Black Friday

So, I woke up at 4:15am and surprisingly it was easier than I thought. Probably because I was more anxious then I was dreading it. I was determined to get all our xmas shopping done that day. So, I kissed Mike goodbye and drove to the Lakewood mall. I got to the mall by 4:45am and was shocked that the parking lot was already half full. My first stop was Macys but as I entered the mall, I noticed many stores were open including the disney store. It looked like chaos, but I decided "what the heck" I'll check it out. Oh my gosh it was like discounts galore. I was able to get about $150 worth of stuff for $60. I was so excited and the line to check out was only 15 minutes. Not bad.

After Disney I made my way to Macys to buy my mother-in-law some earrings. That line took forever but I finally made it through. By the time I finished at Macys I had about 20 minutes to walk my way to Target. When I got there I noticed a ton of people waiting. 6am hit and the doors were not opening. We noticed people were already in the store so I decided to hit the side door and go out to the other entrance. Bingo it was open! I was able to get a bunch of toys and such. The lines weren't bad at all.

By this time, I was super tired. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet so the blood sugar was definitely low. But, I had one more store to go to before I could call it a day. I made a trip to the car to drop off my stuff. I walked outside to find the parking lot completely full and other cars lined up to park. I had to give the "I'm not leaving wave" and headed back into the mall. I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond and bought the last gift for Gary.

It was 7:45am and Mike and Kayla were up and Kayla was asking for me. Good thing I was done. I picked up some Starbucks for breakfast and headed home. We all ate breakfast and then made our second trip out, now that everyone was awake. It felt like 11am but it was only 9am when we made our way to Marukai. After Marukai, Mike wanted to go to Universal City Walk to the Team LA Store and the Dodger Store. So we walked around Universal City Walk, had lunch and headed home.

We got home by 1pm and I was done for the day. But I will say I was able to finish all my xmas shopping (with the exception of Chuck and Danielle). In one day! And I had a great time doing it! I'm definitely doing this again next year. Does anyone want to join me? Maybe some moms can get together for this while their husbands sleep and take care of the kids. Just let me know.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

This is the first Thanksgiving that Kayla can say the word Thanksgiving. But of course she's not as excited about Thanksgiving as she is about the up and coming Christmas. She sees the lights all around and gets so excited about the "Christmas lights" and seeing Santa. I remember when she was less than a year and just looked like a ball of blubber in Santa's arms. Now she's really excited about seeing Santa and runs up into his arms.

I am thankful for a healthy family. I am thankful that Dad finally got help. I am thankful to have aunts who take on the responsibilities they have regarding my dad. I am thankful to have friends who are there for me to help and provide support. I am truely thankful for my mom who is always gracious to watch Kayla or pick her up from school if I need her to. I am thankful that my family members are doing well even while going through extensive chemotherapy.

Thank you to all who love and care for me.

Energy has returned!

Well, with the first month of the second trimester down, the energy has finally returned. I don't pass out at 7pm at night. I have enough energy to keep the house clean and play with Kayla. I'm starting to feel little flutters in my belly so I know the baby is pretty active. We have our big ultrasound in a couple weeks so we should find out soon whether we are having a boy or a girl. Any guesses?

End of the Quarter and the End of the First Trimester

Yesterday marked the end of the 1st quarter. It also marked the end of my first trimester. What does that mean? It means, more energy, less sickness (although still a little), and more belly. I go in next week to take blood so they can check for early signs of genetic disorders. I guess 30 is the magic number. I don't remember if they did this screening when I was pregnant with Kayla. Then the big ultrasound is scheduled for December 12. Almost over the biggest hump. Once all those screenings are over then I can rest assured that the baby is fine.

The end of the quarter ended without a hitch. I think my pregnancy is trying my patience, but other than that most of the kids are doing well. Of course I know I can't save everyone, but I'll be damned if I didn't try. Only two more quarters to go before maternity leave. It couldn't come soon enough.

The Pumpkin Patch - 10/26/08

We took Kayla to the pumpkin patch on the way to the Uyemura's. She loved it. She wanted to pick out the biggest one home. So we compromised and settled on a medium size pumpkin. The pumpkin patch had a bunch of rides she wanted to try. Kayla opted for the ponies. It was her first pony ride. I don't think she liked it at all. What do you think?

Preggers again!

Its been a while since I've posted, but I wanted to let everyone know that we're expecting child number 2 the end of April or beginning of May. We are very excited. This pregnancy is definitely different from the first. I am bloated and gassy (not like with Kayla). I am already showing (but that may be because I'm starting out fatter than I was with Kayla). I get nauseous at night (right around dinner time). And, I get really tired around the time I get nauseous. I'm not too into meat (which was similar to Kayla). And I'm all about the fruit. I definitely have the pregnant woman's bladder (I could out-hold Mike last time). Finally, I'm already wearing pregnancy pants, because the pressure on my stomach is just uncomfortable. I've told my bosses and some of my coworkers, but I'm going to try to hold out and tell my kids right before the holiday break.

Kayla is really excited. She kisses my belly every day. She really wants a baby sister, so hopefully she won't be disappointed. She understands there is a baby in my tummy, but she thinks I swallowed it. It's really cute! When we moved into the house, we went through her toys and she gave her baby brother or sister her toys that she doesn't play with anymore. I was really proud. She did a really good job giving her toys away that she doesn't play with anymore. She's definitely growing up.

I will use this blog to keep a record of this pregnancy and Kayla's adjustment.

Back in the Swing of Things

I'm Back at School!

Things are crazy!

A new computer system at school has found all of my classes needing somewhere around 12 changes, on average. I've got kids who are missing a period, missing a core content class, kids who are not supposed to be in my classes. It is absolutely crazy! But, you do what you can. I refuse to hold back just because the front office can't work the new computer system.

Then there's the house. We've moved in with all of our stuff and are living in rubble. Mike and Gary are putting up drywall on the door to the garage, the rooms are textured but not painted. We've got boxes everywhere. Well, at least we've got the master bedroom put away. But, Kayla's room is filled with boxes that I can't put away because she has no closet. Our den is full of boxes that we can't put away until Mike's dad paints the room. We've got to pull up the old hardwood floors in the living room by next week but we've got some big pieces of furniture in there that we can't move until we paint the den. Things are crazy around the house.

Kayla's birthday party turned out to be a huge success! The kids and adults had a great time. I didn't have to do much but play with the kids and talk with all the parents. That is how kids parties should be.

I'm sure something else will throw a wrench into the mix. I just have to take one day at a time, one hour at a time, and remember to take lots of deep breaths.