.000-06:00

Those of you interested in reading my blogs about my woes and joys can come here or there. I'll try to keep them both up. The first one i started was really not too savvy as I would have like so i've abandoned that one. :)

HUNGER STRIKES:
For the first time in my pregnancy i'm actually HUNGRY! I just keep thinking about what I can eat! I just got over my morning sickness a few weeks ago. I still haven't caught up to the weight I was pre pregnancy yet either. I've been eating alot of healthy things like crazy. apple sauce (Peach/mango) Yoplait Yogurt (orange dream)sliced avacado sprinkled with garlic saltpeanutbutter and banana on whole grain toast--drizzled with honeySILK SOY--Vanilla with Oregon Chai mixed inBLT Sandwich and sliced Avacado....on whole wheat toast with baby dills on the side. I dont' think any of the above list is really bad for you. I do try to get m ore protein in my diet but I find it a little difficult since i'm still turned off by FLESH in general!

15 Weeks

2007-12-08T17:39:00.000-06:00

OK all...its been awhile and I'm sorry. I've been pretty busy. I'm finally eating right. I'm actually hungry. I'm still under my prepregnancy weight however. 124 still. None of my pants are fitting. I started my TARGET baby registry which made me realize how much I need for this new baby. Some for comfort and some for necessity. Thanks to Rhiannon i think i'll have alot of clothes be it a boy or a girl. Its the durable equipment I'm most worried about and a good breast pump...dual. I'll have to pump at work. I'm so glad i'll have all summer off to stock pile my mommy milk. :) OK.

I've also been emotional. Too emotional. As if I wasn't already! I cry for nothing these days. I went outside after the contractors finished tearing down the brick to replace the ply wood beneath and cried because it all looked rotten to me....:) I felt like i own a hunk of junk. It really stressed me out. To top it off the contractors removed my dryer exhaust hole and covered it up with plywood. When i turned on my dryer in trey's room teh exhaust came into his room....steamy humidity filled was his room. I was so mad I cried about that too!
Also...i have this lump in my breast that I need to have a biopsy done on the day after Christmas. Its about the size of a grape. I'm not happy about needles in my boobies!

I promise I'll take a tummy picture soon.

The Exiled

2007-11-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

I'm currently reading The Exiled which is the sequel to The Innocent listed below. Its really good however I've been pulled away alot to read other things like BABY and Pregnancy related publications and have been reading alot online. :)

Today we hear the heart beat for the first time! :) Can't wait.

Music :)

2007-11-21T10:04:00.000-06:00

PREGNANT!

2007-10-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

My last book was Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs. Its plot is based upon the book of Genesis story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. Setting was Scotland 1500's. It was a great story but I started finding it difficult to get through. Just a tad bit slow.

My Rating: 3***

Bayou Brides

2007-08-18T16:47:00.000-05:00

"For nearly two centuries, one family's tiny cabin has stood on the banks of Bayou Teche in the heart of Louisiana's Cajun Country. Generations return, sometimes begrudgingly, to discover secrets of love and redemption hidden within its walls and written on the pages of a journal that got its start one thousand miles to the north."

This is a story thats close to my heart. Its a story of the exiled Acadians from Canada in the 1700's known as "Le Grand Derangement" who eventually formed whats known today as Cajuns. As a cajun myself i was intrigued by this story. It traces 3 generations of women in the "LeBlanc" family. My maiden name is LeBlanc so its fascinating to me.

I'll keep you posted. :)

Threads--by Nell Gavin

2007-07-23T15:01:00.001-05:00

So I've started reading this novel and its very different way of telling the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to say the least. Basically its about the couple and their many lives together.

I don't think you have to be a believer of Past lives and future lives to really appreciate this novel. It is a great story told in a very creative way. Right now i'm only on page 65. So i'll be back later to tell more.

Anne is sorting through the lessons she's learned and failed to learn in each of her lives before the HenryVIII life we know of.

8-15-07 I finally finished this book! I hadn't been reading as much lately since I started getting ready for school. I really don't believe in Past Lives or a future life other than the one in heaven upon Christ's return however, this was a very interesting good.

FINISHED 8-15-07
My rating: 8/10

Then Innocent--Posie Graeme Evans

2007-07-01T19:34:00.000-05:00

STARTED: 6-13-04
A Servant, A King, A Love Forbidden.

Excellent book of a young girl who finds out she's not who she thought she was a "commoner". Instead she finds out she's a "princess" of an overthrown king. She's in a relationship with the current king who usurped the throne from her father. The story that unfolds is truly one of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, there were parts in the beginning of the book that I feel really didn't belong. Like the marriage of her closest friend and the abuse she endured. Didn't really have a fit in the story that unfolded other than character development.

FINISHED: 6-26-07
MY RATING: 8/10

The Queen's Bastard--Robin Maxwell

2007-07-01T19:18:00.000-05:00

STARTED: 6-25-07
Historians have long whispered that Elizabeth "the virgin queen's" affair with Robert Dudley may have led to a pregnancy. "Switched at birth" This is a story of what could have or might have been if that were the case. Its riveting in its storytelling.....a diary written by her son.

Set against the backdrop of court intrigues, international scandals, and England's battle against the Spanish Armada. Memoirs of their adventurous lost son....ultimately discovered.

7-2-07
I'm somewhere in the middle of the book and I must say its getting very difficult to stay with it. I find the discussion about the battle and etc.....boring and i keep having to read over and over again for fear i've missed something important.

FINISHED:
7/8/07
I finally finished this book! It was a good book. I just didn't enjoy the intricate details of war time and the Spanish Armada. When the book ended however i saw the importance of placing it in the book and how it tied in to actual history of "Arthur Dudley". Made his character more plausible.

The Innocent Traitor--Allison Wier

2007-07-01T19:09:00.000-05:00

This book was filled with interesting details about Lady Jane Grey not told in The Queen's Fool. This story unfolds from many points of view including Lady Jane, her nanny, her mother, her father and a few others. I could not put this one down!

Lady Jane Grey is only a young girl with a weak claim to the throne of England. Her parents scheme to place her on the throne and usurp the rightful claimant MARY. The story that unfolds is a story of a girl forced to do things she knows are not right. According to this author she is a very moral character who left on her own would have NEVER attempted such a foolish thing.

FINISHED: 6-12-07
MY RATING: 8/10

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn

2007-07-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

I absolutely loved this book. It gave me a glimpse of Anne Boleyn not like the character portrayed in The Other Boleyn Girl. This author exposed a softer side the human side of a woman caught in the throes of love and politics. Her love for Elizabeth in this novel is evident. Robin Maxwell gives Anne human qualities we weren't able to see in TOBG.

My Rating: 8/10

The Virgin's Lover--Philippa Gregory

2007-04-14T17:41:00.001-05:00

I just started a few days ago. At first i wasn't going to read it because I was just getting tired of these books since its the 5th one in the TUDOR SERIES by the author. But my mom encouraged me to go ahead and read it. I just thought it would be identical to the movie "ELIZABETH".

Well i'm on p. 103 and loving it. I got up at 3 am with my husband this morning to send him off to work after only getting to bed at 12pm. Well, after he had left instead of slipping back under the covers and drifting off to heavenly sleep i fixed a cup of Cappuccino, turned on the bedside lamp, propped up my pillows and read until 6am! I finally started feeling my eyes getting heavy so went to sleep. I got up at 11:30 and made a pot of coffee and propped myself up on my porch and read another 2 hours.

I swear these books are addictive. Sometimes I feel like i'm neglecting my duties as a mother/wife because of the time I spend reading these days! I justified it this week because i'm on spring break and i deserve it. School starts in 2 days.

So back to the book:

I'm on p. 103--Spring 1559

Elizabeth is queen. Her cousin Catherine and her husband and daughter Leticia has just joined Elizabeth's court. My prediction is that Leticia will cause a stir eventually at court.

Robert Dudley is pouring it on with Elizabeth. His wife Amy has been moved from her stepmothers to a family member of his closer to London. The pressure is on for Elizabeth to marry.

FINISHED: Book was great! Excellent read.

The Queens Fool--Philippa Gregory

2007-04-10T18:55:00.000-05:00

This is the story of a Holy Fool in the court of Queen Mary. Religious persecution is rampant and vivid in this novel. Book is written from Hannah the Fool's perspective. Her personal story woven throughout this historic novel of Tudor England during the reign of "Bloody Mary".

I'm 3/4 of the way through this book and can't wait to see the end. Hannah has just left Calais with Daniel's baby and is being put up in a house with Lord Robert Dudley's wife Amy who doesn't welcome her at all.