amym567

Great pix, Jen! I'm so jealous of your thank you pic~ turned out SOO much better than mine!!!

Thanks for sharing!

Amy

Looking through my Venus catalog (and realizing I probably won't be getting into a bikini this summer ), I saw quite a few cute white suits. I'd check out their website!

Amy

It made me cry!!! LOVE that first song- what is it? Made me think of my niece who just turned 1 and my unborn baby! Beautiful little girl!

 

Amy

I'm off of work because my feet/ankles/calves are SO swollen! I don't have high blood pressure or protein in my urine, so they aren't concerned about pre-eclampsia. You would not belive how HUGE my legs are! Yesterday I went to school because my students, then the teachers had 2 more showers for me (already have about 70 thank-you's to write from friends and family showers- now have about 70 more!), and I walked my students down the stairs out to the bus and SO know why I'm not there! I've been off since last Monday, and just need to keep my feet up.

 

At my U/S 2 weeks ago (when I was 33 weeks), he measured at 5 lb. 15 oz.! I have an U/S every week now because of my gestational diabetes (which is not bad at all), but they'll check his size again next week. Hopefully that first measurement was off! I'm afraid because DH was 10 1/2 lbs., and the diabetes could make him bigger.

 

Glad to hear everyone's updates!

Amy

If anyone else decides they'd like to host a show, I sell LS. MY BM's necklaces and earrings were LS, and they looked great with their dresses! It's so easy to have a catalog show, and you earn so much free jewelry!

 

Of course, if you're just looking to purchase something, help Dawn earn some extra jewelry and get it through her party! Good luck with your party, Dawn!

 

Amy

I was up going to the bathroom for about the 5th time around the time it hit, but I didn't feel it. Maybe that's what woke me up that time, and not the baby pushing on my bladder!! I didn't know about it until I turned the TV on. Some of the kids in my class said they felt it.

Amy

YEAH!!!! Robin is gone!!!!!! He saw the light!

 

Amy

Thanks for the update and the link!

 

Amy

So I didn't realize that 60 Minutes ran over last night again!!!! I only got 15 minutes of BB! So, who can tell me what I missed? Who got HOH and who was nominated?

Thanks!

Amy

Actually, the tests were much better than the portfolio entries to me. There are many questions that you have to answer, but so many within one "paper" (or entry) SOUND THE SAME!!!! It's very frustrating to figure out exactly what they're looking for! Also, there are maximum page amounts for each section within the entry, but I'm having a hard time reaching those! I write very much "to-the-point", and feel like I covered everything they're asking, but then wonder what I'm leaving out if the page length is a little shorter. Like I said earlier, you get no feedbach (except a score and you can see the corresponding rubric), but it's still hard to determine where you went wrong (if that makes any sense!). As teachers, you tend to approach things with the idea of "when I accomplish so and so". With NB, it's "if I accomplish". Hard to change your thinking!

I so want to concentrate on all things baby right now, that this is just not a priority!!!! Oh well, it has to be mailed by tomorrow (midnight), so however it's done, that's the best I can do now!

Amy

I have 2 Masters- and they were SO much easier than this! It's just hard not knowing exactly how to answer the questions! And you are so right, I feel like I've said the same thing a MILLION times!

Uh-oh DH just walked in and "caught" me here~ I SO need to be typing, not playing!!! I'm just not in the mood to do it!!!!!!!! At least I was reading a thread about NB!

Amy

Thanks Courtney! Yes, we did it ourselves~ of course it's not done because we need some things on the wall, and have to get the valance hung.

We got so much stuff at the shower today! Tons of clothes, some of the big things (or things we won't use right away) are in boxes in the garage such as stroller/car seat system, bouncer, potty chair, bath system, Galloping fun jumperoo thing (Kev picked that out!). We also got a lot of toys, my aunt gave us a TON of bath stuff (lotion, shampoo, wash, etc.), and some gift cards.

Amy

I'm going to attempt to post some pix, if I can remember how to!

 

ETA: Sorry they're SO big! Don't know why that happened!

 

First, here's my bump on Easter:

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Here's my niece with my bump:

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Here's the nursery:

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And here's the nursery today after my family shower!

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Austin Michael is due to arrive on June 6, but could be early because of my Gestational Diabetes. Everything has been great in the pregnancy up until a few weeks ago when my feet and ankles started swelling TERRIBLY!!!! I won't be surprised if the doc tells me no more work soon. The only thing I can put on my feet is Crocs- so it was funny when the baby received a pair today!!!

 

It's been so fun seeing everyone else's bumps and stuff!

Amy

 

P.S. The thing that sux the most right now is that I can't wear my wedding rings!!

I'm going to attempt to post some pix, if I can remember how to!

 

First, here's my bump on Easter:

 

Here's my niece with my bump:

 

Here's the nursery:

 

And here's the nursery today after my family shower!

 

Austin Michael is due to arrive on June 6, but could be early because of my Gestational Diabetes. Everything has been great in the pregnancy up until a few weeks ago when my feet and ankles started swelling TERRIBLY!!!! I won't be surprised if the doc tells me no more work soon. The only thing I can put on my feet is Crocs- so it was funny when the baby received a pair today!!!

 

It's been so fun seeing everyone else's bumps and stuff!

Amy

This is different from the CSET and the praxis. It consists of 4 "portfolio" entries (which are papers anywhere from about 12-20 pages and 2 video tapes of lessons) and 6 half-hour computerized tests. If you achieve it, you are nationally certified and it's good for 10 years.

 

JamaicaBride~ Did you go through it twice yourself too- or talking about your bf's experience?

 

In the state of IL, once you certify you get a $3000 check once a year every July. The state paid for a lot of it the first year, and this year paid for one re-take ($350). My generous mother paid for the other 2 ($700). If I did a good job on 2, I should be fine. My mom said she'd paid for them, so when I found out the state would cover 1, I decided to do 3. You need to score a 275, and I got a 239. But, like I said, I have had WAY too much going on- getting ready for the baby, dealing with Gestational Diabetes, swelling ankles, etc. I also planned for the last weeks of school, in case I can't make it the whole time.

 

It really sucks though, because you get NO feedback! I've been looking at my entries from last year, and I think they sound pretty darn good! So it's very frustrating not knowing exactly what they want, and what I did wrong!

 

Amy

Just wondering if there was anyone else out there pursuing National Board Certification? I'm re-doing 3 entries, and it needs to be in the mail by Tuesday. Needless to say, I've had WAY too many things going on to make this the priority it should've been. I'll be up VERY late tonight, took tomorrow off because of 2 dr. appt's (the diabetic educator and my normal appt.), so I'll be working around the appt's. At this point, I just HOPE to complete it!

 

Amy

Congrats and welcome back!!!

 

Amy

Thanks for all of the words of wisdom and support. I go to the diabetic educator tomorrow, so I'll find out what kind of diet I'm supposed to be on. DH was surprised that it took so long (a week) to get me an appointment if it's a pretty important thing. I've been trying to eat better~ so we'll see if I've been choosing the right foods or not!

 

Amy

We got engaged Christmas Day, then finally decided on our resort sometime in February, and got married July 5th (close to 5 months, I think). It was very do-able, even with me being a teacher, selling lia sophia, teaching scrapbook classes, etc.! Needless to say, I did a TON in June!

Amy

Everything is all good now, and I didn't even end up getting the ribs! He went to his parents', mostly to talk to his mom (who is a nurse) about my gestational diabetes, but ended up eating there. My glider for the nursery came in today, and he put it together and put it in there before I got home! That was a nice surprise!

 

Amy

Yes, they'll put me on a diet/exercise program and I'll be testing my blood 4 times a day. I know a lot about Type 1, because my boyfriend in high school had it. I keep thinking about TOTALLY giving up sweets, and remembering how he would eat sweets, but just adjust insulin- that probably won't be the case for me!

That's good to hear! I read that you have a 2 in 3 chance of getting it with the next child.

Yes, I had the 3 hour-fast-overnight test since I failed the 1 hour test.

So, I just got the call that I have this! Anyone have any experience with this that they can offer me??

Thanks,

Amy

You are so right! He was pretending! Actually, he can't be mad at me after the news I just got~ see my post on "Gestational Diabetes".

Amy