February Life Update

I've given up on the State Library and Archives job as it has been 5 weeks now and still no answer. I have not heard back from Everest College, though I think I did a good job with the in-person interview. Meanwhile, last Friday I got a call from the Diocesan House again, wanting me to come back for a meeting. Basically the job opened up again, so they offered me the job and I took it. I started Mon Jan 30 and have just finished up my first week. It has taken me forever to get the hang of the very multi-line phone system (like 20 extensions) but I think I'm finally getting it. So I am currently working for the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, which covers the entire state (71 churches/groups/foundations). Needless to say, I have been introduced to a whole lotta people in the past week. I found out that we have a very active Spanish ministry (including a Spanish-only church) and a Sudanese church, as apparently a lot of the Lost Boys of Sudan settled in the Phoenix area. I like it when churches are more multicultural. I already know a lot of church lingo, as I am a cradle Episcopalian and my mother is a priest, but I will definitely have to keep learning whilst working in this position. Luckily, everyone is really nice, helpful and patient with me as I learn. It's a part time job (18-20 hrs) but I'm hoping that it will go to full time by next year. It apparently was full time before but because of the economy, they had to downsize. The priests for the most part are pretty cool and super smart, like the Dean of the Cathedral has a PhD in Astrophysics and the Bishop has a PhD in Medieval History (I'm very curious to know what he wrote his dissertation on). 


I'm making a very conscious effort to read more this year, though because of my working now and being ill since Wednesday (baby gave me his cold) that has slowed down a bit. So far I have read 41 books so I am off to a good start. Might have to eventually change my goal from 200 to 366! I am currently reading John Green's new book The Fault in Our Stars, which is brilliant. I'm also tackling some cookbooks, in Chinese and British cooking. Since my hubby is English, I'm always on the lookout for good British cookbooks as he gets nostalgic every now and again. We recently discovered The Cornish Pasty Co. in Tempe, about 45 minutes from us over our anniversary weekend (last Saturday the 28th, 6 yrs). We ended up having the pork/apple/potato and the steak/mushrooms/zucchini/Stilton pasties and they were awesome. We also had Banoffee Pie, which was delicious and I hadn't had in forever! For those who haven't had this dessert, it's basically a graham cracker crust with toffee/caramel, bananas and whipped cream. Simple but amazing. I discovered it when I was studying in Scotland. 


Liam, my 6 month old son, is doing well. He had his wellness checkup recently and weighed in at 18lbs 9oz and was 29 1/2 inches in length. I keep saying he's like a baby in a toddler's body b/c he's so long. He got ill after he was given a mandatory shot and now my mother, father and I all have the crud, i.e. congestion, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, hard to breathe etc. We think Liam might walk before he crawls as he has been practicing in the bouncer that my parents got him. He has been eating solid foods for a little over 2 months now and doing well with them, eating both fruit and veggies. My hubby is doing well in his job. He works for an apartment remodeling company in Phoenix and gets along well with everyone. We are currently looking for a place to live. We wanted to rent a house but everything is just a little bit out of our price range, so we'll probably be looking at apartments or townhouses instead. Problem is finding a half decent one in our price range that's not in a bad area of town, as I want Liam to be safe. We're hoping to have enough money to buy a house of our own by this time next year, and that the prices will still be low. 

Tony DiTerlizzi, Cassandra Clare, Kazu Kibuishi, Kiiro Yumi, and Kaoru Mori

I didn't get the Diocesan House job and I'm still waiting on the word from the State Library and Archives after my interview for the paid internship position there about a month ago. I have another interview for a part time Library Assistant position at Everest College, a for-profit college that is in-between a two and four year school. I would be doing a little bit of everything since it is a very small library (would only be and the Librarian if I got the job), which would be great experience. We already had a phone interview that I think went really well so now I have an in-person interview on Wed afternoon. 

Other than that, things have been pretty good. My son Liam had his 6 month doctor's appointment and he weighed in at 18lbs 9 1/2oz and was measured at 29 1/2 inches long. He's so long, it's almost like he is a baby in a toddler's body. He's very healthy and we've been feeding him solid food for about 2 months now. We started him on veggies and only recently added fruits, which is supposed to help him not develop a sweet tooth. Needless to say, like most babies, he likes sweeter veggies like carrots and squash more than his green veggies. Also we finally have found a place outside of my parent's house to live, though we cannot move in till March 1. The rental house is in pretty rough shape now, but it should be ready by then. 

I've been reading up a storm since the beginning of the year and have finally gotten in the groove of reading again regularly. Today I have read my 22nd book, which is pretty awesome considering it is the 22nd of January! I will try to post again more regularly as I am reading more. I will be dividing these up also as I've read  12 books since the last time I've reviewed on the blog. 

Children

Just Go to Bed by Mercer Mayer

One of my favorite Little Critter books, in which he pretends to be a spaceman, zookeeper, cowboy, general, sea monster, train engineer and more. This is all while his dad is trying to get him bathed and in bed, finally exclaiming "Just go to bed!", which is very funny if you've ever tried to get a kid to bed who didn't want to go. Recommended for ages 6 months+, 4 stars. 

Ted by Tony DiTerlizzi

I have been trying to find a copy of this picture book for years and was so excited when I finally found it at my local library! It was as good as I thought it would be, i.e. a zany and funny picture book done by the fabulously talented author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. Ted is the pinkish-purply imaginary friend of a young boy, and they get up to some pretty crazy adventures, which the boy's dad does not appreciate. That is until the boy realizes that Ted knows his dad (was in fact his imaginary friend named Ned) and the dad rediscovers his sense of fun and spends his time playing with Ted and his son. Recommended for ages 5+, 5 stars. 

Children and Young Adult

Amulet, Book 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi

I swear the books in this series keep getting better and better, though now it is killing me not to know how the series ends. I love it that the book works so well with and without words to convey the story/action. 

In this volume, Emily and her family have finally made it to Cielis, where the Stonekeeper's amulets were first created from the Mother Stone. She is told that she will be called on by the Guardian Council and given a set of trials to prove her worth, but she feels that something is not quite right. New allies are introduced, who will help Emily in the next volume. Why is everyone in Cielis so quiet and why do they distrust foreigners so much? Why does the Guardian Council keep itself hidden away? How much does Emily know about Max, the other Stonekeeper who accompanied her to Cielis?  Recommended for ages 10+, 5 stars. 

Young Adult

Flash Gold (Flash Gold Chronicles #1) by Lindsay Buroker

I found this on the free list for the Kindle and it looked interesting so I decided to give it a try. It was a very quick read and I really got into it. The story is set in the 1890s in the Yukon Territory in Canada, and is about an 18 yr old inventor named Kat. There is a dog sled race where the grand prize is $1000, which is enough for Kat to get out of the small town she is in and create more inventions. The title comes from a substance that her inventor father, Ezekiel, created to power machines and is apparently in very high demand from gangsters. They have sent gangs of people to capture Kat and get the Flash Gold, all of this during the dog sled race. A stranger named Cedar comes with her to help her out at the last minute, though his intentions are unclear. Will they get her and the gold? Will she win the race? Why is Cedar there in the first place? To find out, read this novella. Recommended for ages 14+, 5 stars. 

Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori

I picked this one up by accident (though apparently it's been on my to-read list for awhile) while browsing the teen section at the library. I enjoyed this quick read about a young servant girl named Emma who works for Kelly, a former governess to William Jones. The first time Emma meets William, he falls in love with her but is too shy to tell her how he feels. She has had letters from multiple suitors but always says no. William's friend Hakim comes to visit him from India and then he falls in love with Emma, only he tells her outright about it. The first volume ends with William's father telling him that he is to marry the young girl he danced at the ball with the previous night. Recommended for ages 12+, 4 stars. 

The Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) by Cassandra Clare

Ok so I've been reading Cassandra Clare books for over a year now and I love them. She is simply the best writer for kisses/make-out scenes, at least in teen books. You really feel right there with the main character experiencing it as it happens. And there were some really great scenes like that in these books, and with two hot guys no less. I usually cannot put these books down once I've started and this book was no exception, although it did take me awhile to get into it because I could not remember for the life of me what in the heck happened in the previous book (until about 50 pages into it). The only thing that really annoyed me about the book (and the reason it got four instead of five stars) was because I found out pretty early on that the author was once again using a formula to explain the story, i.e. girl torn between two guys, one sensitive and shy and the other brash and beautiful. For whatever reason, that just annoyed me. 

This book picks up where the other left off. Tessa is still staying at the London Institute for Shadowhunters, Will is still treating her and everyone else like he doesn't care, and they are trying to find Mortmain and what he is planning to do with his clockwork creations. As the book progresses, Tessa is slowly falling for both Will and Jem and can't really decide who she likes more. Charlotte's tenure as head of the London Institute is questioned by another Shadowhunter named Bernard Lightwood, who wants to take over control of it from her. The Consul has given Charlotte two weeks to find out Mortmain's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Will has been secretly seeing Magnus Bane in an attempt to find a demon that cursed him five years ago. Charlotte, Jem, Tessa and Will find out that Mortmain sought reparations from the Shadowhunter Council after his parents were murdered, and that he lived in York. Will they be able to find Mortmain before the two weeks is up? Will Tessa ever discover who she is? Which boy will Tessa chose? These answers and more are found in this delightful sequel to "The Clockwork Angel". Recommended for ages 15+, 4 stars. 

Library Wars: Love and War, Vol. 1 by Kiiro Yumi

A very funny introductory volume to Library Wars, a futuristic view of Japan where the government has "created a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable (back cover)," and the libraries fight back by creating a militant librarian task force which protects against censorship. The concept is just so cool sounding, and kinda makes me wish they had something like this in real life. The main character, Iku Kasahara, is one of the hardest working people in training to join the Task force, and is better than the men who have joined her. She has followed "her hero" to the Task Force after the mysterious male stranger saves her book in high school after the gov't does a raid on a bookstore that she is in. She and another boy named Hikaru Tezuka are invited to join the Task Force but Kasahara is always behind as she fell asleep during her classroom training. During the whole thing, you can see her falling for Dojo, her teacher, especially after she realizes that he is "her hero," even though she doesn't want to. Tezuka may also be falling for her. Can't wait to read the next 3 volumes! Recommended for ages 12+, 5 stars. 

Life Update

Being a new mom makes me physically exhausted, which makes me not want to do anything. I enjoy snuggling with Liam and sleeping when I can though. I have started applying for jobs again and have applied for seven in all since I started two weeks ago, and have just got my first rejection letter. Luckily it was one of the jobs that I didn't really want but figured I would apply for anyways, the non-library admin position. 

I have been able to catch up on reading, though I'm still way off my 200 books read this year goal. I recently finished the new Gail Carriger book, Heartless, which was amazingly hilarious as usual. It made me want to start regularly drinking hot tea again, well that and the high tea that I had with my family and friends the other day. Ok, it also made me crave cucumber sandwiches and British tea cookies. 

I've started playing MMORPG games again. Originally my hubby and I did it so we could play online together again, but my laptop's graphic card isn't very good so games don't always work on there. We tried this cool-looking game called Dragon's Nest, that looked like anime, but I had to set the graphics so low that it didn't work. So now I'm trying a game called Forbidden World from the makers of another game I had previously tried called Perfect World. Very pretty graphics even on the lowest setting, but it keeps crashing my system because the graphics card is overheating. However, I have managed to install it on my dad's computer and I play it when it is available. 


All the things I have mentioned above is what has been keeping me somewhat busy, but I would love to meet some more people my age so I have a chance of not going stir crazy being stuck in this house all day everyday. 

Dystopias and other stuff

Well, I've officially been a mom for a month now. I'm still not used to the lack of sleep part but starting to settle into the rest of it. Liam seems to have grown longer and I'm sure he has gained some weight but I won't know for sure until his 2 month appointment next month. We've tested him out at a movie and he slept through the entire thing and didn't cry once. Not sure he would do so well in an action movie (because of all the sudden loud noises), but a comedy should be fine. I'm hoping to start my job search this week and hopefully it won't take too long to find something (although it took my husband nearly 2 months). 

Two weeks ago on Facebook, one of the YA authors that I follow, English writer Philip Reeve, posted this article that he wrote for School Library Journal. Since I tend to read a lot of dystopias and they are so popular nowadays, as explained in the article, I thought I would pass it along so others could read and enjoy it. He knows what he is talking about as he has also written the dystopian series Mortal Engines and Fever Crumb. 

My new baby

I know I have not been focused on this blog at all lately, but I have a legitimate excuse. Last Friday I gave birth to my son Liam via c-section. He was one week old yesterday and getting used to having a new baby in the house has taken majority of me and my husband's energy and time. Yesterday was the first time I left the house in a week. Luckily, I have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy so it is worth it despite my lack of sleep and energy and post-surgery pain. Thought I would share a picture of him, while I had a few minutes before I go try to get a nap while he is sleeping. 

It's getting closer to D-Day...and no I'm not talking about WWII

I'm about six weeks away from my delivery date, assuming Baby H comes on time, and believe me when I say that I really hope that he does. Last week was rough baby wise because I was feeling pretty crappy and very crampy pretty much all day every day. Apparently I am having more Braxton Hicks contractions as my tummy has been as tight as a drum, though the round ligament pains have also stepped up a notch as well. My mom says I'm not drinking enough water so I'm trying to drink a couple more glasses per day to cure that. My next doctor's appointment is this Wed and I'm probably gonna end up taking my ultrasound pics over again since my previous OB-Gyn has decided not to forward all the info from the ultrasound technician, even though we've been asking for them for about a month. I am not looking forward to that, even though it would be nice to see how the baby is developing. I finally preregistered at the hospital so they know about when to expect me. My grandparents have ordered the crib and it's supposed to come sometime on Thursday, so looking forward to finally having that. So the last major baby stuff that I need to get is the stroller and car seat. Oh and still need to pack my overnight bag for the hospital because as my husband keeps pointing out, it could literally be anytime in the next six weeks, and once things start happening I will be pretty incapacitated. We're still trying to decide on a name, have it down to final two but still not nailed anything down yet. 

The exciting news that I have to tell is about my hubby. Since he moved here, he has been trying to figure out what he wants to do career-wise and was thinking about making a change. He's a carpenter/house remodeler currently but wants to do something different. He really likes to cook and since there are at least three cooking schools in the Phoenix area, we decided to check them out. So we went to visit Le Cordon Bleu, the most famous of the three, and were really impressed. It was very up to date and despite having about 1000 students, the student-to-teacher ratio and class size was small. So he decided to enroll there and we've spent the weekend trying to get financial aid sorted. The program is 9 months long and he'll be taught basic French techniques on the basics, culinary arts, intro to baking/patisserie and given the option to pursue an Associates/Bachelors in Restaurant Management if he so wishes. The fees include a knife and utensil set, all textbooks, and the uniform (jacket, cravat, cap, pants and perhaps shoes). He is getting very excited but also nervous about starting. The funny thing is that he said he was more scared about starting the program than he was about the baby coming. He starts August 15. 

We had a nice weekend, which started with us going to the movies on Friday morning to see the new X-Men: First Class. I really enjoyed it because of the excellent cast and the back story that explains how Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik (Magneto) formed the X-Men back in the 1960s, and how they picked sides. It also talks about the first X-Men came about and they included some that weren't in the previous movies or cartoon series that I had grown up watching. I'm thinking maybe they are in the original comic book series. My favorite character would probably be Hank because he starts out as this insanely smart young nerdy guy who because he wants to fit in, ends up becoming the Beast that we know now. My Dad's birthday was on Saturday and he decided to invite a couple friends over for gourmet burgers. Since we've moved here and especially since John has decided to go to cooking school, he has been the primary cook of the house. So he made up the burgers to order on Saturday. I had a beef burger with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms under provolone cheese with bread and butter pickles and guacamole. Delicioso! Saturday was also apparently a Facebook friend's civil union ceremony and another acquaintance's Episcopal deacon ordination, so congrats to all of them. Sunday we went to a new church, which was an interesting experience, and then all the way out to Mesa (about an hour's drive away from us) where we had this insanely yummy brunch at a little bistro. It was actually the perfect blend of lunch and breakfast items as my hubby usually won't eat breakfast food, so they had beef, lamb and mussels for him but things like made-to-order omelets, Eggs Benedict, bacon and sausage for me. And the most enormous but still incredibly sweet and juicy strawberries with a chocolate fountain. We actually went out to Mesa for the free first Sunday of the month admission at the Arizona Natural History Museum that my hubby had found and suggested. For a free museum it was excellent, but I would've have paid the $10 per adult to go there on a regular basis. It was packed full of kids and parents there who were taking advantage of the same deal. It was very hands-on and kid-friendly with about 5 rooms of dinosaur stuff, the origin of the earth, rocks & minerals, a special exhibit on The Sea of Cortez near Baja, CA, Southwestern history, and even a gold panning area outside. 

Sad to say a cool day here is 87 degrees F...and something I look forward to

I have been keeping myself pretty busy here, relatively speaking. I have seen two movies, Thor, which was visually gorgeous and had a fine Australian main actor to boot and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which I originally didn't want to see but it ended up being entertaining anyways. It was your basic summer holiday fluff like Thor was but that's okay. I am looking forward to watching the new X-Men: First Class coming out in June, and of course the end of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. 


I had another doctor's appointment this week and everything seems to be progressing well with the baby. I feel swollen up like a balloon though, my most pregnant ever, and my dad teases me about waddling. You would waddle too if your stomach was as round and in the way as mine is. My mom took pictures of me to send to my family, and I'll probably send some to my friends just so they can get an update. I've been bad about taking photos during this pregnancy and have only really done two, one at 6 1/2 months and one now at 7 1/2 (I count via calendar months, i.e. 4 weeks not the more traditional 4.4 weeks like we're supposed to). Anyways, I'm now 32 weeks. A friend of a friend who is also pregnant (about a month ahead of me I think) has gone into early labor as of last night so hopefully we'll see some pictures of her little girl soon. 


I finally got all the paperwork together to apply for Medicaid here and after 4 hours of waiting at the Access office, I am covered! Just waiting for my card in the mail and I still have to call some people to verify which plan I am using. Now at least I can fill out the pre-registration paperwork for the hospital. We had done a maternity tour of the hospital two weeks ago and I am really impressed. I must say that that was one of the things I was most worried about, as I'm pretty sure the hospital in SC wasn't that modern, but the women's center in this hospital was built in 2002 and has been updated since then. They seem to take really good care of you there and even the hospital rooms don't look scary and sterile. I'm planning on signing up for a labor and childbirth class at the hospital to take with my hubby, so I won't be completely in the dark. I mean I know basic stuff, but always good to know more about it. I'm also wanting to take the free infant CPR class that they are offering, as that will always be something handy to know. I have to pack my hospital bag this week as the woman going into early labor puts that into better perspective. Having a friend who has recently had a baby helps a lot in figuring out things like what to pack in the overnight bag. 

Stuff going on here lately

We have spent the past week getting used to living in Arizona, and I think it's going pretty well, minus the weather. The movers came last Monday and my parents hired two helpers, which managed to squeeze all of our furniture and extra stuff into storage. Of course we can't take anything out now, but don't think we'll be moving for awhile, so we should be okay. I got a hair cut, which is totally necessary in this weather where I am sweating all the time anyways (would rather be doing it with shorter hair than longer). I got my new Arizona driver's license the same day and my picture didn't come out too horrible. I am discovering a bit how to drive in the NW Valley, where my parents live, though I've not attempted Phoenix yet as I still find it insanely confusing. I've only been on the highways once, to drive my parents to the airport and that was intimidating. It's like my hubby says, the towns in this area are more like subdivisions in one giant town because they are so close together. It's really confusing sometimes when you're driving around and you enter two or three different towns in the space of a couple of miles. For example, we live in Sun City but if you go a mile in one direction, you end up in Youngstown and the other direction, you end up in Peoria, but there are pockets of Sun City mixed up with these other towns to make it even more confusing. So it is better for me to go by directions vs. city names as they're all squished together. 

The local library system, Maricopa County, has 17 branches and most are in the NW Valley. I decided to try out the NW Regional branch first, which has a nice children's section and seems to do storytimes regularly. It is right next to a huge park/sports complex with a gigantic kid's play area. It also is right next to a lake where you can go fishing, and there are lots of ducks and we even saw an egret there. I may end up going to another branch in the future, but for now, this one is close enough that it works for me. The only thing I don't like is that you are only allowed 10 books on hold, and I've already got six on my list. Most of them are books that aren't coming out for awhile, so I've got a bit of a wait. I picked up an interesting book called As Always, Julia, which is about the letters written between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. Now if you have seen the movie Julie & Julia or read Julia Child's brilliant memoir My Life in France, you will know that Avis was a great friend of Julia's that she "met" by accident. Their letters are a fascinating look at the culture and politics of the 1950s onwards, especially about women and cooking. However, it is pretty dense as it is mainly just their letters, so not sure if I will be able to finish it now or will have to try it again later. 

I saw my new Nurse Practioner and I liked her, though she will not be my main medical person. I'm supposed to meet the doctor on the 25th. Hopefully I will have been able to start processing my Medicaid application by then, which I need to start on tomorrow. This doctor's office is much more organized/professional than the last one, and the hospital looks really nice. I'm hoping John and I and maybe my parents can get a tour of the maternity wing of the hospital next weekend. Meanwhile, me and the baby are doing just fine. Other than having a bit of time adjusting to the heat. This Friday it was up to 99 degrees F again and I thought we were going to melt in the house. My hairdresser in Columbia wasn't kidding when she was talking about being pregnant in the summer (she had both her kids in July). She told me that she used to wear next to nothing and still be melting, and I'm already feeling the same way. Plus with the little one kicking a whole lot more and my belly feeling like it is swelling to massive proportions that makes things more interesting. Sometimes I feel like I have to sit in very unladylike positions just so I can be cool and comfortable. That and with the heat, all I want to do is sleep, even it is a sweaty sleep. Anyways, I'm off to bed. 

Day 13 - 15

I've been MIA from the blog again due to being out of town this weekend. My family decided to put a baby shower for me in Georgia, so I went up Friday night and stayed with a friend of mine outside of Atlanta and then went to Athens for the shower itself the next day. It was nice to catch up with everyone, who I had not seen in a couple years, and I had a blast at the shower and hanging with my friend. She has a 5 month old, who I got to meet for the first time, and totally fell in love with her. She is so precious and has an infectious laugh. I hope I get a baby that laid-back. John and I were both easy babies, so I'm hoping Baby H will be that way too. Only 2 1/2 more months before I find out, so we'll be seeing very soon. 

Day 13 is a guilty pleasure song and it took me awhile to come up with this one. When I was driving in the car yesterday, it finally hit me. I guess it was about a year ago, I was on YouTube and had heard that my favorite band from when I was in 4th-5th grade was touring again, so I decided to check out some of their new music. Yes, I'm talking about NKOTB, which I'm sure some of you know stands for New Kids On the Block, which were all the rage back in the late 80s/early 90s. I, like most of the girls back then, were in love with Jordan and Joe. I liked a couple of their new songs so I put them on my MP3 player, including this one. 

Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure: NKOTB - Summertime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpkCWs2zSNY&feature=fvwrel

Day 14 is a song that no one expects I would like, which is frankly a bit like the last day, but I'll try to come up something different. So I usually hate country music, but sometimes there's a good song, usually the funny ones or ones that are more rock than country. I learned how to country line dance to this song in middle school, so I guess you could say it has some sentimental value.

Day 14 - A song that no one expects I would like: Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW5UEW2kYvc

Day 15 is a song that describes me, which I thought was pretty difficult. But I think this song pretty accurately describes what I've been trying to do the last couple of years. 

Day 15 - A song that describes me: Avenue Q Soundtrack - Purpose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5glOLjR7VK4&feature=related

Finally some good news!

So I have been totally neglecting this site for the last couple weeks due to the fact that my life has gotten significantly crazier in April. I had to go back to the doctor's office and take a third glucose test after my second random test was high, which they neglected to tell me involved four blood withdrawals. Eek! I hate needles, especially because they can never find the veins in my elbow, so it is usually drawn from the top of my hand, which hurts like crazy. Thankfully I managed to get through it without vomiting or fainting, though there were some close calls. The good news is I don't have gestational diabetes, so there is a good chance of my baby being born normal size and not up to 12 lbs! The rest of my 6 month checkup went well, with no other complications. I am now 6 1/2 months pregnant and my next appointment is in two weeks. Meanwhile, I have an appointment with WIC to do a mandatory nutrition class with them tomorrow. Should be interesting if nothing else. 

My other good or I guess I should say interesting development is that after about a month of trying to figure out if we were going to buy a house or rent an apartment/house, we've decided it would be better if we moved closer to family. That is to say, closer to my parents, so we are moving to Arizona by the end of the first week of May. I have been thinking about moving there for awhile to be closer to them, but I honestly didn't think it would be so sudden. So we're going to be moving back in with my parents, which I know will take a bit of adjustment, but I know they will help us out and that's what we're looking forward to most. Living in South Carolina, we are 6-8 hours away from my grandparents and it's even further to my brother and his family in Mississippi. At least this way, if we have difficulty we'll be living in the same area. We are hoping to find work shortly after we get there so we can move to our own apartment. All the libraries I had been interviewing for in Arizona had told me that the most construction/remodeling jobs that my husband could do for his job would be in the Phoenix area. Plus it is nice to get to know it better, as I've only been to the area for 3x for short visits. 

Distracted by real life...

So my life is usually pretty boring, I'll admit that. Not much going on now except being pregnant and trying to find a more permanent job (not very successfully I will add). At least we now know what I am having for sure: It's a boy! So I can at least pick out colors for the room/baby clothes. Honestly the hardest thing about this, aside from not having the room for said baby things, is the selection. Baby boy's clothes are on the whole not as attractive as girl's clothes, in that there aren't as much cute variations. Unless of course you have unlimited funds, which we don't.  I do like that there are dinosaurs and zoo animals, though giraffes tend to be neutral (for boys and girls). 

My pregnancy is half over. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because we will have the baby, and bad because I will be thrust into parenthood at alarming speed, which is something I'm not sure I'm 100% prepared for. I'm not sure anyone is really ready when they have a kid, I think it is more of a "you are thrust into the situation and you learn to adapt" kind of thing. At least this is what I have observed from other people, including my family members. I am excited that the baby is finally coming, but scared that I won't be good enough. For me, what makes things more complicated is being so far away from friends and family, and only being able to talk to them via phone or internet. I'm thinking I need to join a Mom's group in Columbia, so I can get to know some people. 


To detract from my over-worrying about everything, I thought I would include this funny video I found today about naming your babies, which has also recently been on another friend's blog. I'm not sure if everyone knows about the vblog brothers, YA author John Green and his brother Hank who weekly post videos on YouTube to each other, but I think they are hilarious. In John Green's post proceeding this one, he discusses five funny real names of people in the US and Hank's response is to post this video about how to name your children, according to seven rules (which he outlines).

Graduation!!

After 2 1/2 long years, I have finished graduate school for the second time. I submitted my final three papers tonight and officially graduation is tomorrow. I'm not attending due to financial issues, but now I just have to wait for my diploma to come in the mail and wait for my grades to post. I have an idea what I might have for one class but no idea for the other, as I only just submitted papers. I'm having a mini celebration right now and will celebrate in a grander style in Arizona once my hubby and I get there to visit my parents for two weeks for Christmas/New Years. I'm so ready for a vacation as this has been a very long and stressful semester. It's great being done with school, but it also feels weird, I guess because I've been doing it for over 2 yrs. 

The other good news is that I finally got a part time job, in my local public library, working as a Children's Room Shelver. My first day is tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. I applied for Medicaid in November to cover my medical bills and I am now approved. I just have to drop off one letter this week and maybe another in the next few days. I'm hoping to speak to my actual worker so I can ask some questions about WIC and some other things. So at least we don't have to worry about those bills. The baby is coming along fine, and I'm nearly 9 weeks. I am a little anxious about the flights but they should be fine as long as I can keep food down when we take off/land. 

Big Announcement!

So I've been holding this off for three weeks until my first ultrasound, but here it is: I'm 7 weeks pregnant and due July 2011! I'm just glad to be able to tell people and talk about it. This is my first pregnancy so everything is new for me. I'm glad to be able to apply the things I've learned in Early Childhood Materials class to my own personal experience, and will start reading to the baby soon, probably after I graduate. I know how important it is to start early, even when the baby is in the womb. 

The other big news is that I finally got the results of my graduation portfolio back and I aced it. So I don't have to worry about that, just need to write the Research proposal and papers that go with it and I will be done for the semester.