17 Weeks

I decided to take a belly pic sitting down for a change. Different angles make the belly look different. In my case, makes it look less large. :) My belly is definitely bigger this time around then last time. I already look like I'm in my early 20's. Weeks that is. :)  Today I am 18 weeks but this was taken earlier in the week. I am getting really anxious about finding out the sex of this little one. I just want to know!!  10 more days and hopefully this one won't be shy. Then let the shopping begin! :) 

On another note, I have enjoyed the summer with Vince but I'm getting ready to go back. Pinterest is like crack to me right now. I have found so many cool new things that I want to do with my classroom this year that it is starting to get a tad ridiculous. I mean there is no way that I am going to be able to implement them all but it sure is fun searching for new things. The amount of organizational stuff on Pinterest is amazing! The things that these people think of is crazy to me. I can't wait to get in my classroom and start in on it. I am going next week. I want to have my room ready to go by the time we have to go back officially. I hate not having it ready and then having all that training the week prior and never feeling like I'm going to have enough time to finish it. The less stress this year the better. Going into a new school year 23 weeks pregnant is a little scary. :) I am also self-contained 3rd grade this year which means I will be teaching everything and only have one class. It seems a little daunting because I haven't done it in so long but I'm kind of looking forward to doing whatever I want to do and not having to run it by someone else first. As far as rules, reward systems, etc. I have been departmentalized for 4 years now and have only taught Math but I LOVE Reading and I can't wait to get into it. 

Vince is doing great. He's into reading the If You Give A Moose A Muffin series before going to bed. So we have to always read If You Give A Pig a Pancake first and then it varies from there. They are really cute books but I sure would like to read something else. It was Bible stories for awhile so I know it will switch when he's ready. He is still obsessed with the Potato Heads. Mom got him stupid Mrs. Potato Head and sent it home with him so now he plays with them both ALL the time! It's a little ridiculous. But this too shall pass, right?? He's been eating like a horse lately which makes me think he's hitting a growth spurt. Thank goodness. I hate it when he won't eat very much. Makes me feel like a bad mom.  We've been going swimming this summer a lot with Daddy and sometimes by ourselves when Daddy is at work. He loves the water but he has a good healthy fear of it too. Next year I would like to get him into some swimming lessons.  He still loves to go walking in the morning to see the roly polys although they are getting few and far between these days. Probably too hot for them! We go super early, like 6:45ish and we walk to the playground probably half a mile away. He always goes for the slide first, then the swings and then he just likes to run around. We head back home and play at the house for the day or we go somewhere. The mall has been a good place because they have the indoor playgrounds. I have learned to go early to those since they fill up so fast. We eat lunch in the mall and then we go home and take a big, fat nap. It's pretty great. I must say that he has been taking his naps so well this summer. He usually sleeps for 2 or more hours a day. It's nice to be able to relax and do what I want for a little bit each day. He still goes to momma Carmen's a couple times a week. We pay her in the summer anyway and he really loves it there. So we thought we might as well take him some. It gives me a good break and him too. It gets pretty old sitting in the house all day with only a momma to play with. :)

He finally goes down by himself now too which I must say is glorious! We read to him, say prayers, and then  pop him in his crib and he goes to sleep on his own. His favorite thing to do is to say Amen at the end of our prayers. It's so cute. He's been going down by himself since the beginning of summer. I know some of you think it's ridiculous that it's taken so long since your kids have been going to bed on their own for forever. Not the case with us. I don't regret any of those nights I spent rocking my baby to sleep though. He's grown up so fast and I cherish every moment spent snuggling with him. Well, almost every moment! :) I am glad that he's finally comfortable doing this though. It's nice. And we still get snuggle time by reading. 

Well that's way more then I intended to write and this momma is tired! Growing a human in your body tends to do that. :)  Next post we will know what the sex is. Can't wait!

Jen