We're Havin' a Baby, Baby!

(Week 7 Baby Kehs)

Well, it's been facebook official for about a week now, and I finally have time to sit and blog about the fact that Mason and I are expecting our first baby on (or around) October 5th! We are thrilled! We've known for about a month now, but it seems like we've known for even longer. Since taking two pee tests early one Monday morning in January, we've been to two doctors appointments, I've had blood drawn twice, seen our baby twice on the ultrasounds, seen and heard the heartbeat, gone to a parenting class on base, and told our families, friends, and co-workers.

I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever felt this amazement in life before. The "when to have kids" conversation has been a ongoing discussion since before we were even married, and when people say there is no perfect time, I think this is the most perfect time. Some of my friends, or my mom might say, that's not what you were saying a year ago, but I'm really glad that this is the time that we are starting our family. 2011 is full of many milestones and this is just an added one to our list of accomplishments.

By the end of this year we should both be finished with our masters degrees (I'm doubling up courses to finish by the end of summer), Mason will become a Captain in the USAF, Mason will be deployed, I'll finish my 4th year of teaching, and we'll be having a baby. I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

We have begun slowly cleaning out our guest room to "transform" it into the baby's room, which simply means getting rid of junk and maybe putting in some carpeting and a crib. No fancy painting for us, unless I can convince Mason to paint a mural in his ha ha, free time. We've started looking into what we'll need to support this little child and are pretty convinced we're going to start with the basics and go from there. Mason said tonight at dinner, if the baby starts crying we'll just take him/her to Target and whatever we put them in that gets them to stop crying, we'll buy. Love that man, and I like his theory.
(Week 7 Mommy)
Despite having a cold and strep throat in the past two months, I've been feeling all right. Some nausea in the mornings and late afternoons, but usually some cheerios or goldfish can ease the stomach. I thought all the pregnancy symptoms you hear were sort of silly, until I broke two bras in a week, and food aversions hit full force. I think I told Mason he stunk like an onion for an entire week. Unfortunately for Mason, food preparation is not my most enjoyable activity these days, so he's been foraging for himself since I'm quite content eating my diet of applesauce, pears, cheerios, goldfish, and ice-cream. Thank God my baby likes ice-cream because pasta seems to have taken a back seat. :( I haven't really gained any weight yet, also thankful for that since I'm already packing on many extra unneeded pounds, but I guess I loose that battle eventually.

Mason has been an amazing husband. Not only was he thrilled to find out the news, but he's been able to arrange his work schedule to come to doctors appointments with me (since I HATE them) and that has been a priceless experience having him with me to see the ultrasounds. He's been patient when I've told him he smells like an onion, stayed awake with me (for an entire week almost) when we were just too excited to sleep, and has been flexible with meal options. My Dad told Mason, enjoy her (Ellen) now because in a few months you'll wonder where she went and what happened to the nice wife. Fortunately for Mason, I have a feeling he'll be skipping town (deployment) for the unbearable heat of summer and my increasing girth in the summer months- but my plan (watch out Barksdale pool goers) is to let it all hang out at the pool this summer, and chillin' at home.

Some answers to questions you might be having:
1. What are you having?
A baby. We are not going to find out the sex until it pops out!
2. When are you due?
October 5th, hopefully close to then
3. Isn't Mason supposed to be deployed then?
Yes, and his bosses are trying to work out a plan to fit everyone's needs, so we'll have more details later
4. Are you (Ellen) going back to work?
It changes day by day, but on paper, yes I am.
5. Do you want a boy or a girl?
We want a healthy baby, but I'd have to say we each have a preference opposite of what you may think.
6. Any names picked out?
We will reveal names when the baby is born
7. How far along are you?
This week is our 8th week, so we're 2 months in already! We have our next appointment on March 8th and hopefully all is developing nicely!
(Week 7 Mommy and Daddy)

Are you serious?

As a kid, one dreams of snow days, days off for any reason. Boy was I shocked when I moved South of the Mason Dixon and realized gone were the days of having Pulaski Day off right near my birthday. As I mentioned in my previous post we have only have one FULL week of school since January 3rd, and this week is not unlike the others...another snow day tomorrow!!! I can only imagine what my family in Chicago must think of pitiful Louisiana after they've been digging snow out for months, and we are getting snow days. The first "snow" day we had in January we only got ice. Mind you Southern states are not well equipt for ice, especially with all of the "high" bridges. Again, moving to the South was the first time where I really understood the signs, "bridges may be icy"- they are. The second snow day, we actually received snow! February is when we had a snow dusting last year (that only lasted a few hours) but this years snow managed to stick around almost 24 hours and actually covered the ground. Before I mention our third snow day (which is tomorrow) I feel I need to pause and explain waiting for snow days as a kid.

As a kid part of the excitement of snow days was waking up in the morning and finding out there is no snow! Fast-forward to today, by 4:30 pm the Caddo and Bossier Parishs had canceled school and Desoto (my parish) followed up around 5:30pm. At 4:30 the weather was approximately this: not a cloud in the sky, sunny, and 52 degrees- and we're getting a snow day based on a forecast!!! Please don't take this as complaining, but more of a common sense thing, wait until it's at least cold, or raining or something...

As a teacher, I love the days off too, but am finding that I've lost a whole week of teaching in the past month due to snow days and holidays...hmmm, but again, will just push things back and not complain. After all we have a week off for winter break at the end of this month. Watch it be sunny and 60s the whole time!

In other news, I did have strep throat. Anyone who knows me, knows that the last place I ever want to be is in the doctors office. I definitely inherited my Dad's genes on this one. From the moment I make the appointment (whether it be a well or sick visit) until about an hour after I actually leave the doctors office I am nauseous and jittery. Once arriving to the doctors office I am a total wreck and usually cry, faint, or vomit...sorry docs! I'm probably the only woman in her 20s who still asked her mom or husband to go to the doctor with her, and be in the exam room...

Well, by Monday evening I had pretty much had it with this illness. I can usually take a cold pretty well, but I'm just plain grouchy and moody when I have a sore throat. So I went to an urgent care facility in town. I only waited about 15 minutes to be taken back into the room where the nurse Jeremy asked me the usual questions, you know, the ones that you fill out on all the paperwork before hand, and then told me the doctor would be with me shortly. I hate the little room! Honestly, I was not even nervous or scared about being there though, mostly because it was 7pm and I was exhausted and felt like crap! I was lucky to be put into a children's exam room, because there was a movie playing. It was pretty bad, Shark Tales, maybe...but since I hadn't brought a book or work in with me for the HOUR AND A HALF WAIT I was glad to have a movie to watch and it kept my mind busy. Although I was very tempted to lay down and go to sleep. Once 8pm rolled around I really thought I had been forgotten about, since that was their closing time, so I peeked out of the room and asked the nurse if I could keep the door open because it was getting stuffy.

Eventually the doctor came in, asked the SAME questions from the paperwork and nurse and said I probably had strep. Test results were positive and after another half hour of waiting I was sent on my way to Walgreens to pick up my best friends, antibiotic 1 and steroid 1. I got a full night's sleep on Monday (half in bed, half on the couch) and no more sore throat (mostly). Still have the runny nose, but I can handle that! Still praying that Mason can avoid this all together.

Tonight, I was feeling well enough to go to our OSC function, which was a BUNCO night. I think it was our best social so far this year. I had never played Bunco before, and it was so fun! I even won the prize for having the Even Stephens score card (9 losses and 9 wins). So, maybe Mason will get to go out with me to Newks tomorrow (a local restaurant), that is, if it isn't closed for a snow day.

Just when I thought you had left me...

...you return, you nasty, evil cold! It seems like our school has had the plague even since coming home from Winter Break (back in January). I was grateful that I was not sick during our awesome 2 week vacation home, but got slammed with a 10 day cold/flu in mid-January. It started with a sore throat and fever and worked it's way into a nasty runny nose and cough. We had almost 1/4 of our school out on a few days as it seemed we all contracted the disease Martin Luther King weekend. Sigh, I felt "lucky" that I got hit with it early on as my students and co-workers were getting hit with it as I was recovering. Many students were diagnosed with the flu and therefore told they could not go to school for 5 days. Missing 5 days of high school- YIKES!

Well, I thought I was in the clear, but last week started to have an occasional sneeze or tingle, and by this weekend realized I was right back in sick land. I don't seem to have a fever this time, but my body is achy all over and my throat feels as though it is going to swell up. Needless to say, last night I didn't sleep at all, and poor Mason was up on and off as well...sorry babe! Fortunately Mason hasn't gotten sick at all yet, but he's had to suffer through my painful nights awake.

Well, enough complaining...besides illness, things are going pretty well in the Kehs household. School has been going pretty well. We've only had one 5 day work week since coming back in January due to MLK day, and 2 weeks with inclement weather days. It seems that Shreveport wanted to keep up with the rest of the nation and have some icy and snow storms. Our family back home would laugh at the minute amount of ice or snow we received, but the fact is the South just isn't able to handle this type of weather. Either way, the extra days off were WELL RECEIVED.

I have been working really hard in my action research masters class- completed a 32 page research paper, which might be my longest to date, and certainly the best quality paper I've written. My professor gave my an A which I am stoked about, but lots of time went into the project. Lately I find myself just wanting to be DONE with this masters. I'm even thinking about doubling up classes the next two terms to finish 18 weeks early...I might be crazy, we'll see what my adviser has to say about it.

Meanwhile, Mason is taking two of his masters classes this term so that he can get ahead in his program so that he can complete it by the end of this year. It's crazy to think that we might both be done with these masters programs by 2011 (and have no debt from them)!! Mason has been working hard with his non-flying job, and has flown a few sorties in the past few weeks. Recently he was offered the "job" of instructing one of the CAP cadets for getting her private pilot's license. Pretty awesome, since this is what he did in college, and the family is going to pay for all of the expenses. It's still in the planning stages, but Mason's flown the little CAP plane twice to get checked out and it's fun to see his excitement come back for the "easy" flying.

We are behind updating pictures on the blog and facebook, but for now a look at the "productiveness" of teen boys in English.