Trading Up

Alyssa is growing like a weed. She's eating like crazy and growing a pound a day, it seems. The bassinet we've had her in keeps getting smaller and smaller, and harder and harder to get her out of. So this week we traded up to more rooms sleeping quarters for her. We set up the playpen, which has a crib attachment. Now it makes her look really small. But that's probably a good thing - she looks like a Buddha baby when she's sitting up.

This is one active baby. Here she is practicing her "walking." It's just standing, really. She only naps an hour or two a day, but she sleeps like a rock at night. She's usually up twice each night to suck down another bottle, so Mike and I trade off to preserve our precious sleep. This morning, she decided it was time to get up at 4:30. She sucked down a bottle and was back in bed by 5:00. Since my alarm was set for 5:30, I figured I should just stay up - it'll be harder to wake up if I go back to bed for a half hour. I have a meeting with some other teachers after school, so it's gonna be a long day. Here's to going to bed early on a Friday night! Man, I really am becoming a boring old married person.

After all that hard work walking, standing, sitting up, kicking, and batting at the bouncer elephants, it's time to relax. Daddy loves to cuddle, so in the evening he sits on his "man island" (aka the lazy boy) and cuddles with two of his ladies (the dog is a girl too), while his main squeeze is usually working on the couch writing a lesson plan. Lesson planning NEVER ends. EVER. Ok, maybe in June, but we have a whole bunch of weeks to get through before that comes. Hooray for only 80 more days of school after today!!!

Diaper Ratings and Nature (Not Nurture)

When they say a diaper only holds 12 pounds, it only holds 12 pounds and no more. Of poo, that is.

Alyssa's growing like a weed, so she's starting to eat a lot more at each feeding. Several weeks ago, she was only eating 2-3 oz at a throw, but now it's more like 6-7 oz. We should be buying stock in the formula company - that stuff goes fast!

Because she's eating more, guess what else she's doing more. Yessir, she's pooping more. A LOT more. She used to poop like a lady (even though she's never farted like one), but now it's becoming ridiculous. I didn't really know what parents were talking about when they said a "diaper blowout," but I am now intimately aware of what that means. Alyssa had one last night AND this morning. I'm gonna start putting extra clothes on her and keeping multiple extra outfits in the diaper bag. Holy mackerel!

In non-poopy news, Alyssa has discovered the elephants and lion that hang in front of her when she's in her bouncer. She's figured out that if she kicks and moves around, she slides down closer to them, and then can punch and bat at them with her hand. She will do this for hours, faithfully batting at the smiling blue elephant, possibly taking after her biological father, who is a professional fighter (like a punching bag?). We definitely didn't teach her to do that. So far, nature's winning and nurture's trying to catch up.

We are currently enjoying a 4-day weekend. Yesterday, the ladies in the family, as well as David (who's 3), went for a drive and went out to lunch at Marie Callendar's. It was fun to have a girls day out with all of us. We haven't hung out together without our menfolk in quite some time. Today, Mike, Alyssa, and I are going on a surprise early Valentine's outing. Mike won't tell me what it is, and Alyssa can't talk yet (I'm sure Mike's told her), so I'm the only one in the dark. All I know is it's a picnic. It's a lovely day outside, so it should be great. I'm looking forward to it.

Is This Normal?

Do you see a problem here?

This is where I had my IV for my surgery a week ago.

This is my other hand.

The bruise is getting more impressive every day. At least it doesn't hurt. Much.

Stupid Teenagers (Warning: Angry Rant)

I'm going to my classroom today and tomorrow after school (on my own time while I'm supposed to be recovering from surgery!!!) to help my students get their make-up work together and do make-up labs. I want to give my students every chance possible to pass the class (partly because I don't want to teach them again next year, but mainly because I want them to be successful). I debated about doing this, but my caring side won over and I decided to go.

Some of my students have been emailing me this week to work out issues with their missing work and I'm more than willing to work with them. I love when my students come to me for help - it shows a sense of responsibility and maturity that I really appreciate and try to foster in them.

I just got a threatening email from one of my students, saying the gradebook says he's still missing work he's turned in (I'm not done grading yet) and stating that "he will be offended and personally lose some respect for" me if I don't come in during lunch to help him, since he can't come after school. He also wants me to not hold him accountable for the labs he missed since he can't make them up. Bull! He had all the chances in the world to come talk to me before I had surgery, but he waited until 3 days before the end of the semester when I'm not there to start worrying about his grade. Stupid teenagers. They make me mad.

I'm gonna wait to email him back until I calm down, because I'm pretty pissed off. I'm putting my recovery in jeopardy by going in and working for a few hours, and my kids pull this crap?!?! No way. I'm so glad I'm getting new students on Monday.

OK, stepping down from my angry soap box now...