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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

She Doesn't Know Her Own Strength. (Or Does She?)

Yesterday we got to see our babe for the last time before the "big day." She definitely knows how to move her mouth, I think she has a Bliss forehead (we shall see), and her arms do still move and look to be properly formed.

That's about all I noticed before the world around me started changing.
First, I had the irrational desire to take a nap. Right there, in the doctor's office, with my face turned away from the excitement on the screen. "No." I said, "I want to take this time to LOOK at the baby! Not SLEEP!"
Next the room got rather warm. I seemed to be perspiring a bit more than usual. I took off my sweater.
Then I started to feel a bit nauseous, then a bit pale. My lower back hurt, so I asked if I couldn't bend my legs. I did. It helped a little, until she said she needed them down for a bit. All the symptoms returned.
About then I decided that something DEFINATELY wasn't right.

"I'm sorry, I don't feel too good. Can I sit up?" I did. Then I asked for the waste basket. Thankfully, I didn't need to use it. But I did start seeing stars against a black background. "I'm about to pass out." They had me lay on my left side. I felt nasty for the next three hours.

Turns out it's baby's fault. Steve's current theory is that she has toys in there, (that's how she's getting to be so brilliant, she's got a wireless palm pilot, she surfs the web, you know?) and that she didn't want us to find them or see how messy her room was (she'd just had time to sweep her toys under her back and was afraid we'd find them), and so she sat on a major vein until I started to pass out. That way she knew we'd go away and not discover her mess. Which begs the question, DOES she know her own strength? Steve thinks (and I tend to agree) that she probably read up on anatomy before the appointment, and knew just what vein to crush to make my world a little less fun.

I saw my Doctor today. She knows that my baby now knows the secret. She says I should, therefore, NEVER lie on my back. The babe can't use her super vein-crushing strength as effectively, I guess, if I'm lying on my left side. Good to know.

In the next couple of days I'll post the two pictures that were taken BEFORE I started passing out.

Until then, beware the babies. You never quite know their strength.


Thursday, November 09, 2006

I am happy to announce that I have just taken a job as a part time ESL middle school teacher.
Wish me luck.

Strikes against me:
I'm starting mid-year.
The position has been vacant all school year.
I'm teaching in a "pull-out" situation (I don't have my own class period, I take students out of other classes to do instruction).
I'm split between two schools.
I'm the only ESL teacher in these schools.
I have no idea what the rules of these schools are. I've never been in them before.
I'm a first year teacher.
The teacher that filled this position last year left a bad taste in many students' and adminstrators' mouths.
I'm 6 months pregnant, soon to be entering my third trimester when all the discomfort begins again.
There are no books or curriculum for this class. ESL books and literature books have disappeared.
I don't really OWN any elementary/middle school books. The Brother's Karamozov may be a bit beyond these students reading levels. Thus, bringing in my own books to teach isn't really an option.
I've agreed to stay on at my current job for 8-15 hours per week through the end of December, thus, I'll be pulled between two jobs and (oh yeah) I'll still be a student.
I'm not entirely sure I know how the bureaucracy of ESL works in this state.
I don't speak Spanish. (I'm hoping most of my beginning students magically speak, as their first language, Russian or French, maybe Bulgarian or Lingala, too.)

In my favor:
I'm competent, well-organized, and thorough.
I'm creative.
My mom might find my old childhood books and give me some.
There is a library near by (ah... I love libraries).
I will be working less hours (at least on face level) than I am now, giving me time to research like crazy for ideas, etc.
I'm decent at learning languages, and have a summer off now to immerse myself in beginning Spanish. OH -- and I can get those lessons on tape and learn Spanish on my commute between the two schools! BRILLIANT!
I fully expect not to be the best teacher possible this year. My dreams are high, my expectations realistic.

It's a shame there are more things to list under "strikes against me" than "in my favor." Oh well! I've got my work cut out for me! This is for you, baby McMullen!

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