Heres hoping...

So 2010 had its ups and downs just like any year, but man, that first third of the year hit us hard like a ton of bricks. So heres hoping that 2011 has its ups and downs, but has more ups than down! I figure as long as Nuggette arrives healthy (and with my stunning good looks....) I don't think I could ask for more. And at the very least...I have a hot air balloon ride to bring me up. :) Happy New Year everyone!

The Life of Nugget Woodcock: Happy Holidays!!!

The Life of Nugget Woodcock: Happy Holidays!!!: "So far, the Holidays have been super! Even though Nuggette is curled up in a little mini 'lauren ball' (yah...you know what I'm talking abo..."

Happy Holidays!!!

So far, the Holidays have been super! Even though Nuggette is curled up in a little mini "lauren ball" (yah...you know what I'm talking about if you've seen me snuggling on a couch, cause thats how Nuggette is chillin these days...) deep within her womb, I hope she feels the love she already has! The Woodcock Clan has come in to town last week. For Christmas Nuggette got some more books and some more clothes, but most importantly, Red Sox gear!!! She has a Red Sox night light, Red Sox pacifiers, and drum roll please....a bib that says "I may slobber but I am smart enough to know that the Yankees still SUCK!" As for me, I am totally enjoying my growing collection of maternity pants. I still do not understand why women prolong wearing their own pants when they could have the amazing comfort of all elastic waist pants??? So the last full week of school before break, the admin had massueses (sp?) come in and give the staff nice quickie massages on their prep period as a Christmas gift. Along with the massage, the company was giving out coupons for a full chiropractic overview and a free 30 minute massage--I figured why not? considering the condition of my back. Well...I went last week. Upon talking to the doctor first he was VERY optimistic of curing my scoliosis without surgery and how he specialized in it and its his favorite back condition to treat and how this is the PERFECT time to go because little Nuggette will deform and twist my body in so many ways and after birth they will shift back, so we can shift them back into the correct position. Keep in mind this was prior to observing my back, and as I'm preggers he couldn't do an x-ray. Well the doc and his nurse (?) were pretty much completely dumbfounded that I can even walk and function on a daily basis given the condition of my scoliosis (keep in mind, I haven't been to a back doctor since 3rd grade). So at the end of his evaluation I asked, "So....am I fixable?" His response? A nice, nervous laugh. But he did say he is up for a good challenge. Apparently my back is in worse shape than I thought! Fortunately, the chiropractor is covered by the insurance, so I figured why not give it a try? I may even grow an inch or so.... :)

Books and a mini me???

So Mike and I went out to put a huge dent in our Christmas Shopping yesterday and we went to Barnes and Nobles (sorry Robby...we realized afterwards we should have driven to Provo and gone to Borders and save us a boat load of money!). While looking for a particular gift for a person I wandered into the childrens section. I am sure there are many great 'new' books since I was a child but I am totally a fan of the classics. Mike laughs at me because I am so excited to have all these books again! I convinced Mike to let me start buying books for Nuggette, so we started with 2 Shel Silverstein books--The Giving Tree and Where The Sidewalk Ends. Although I am itching to re read these again because I know they will bring a ginormous smile to my face, Mike is making me wait til Christmas. After Barnes and Nobles we made a few other stops, one of which was the Target in Sandy (yes, there are closer Targets, but Mike treated me on a HOTT lunch date to chick-fil-a :)). In the drive through at chick-fil-a, the car in front of us was a station wagon but just filled to the rim with CRAP of Christmas presents. We both just looked at each other and agreed we do not want to raise our child that way. I know we say this now not knowing what the future will bring and I am not saying I want to set my child up as a dork pushing math and reading on them but I think we both would rather be hands on parents instead of buying expensive crap that breaks after 2 days to keep our kid temporarily occupied. Needless to say I am still very excited to expand our book collection. When I recall my childhood it is the simple and easy things I remember and that make me smile, not the "Susie talks a lot" or whatever the toy of the season was. But as of now, it is looking like Nuggette will be a little mini me...for starters shes female. Mike and I both have dreams of her being red haired and blue eyed, although Mike refers to them as nightmares...In her ultra sounds it appears as if she is blessed with my ginormous nose. As the technician was checking to make sure everything was in its place, we noticed she sits/rests just like me--extreme fetal position with the legs crossed and arms up by her face. No matter all the pushing and shoving the technician did, Nuggette would NOT move (translating into shes stubborn, just like me! hooray!). The technician was amazed when I said thats how I sleep too. So world, the moral of the story? I just hope you're all ready for another Lauren Louise :)

Hmmm...nothing really new...

So not a lot has really been going on. According to websites Nuggette is about 6 and a half inches and should be 10.5 inches by the end of the week, but thats not considering shes measuring a few weeks bigger than scheduled. With that being said I dont have much of a belly. We did go to see Narnia last night (it was good, but not as great as the first 2...) and I think I felt Nuggette fluttering away down there (maybe she also thinks Caspian is a hottie?? :)) but of course right when I stood up I farted, so maybe it was just gas? My hair has been super duper greasy lately...apparently I complain about it everyday to Mike, but I must forget from day to day...

Does this make me a Utahn?

So I ordered Mike some Christmas presents--and for some reason this year they are sappy presents. But I decided to order him the family stick figures that EVERY car in Utah has displayed proudly on their back windshield. But our family will be a Red Sox family!

Shoes!

Two of my students got Nuggette her first pair of shoes!! They sparkle :)

My Theory On Fetii

So, I know, this is wild and crazy--two posts in one day. They have absolutely nothing to do with the other so I wanted to keep them separate. I've had this theory for quite a while, and was afraid I'd be looked at as Satan for posting it--but here goes. As of right now, I think having a fetus is the same thing as having a parasite. I do not believe it will always be this way--at least until they're 18. I kid, I kid. I have heard pregnancy is supposed to be so beautiful and wonderful and blah blah blah. Who are these people that think this way?? I have received ZERO benefit from being pregnant so far. Puking/dry heaving/ gagging are NOT my idea of fun. Although, Cathy pointed out that by the end of this my tolerance for puke will probably be sky high as before I would run and cry if I saw/heard/ smelled puke. My face is like a pepperoni pizza and I pop zits on a regular basis--this is far from what I consider a 'pregnancy glow'. I thought my hair would be long and luxurious--the only hair I have growing that needs regular maintenance is is my eyebrows and chin hairs! Let's not forget about the peeing when I sneeze!! Yes, I have been fighting a cold for a few days now with boogers galore and I can honestly say I would get embarrassed if I peed enough and it showed while teaching. I am not sure I'd live that one down. At least I can make jokes about my situation to get me through it. I hate to sound like an egocentric teenager (lets not forget that I spend an exorbitant amount of time with them during the week, so maybe its rubbing off?) but when, if at all, will I benefit from this pregnancy? Must I wait to give birth to Nuggette?

PS--This post is dedicated to A.M-T who has no one to vent to in Boston about her pregnancy and we had a vent-fest this morning :)

Nugget=Nuggette

So as most people know, we had the ultrasound Friday confirming that Mike's life will be over come spring. We will be having a little girl Woodcock! We are very excited but very nervous. I actually had a dream about her last night and she was a little ginger baby and weighed TEN POUNDS! Oh lordy! I was at a math conference for most of the day yesterday and one of the vendors was selling math t shirts....and math baby onesies! So i bought Nuggette her first onesie and it says "Cutie Pi" but with the symbol pi. This was then incorporated into my dream and I was frantic because this was the only onesie she had! It was just all very bizarre. But during the ultra sound Nuggette was VERY bashful--not only did she have her legs crossed, she had them tucked in. I was pretty much being jabbed and punched by the technician and Nuggette would not give. So we have lots of wonderful head shots and hand shots and feet shots. There is one picture of Nuggette staring directly forward and oh my heck, she looks like an alien!!! She is still measuring about a week and a half ahead of schedule!! I am still -15 pounds! I have a feeling I will be sitting with my legs crossed come April because I will not go early!!! Well, my scanner is at school so I will scan the ultrasound pictures tomorrow and post them on facebook, and hopefully that will not be considered child pornography!!

sorry!

So I had a few complaints that I don't write on here enough to keep those distant people updated. sheesh. sorry! It's hard keeping a blog up to date when all you do is sleep and puke! Anyways, we went to Florida last weekend for a friends wedding. We took the red eye down Thursday night and arrived first thing Friday morning. Not good. Nugget was NOT happy with the extreme lack of sleep so I quickly found my way to the nearest airport restroom--at least I wasn't on the plane. We were sharing a car with Katie and Maureen whose plane was delayed so Mike and I picked up the rental car and parked on the side of the road in downtown Jacksonville and slept for a few hours after popping a few quarters in the meter. Doesn't get much more ghetto than that. But the good news is, after my airport episode my appetite came back! Hooray! for eating! We successfully went to Chili's twice over the weekend! I did eat some french fries at the wedding and quickly got an upset stomach--but did not throw up or feel nauseated. Since then, I say bring on the fried food!!! It has been so long, I have missed fried foods terribly! We do find out the sex of the baby next week! Eeeeek! So exciting but I hate waiting. Mike wants to rig it so somehow he finds out the sex and I don't. Not cool. He is also claiming if it is a girl, it is going up for adoption. Oddly, I have numerous students either requesting I call them immediately after, or that they be on speaker phone during the ultra sound. Kind of bizarre if ya ask me. I talked to my principal today to ask if on the following Monday I either come in wearing all pink or all blue depending on the sex of the baby and he agreed, even though I brought up the point that I most likely will be wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt to make that happen. He said yes on the condition that I somehow incorporate the gender of the baby in math class--he suggested maybe finding the probability of it being a particular gender. I quickly brought up the point though that depending on what you read and who you talk to...what you eat....what time of day...and other not school appropriate things can play a factor in the sex of a baby. He quickly agreed that my students do not need to be running to the health teacher for definitions. I think I am going to poll each class and who ever has the highest percent guess correctly, I will buy doughnuts for the class--and obviously for me! :)

wowsers....october was busy

wow...i cant believe it is now november! how the heck did that happen?? so morning sickness comes and goes...ill feel good for a few days but then have a really really bad day or two. at least its not everyday i guess. but those days i have it are H-E-double hockey sticks! we went to the doc again in october--no ultrasound this time but heard the heartbeat which was about 160 beats per minute. not sure if its an old wives' tale but ive heard that a faster heartbeat means a girl. my students at school are making bets and about 75% of them are betting its a girl. some have even asked to be on speaker phone when we have the ultrasound to find out the gender--which is november 19! we head to florida for a wedding this weekend so we'll see how well Nugget flies. not much more to report, unless you want details of me praying to the porcelain gods!

Puke free since....

Friday!!! 'Nuff said. knock on wood!

I went longer than anyone thought....

So some people think Mike has taken the "eating healthy" thing a little too far with monitoring my food intake. I was able to have him back off a bit once the morning sickness started--this only after I dropped the F-Bomb at him when he was annoyed that all I was eating was raisin bread. I had to stay at work late today doing a training. I luckily did get out earlier than expected but when I left school I was STARVING. I called Mike and he said he was still at work and would be there for a while. I racked my brain about the food choices I had at home. Yep. There was none. I cannot describe how exhausting it is making organs so I clearly did not want to stop at the market to get food. I decided the next best thing was to stop at Burger King. So I did. FYI--I have NOT had fast food in over TEN AND A HALF WEEKS! I know this may seem like a lie to most people, but it is the truth. I cannot even remember the last time I had fast food. I cannot describe the amazingness that was the taste of the french fries as they touched my mouth. It was heavenly. I am pretty sure that if I turned my car radio down, I would have heard the hallelujahs. Anyways, not sure if this was just a nice indulgence or going back to my old ways. If you are what you eat, will Nugget be born an actual chicken nugget?

addendum: i found out Nugget doesn't like Burger KIng. Next time I'll try McDonalds.

From Poppyseed to Pumpkin

So most of you already know that Mike and I are expecting a little one this spring! We thought we'd share this experience of Nugget as it grows from a Poppyseed to Pumpkin! We are currently at week 10 so Nugget is the size of a kumquat--which I have no idea what that is! Things were going pretty good for a long time...I had actually lost 11 pounds from actually eating healthy! Then, out of no where...morning sickness started! It has been the death of me. I was forced to tell my students because all I do is run to the bathroom and puke. I don't feel comfortable going out in public because I never know when it will hit. After having a conversation with Cathy yesterday, for me at least, I think there is a direct correlation between lack of sleep and severity of my puking. I am just grateful I haven't had to put up with this the whole time and from what I hear it should subside when we get to the second trimester. I have no idea how people have multiple children because I plan to be DONE after this one. I do not think I have been too crazy or hormonal. Yet...
PS-This is my first blog so don't be too judgemental :)