Bowled Wowlds

In my last entry, I talked about my love of National Parks and Muppets.  There is one other thing that I really, really love, more than Muppets, but slightly less than parks...donuts.  Or doughnuts if you are a traditionalist.  I accept both cultures equally.  

Anyone who has spent time with me knows about my affinity for the fried circle of dough.  I have eaten somewhere between 100 and 300,000 donuts in my life.  I don't want to toot my own horn, but that is a lot of donuts. Therefore,  I consider myself somewhat of an aficionado.  In my experience, I have found no better donut than the Old Fashioned donut from a small shop in the town where I work.  It is one of those places that make everything from scratch and in house, and it isn't like one of those new big deal kind of places, where they advertise "hand-rolled" and "homemade", it is just the way it is.  It is a local tradition that has been doing it the same way (i.e. the right way) for 25+ years, serve only regular or decaf hot coffee, and are open 24-7.  It is wonderful.

A view of the goods.

Thankfully, today was my last day of work before beginning my baby leave.  Even if nothing happens between now and Monday, I will be taking unpaid leave until this kiddo decides they want to make an appearance.  In celebration, a dear friend and social studies teacher, brought me four Old Fashioned donuts from the aforementioned shop.  I was so excited!  It only makes it better that I had stopped for a decaf coffee and egg/cheese wrap from the Dunkin' Donuts, so I had a coffee to go with this great treat!  At 7:20 this morning, I sat down at my desk, put on For Emma, Forever Ago (my favorite Bon Iver album), and savored the donut and quiet morning.  I was almost blissful when the bell rang and kids started piling in.  

Within 45 into the school day, we had a code red (how to hide from an intruder), a tornado drill, and dealt with a crying child.  During this excitement I started to develop a blindspot, which for me, is a tell-tell sign of a migraine.  I felt very off and foggy, but I have dealt with these for a long time and have learned to plow through it.  Thinking this would be much the same, I continued about the day.  Then around minute 50, I started to feel really weird.  Like super weird.  I was going over the directions for a lab, and I tried to say, "Bold words" but "bald walds" came out.  Followed by " bowled wowleds".  I stammered around trying to continue the activity and call on students, but I could not speak coherently. I knew it was bad when the kids started laughing. As this was happening, I started to get flush, sweat through my dress, get really dizzy.  Terrified, I told the kids I didn't feel well and walked out of the room.

I walked directly into the office the assistant principal and sat down.  She checked my pulse, which was approximately 1000 beat per minute, made some calls and got someone to cover my room.  She was very kind and I am grateful for that.  Then my principal showed up with a wheelchair... 

I started to feel better, but I didn't feel right.  As a group, we decided I should leave and go to the doctor.  I am thankful that they did not call an ambulance and that I was able to get to my doctor.  My principal wheeled me out to another teacher's car and loaded me up.  I knew that I was not currently in labor (though word spread through the school that I was) but I wanted to leave.

Two sweet women drove me to the doctor, where my husband met us and went in to see the doc.  I explained the whole ordeal, the garbled speech, the sweating, heart-racing, and general panic.  He told me it was a textbook case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  He said that a pregnant woman metabolizes sugar faster and often run about 15-20 points lower than a non-pregnant person- essentially explaining that we can crash real quick after consuming sugar.  Yep.  I had a complete episode in front of the children, got wheeled out of my place of employment in a wheelchair by a man that I have very little rapport with, and driven 30 miles by some nice ladies to a doctors office where I just walked in and demanded an appointment, because of a donut.

All because of a donut.

(P.S. We are all fine here, thankfully.)

Bird's Gender Neutral Nest

With eight days until my due date, I have just washed the last few items that belong in Hummingbird's room.  Here are some pictures of the set up.

This is one of 10 Charley Harper prints that we ordered from the US Government Bookstore.    These beautiful pictures were painted in the 1960's to promote the National Parks, which is one of my husband and I's most favorite things in the whole wide world.  In addition to the awesome print, my husband made the frame as a gift to the little one out of raw cedar.

Here is the crib we bought from Baby's Dream.  The rocker pictured on the right is a Mennonite-made Hickory rocker.  Every woman on my mom's side of the family has one in their homes.  I was rocked in one just like it as a baby.  Also included in this picture is a great rug that we bought from a small business run by my in-laws.  Check out their American made goods and furnishings at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Garden-of-Uden/168108878289

It is hard to find bedding that is: a) not gender specific, and  b) is not covered in crazy bright patterns or rainforest animals.  We found the little sheep to be just right.

I LOVE BOOKS.  However, these shelves are far from full,  I know that will change in a few months.  I also wanted to show off some handmade art.  The frog, lamb, duck, and elephant were all designed and painted by a dear friend of mine.  She works mainly in graphic design and has a great portfolio at:
http://www.layersoflevy.com/index.html

This is a barrel full of toys in which Kermit gets a front row seat.   Muppets only fall slightly behind National Parks on the list of things I love.

This is my favorite part.  It looks like a bunch of baskets, but inside are the soft, clean clothes and blankets that Hummingbird will soon be using.  I can't wait to wrap the kid up in all these blankets (even though it is still summer here in the South) and get to know this little human.

FAT FEET!

I have to say, this pregnancy has not been terrible.  In fact, it has been quite good.  The usual sickness in the early days, but each week has just been better and better.  Until a few weeks ago.

Again, let me preface with how good this pregnancy has been, there are so many women who have it way worse than I do, but there have been some strange...developments during this last stretch.

When I first got my copy of What to Expect when you are Expecting (thank you to my sister-in-law), I read the first few sections and laughed out loud at the fact: some women experience an excess in saliva production during pregnancy, which can cause drooling.  I thought that it was so funny and could not see how slobbering related to pregnancy.  Karma decided to teach me how.  In addition to all the things that swell and become inflamed (thank you hormones) add: nasal passages to the list.  I am very congested all the time, but particularly in the evening.  What happens when a person who can't breathe out of their nose lies down in bed?  Mouth breathing and, ick, drool.  It is super gross.  Luckily, I am ALWAYS the first one up, so my loving and sleepy husband has yet to notice.

Next up is having an internal temperature of 10,000 degrees.  I have always been a cold person, heartless and bitter.  Okay, just kidding, but I have always been cold in that "I need a sweater" sort of way.  I usually have ice toes and fingers, but lately I am so hot.  At night I sleep with the ceiling fan on high and use no blankets.  It is very strange considering my years of blanket-hogging and over cuddling for warmth.

Today was my first day back to work with students.  In an effort to maintain our professional dress policy, and to not confuse 11-year-old boys (this is a very important element in my line of work),  I came to school completely covered.  By 9:00 A.M., I sweat through my new(thrift store) dress.  Eww.

And to finish, I have fat feet.  And fat fingers.  My wedding ring creates this lovely contour line for the excessive finger swelling to mould around and my feet take on the pattern of my sandals (the only footwear that fit me) by the end of the day.

All in all, I feel like a slob.  However, learning that I am 1 cm dilated and that the baby has moved down, encourages me that things will be back to normal soon.  But a lady I work with told me she pees when she sneezes because she pushed a kid out of her hooha...