A-Flipping-MAZING

You have GOT to check out this blog post. It will blow your mind.

http://www.joshweed.com/2012/06/club-unicorn-in-which-i-come-out-of.html

It's lengthy but well worth the read. 

KEEP

AN 

OPEN 

MIND

.

Are You Crazy?

People think I'm seriously demented for wanting to work with teens, specifically those at risk for poor life outcomes.

I think this video sheds some pretty good light on what it is I see in them and hopefully you can see them with the same compassion and amazement as I do.

Pieces

Is that even spelled right?

There's that rule, the whole "'i' before 'e' except after 'c' in neighbor and way"-which, by the way, what does that part even mean anyway? 

No clue. 

Bottom line, I'm always confused how to spell 'pieces.' But I think that version looks better than 'peices' so we'll just go with it...

Yes, we are starting to pick up the pieces(?) and they are falling into place. 

Baby Spin has had two, fairly decent days and he seems to be improving. 

Mr. Spin is still tired, but he's starting to unwind a bit.

Yesterday I started blubbering out of no where, multiple times. 

I wasn't even upset, really. 

It was like the final let down of stress trauma or something. 

Maybe it's partially because I'm tired of constantly having to go to the bathroom in some sort of medical receptacle or that our life seems to be scheduled around multiple weekly doctor appointments now. 

Either way, we're finding our groove and it's nice.

The boys spend every other afternoon in the yard and I would be lying if I said having a warm pool at my disposal wasn't A-MAZING!

(Sure going to miss that when we move again...)

For those of you who don't know, speaking of moving, Mr. Spin has had 2 interviews with a certain sports network located on the east coast. 

It's a huge ego boost, especially since they called the day of graduation. 

(However, we did bust out tails the last two years so although we don't feel entitled to get a job right off the bat, we have definitely put in our dues if Mr. Spin is lucky enough to get an offer anywhere.)

At this point, I can't say if we would take the position or not. Things are still so fresh. Will we be moving somewhere far, far away? 

Most likely.

But in the mean time, we need a va-cay!

Our plan was to go to Sea World as a family before the baby came, but last week's episode nixed that idea. I'm not even allowed to "spend 3 hours in Costco," and yes, that's a direct quote. 

(Not like I really shop at Costco, but you get the idea...)

Argh. 

I think I'll send Mr. Spin to the spa next weekend. 

He needs some emotional healing. 

1 1/2 hours of hot stone therapy should do it, don't you think? 

:)

Any ideas for a mini family vacation that doesn't require me walking or leaving the area?

Tall order, I know.

I was actually lamenting to Mr. Spin how I'm defective because pioneer and farming women had kids and handled heavy, physical labor while pregnant. 

He said: 

"Yeah, and lot's of them DIED."

Oh, yeah. I forgot that part.

So glad I married him.

Maybe someday we'll have fun again!! 

In the mean time, I guess we'll just go float in the pool. 

Sob, sob, right? lol.

C.H.A.O.S.

Anytime I see that word I am reminded of my favorite childhood show, Get Smart. The lead agent, Maxwell Smart (played by Don Adams) worked for Control while they battled C.A.O.S. (Ok, it's different spelling, but it's pronounced the same.)

Anyway, this week has been total chaos. I dont' mean the I-can-barely-hold-it-together-by-the-end-of-the-day type. 

No, I wish. 

Wowzer, just let me explain...

Two Saturdays ago was commencent. It was great. A little hectic with family coming, trying to finish finals, and Baby Spin having the flu (i.e. vomiting in the car 10 minutes before my O.B. appointment- you know, because we can never do anything simple anymore).

But the day came, we celebrated, they let me walk with Mr. Spin's college and they even read out names together! Even our photo op pictures with the dean of the college were...together. 

That's just how we roll. :)

Monday hit and I was noticing some fatigue but since family was still in town I was trying really hard to not cop out on activities. Well, I didn't make it to the beach. But I felt guilty in just staying home so instead of resting I tried packing. Or at least I think so. I did something productive but the last 8 days are a bit of a blur...

Then family left on Tuesday and I think we started packing. Again, can't really remember.

By Wednesday a friend came and helped us pack a truck load up of furniture to move to our new pad. I was really tired before we even started but hey, it had to get done, right? And after all, I'm not dead, I'm just pregnant.

When we got home that night Mr. Spin started going crazy on our place. Like, CA-RAZY. I swear he was on something because my husband was replaced with a pink, fluffy bunny that beats a drum displaying the Energizer logo. It was nuts! I needed to sit, so I layed out on the couch and two hours later I woke up with enough 'umph' to stumble into bed.

Sleep didn't come easy because this kiddo was kicking and I was cramping. But I finally got some rest.

The next morning...

LOTS OF KICKING and cramping. I just stayed in bed and didn't move. Like, LOTS OF CRAMPING. 

Mr. Spin came in to say 'goodmorning' and I figured I should get my sorry (and saggy) tush up. So I did what any pregnant woman would do- 

I went to the bathroom. 

:)

But, wow. The cramps. So I sat for a bit. Mr. Spin asked if I was ok and I assured him I was fine but just really cramping. 

He went into the other room to get ready for work and then...

I saw the blood. 

The next words I uttered I'll never forget:

"Uh, Brandon? I'm in labor."

*INSERT INSTANT CHAOS HERE*

He's rushing around trying to find my phone so I can call the hospital. I'm trying to coordinate with family about watching Baby Spin. Then Baby Spin is not making it easy to get him dressed (of course).

I called my mom who was pretty groggy when she answered. 

My first words to her?

"Mom? Don't freak out. But I'm in labor."

Her L&D instincts immediately kicked in.

"Talk to me, what's going on."

(Now THAT will wake you up in the morning!)

We made it to the hospital where I was put into a labor room. At that moment Mr. Spin and I looked at each other with the "holy crap we're leaving here with a baby" look. A few moments later I passed a pretty impressive blood clot just as the nurse stepped out of the room. To make sure I wasn't crazy I called Mr. Spin into the bathroom and I so wish I had a picture of his facial expression. It was somewhere between shock, disbelief, and horror. Quite memorable and quite funny.

He then started scrambling around the room, fretting about finding the call button for the nurse. 

(Oh my gosh, it was so dang funny. I love him!)

She came in and it was one of my mom's good pals. She saw the clot, looked at me with a big smile and said, "Would you stop it already? Sheesh!"

They started my IV and yes, I started to faint.

They loaded me up with magnesium sulfate to stop labor and proceeded to give me steroid shots to help develop the baby's lungs in case I needed to be delivered. 

The nurse asked which side I wanted the shot in because in 24 hours I would have it in the other side and she wanted to know my preference (like it matters?). It was then that I had my 2 minute melt-down. Why?

Because...

I wasn't going home anytime soon.

The next thing I said?
"I want to go back to graduation!!!"

It's been 5 Days after commencement and now I'm in pre-term labor.

Of.

Course.

Also, let's keep in mind...

This was Thursday morning at 9 AM. We were scheduled to move Saturday morning at 8:30 AM- 

not even a full 48 hours later and NOTHING WAS PACKED.

I also hadn't eaten since the night before and since my contractions were so close (as in 1-3 minutes apart) there was no way they were going to feed me anytime soon.

After 22 hours of starving hospital food tastes pretty darn good. 

Well, I stayed there all day Thursday...

Friday...

Saturday...

And finally got released Sunday at 11 AM. I guess when your placenta decides to separate from your uterus they like to watch you for a full 72 hours after the fact. I was practically sprinting to the door! (Wheelchair? More sitting? REALLY?! Lol)

Sleeping didn't come because of back spasms and heart burn. And the stress of the move was pretty intense. Mr. Spin couldn't even make it the hospital Saturday because he was just D-O-N-E.

On a side note, I got caught up on all the food network shows since we have lived without TV for the past 17 months. 

I also made the Dean's list the last semester. Again. :)

(Didn't find that out until I got access to the internet on Sunday.)

We are tired.

We have no real idea what things are where.

But we're all ok. 

So much for a let down after finals. :)

We Made It

WHEW!!

Looking back, maybe it wasn't that hard...

Wait, who am I kidding?

:)

No Intiendo

I really thought things were getting better.

Last Thursday I sort of/kind of set up an outing for all of the students and out professor from our senior seminar course. We went out to a bar/restaurant right after class and hung out on the patio for almost two hours, recapping the semester and talking about our lives and future plans. We've all gotten so close over the semester it was a great way to say 'goodbye'.

Then Friday rolled around and it was another good day. I had stayed up until midnight the two nights previous to Friday morning making lifesaver necklaces for all of Baby Spin's teachers at school with our family picture attached and a note that said their name and a message:

'Because you were a lifesaver. Thanks for making our graduation possible.'

Well Friday morning was spent delivering those to all of the rooms Baby Spin had been enrolled in and that I had interned in. 

After that I came home and vacuumed, did several loads of dishes, cleaned the bathroom, reorganized our place and actually put things where they go, worked on a few assignments, and even managed to paint my finger and toe nails.

Then it was time for my last staff meeting.

This was a good meeting. It was an ice cream social where the graduating staff and interns were recognized. We were all asked what our future plans were and for me, it was hard to speak with out tears welling up. My future plans after graduation? 

I'm graduating?! 

Yes, and all because of the amazing staff at this childcare program. Whether it's today or 100 years from now there will never be the words to express my gratitude for these people. (I've never really understood the impact behind cliche statements like that until now.)

Then it was time for my semester review which went fine. Following that I met with the practicum coordinator for my department to try and clear up this course enrollment mess. She gave me some hope. She informed me that the academic advisor I had originally met with was ultimately the one who would sign off on the paperwork once it was processed and since she knew the problem everything should work out.

Should. I hope.

That night Mr. Spin had an awards banquet where he got a scholarship (which rocked). It was pretty cool. I was jealous. :)

Sunday was a great Mother's Day. Mr. Spin made a fruit tray and overnight blueberry french toast for breakfast and then crepes for dinner. We even had family drop in from NY at the last minute (we had 5 hours notice) and stay the night. It was a group of guys around 23 years old and it just gave me insight into what our family of all boys is going to be like 20 years from now. I liked it.

Well, it seemed like things were looking up.

Until I picked up Baby Spin from school yesterday.

His teachers informed me that he had bit himself in the hand and had hit himself in the face several times...

WHAT??!?

Five hours later you could still see two half crescent pressure marks in his right hand.

They suggested it was probably him feeling the stress from finals but...I'm not stressed. I've been far more stressed during the semester than right now.

But I guess Mr. Spin is reeeeaaallllyyyyy stressed. He hasn't had the time for Baby Spin lately, either. When we dropped our kiddo off last week at school (just one random day) he paraded around the room with Mr. Spin before we left saying, "This is my daddy, this is my daddy..." to all his friends and teachers. 

That made me so sad. 

He misses him so much.

Thursday morning and it will be over...sort of.

Then family comes in. 

Then we move.

Then I'm due.

I hope he gets daddy time. I hope he can get through this unscathed. I hope we get settled into our own place soon...

17 Already

Today is May 1st.

That means it has been 17 months since the beginning of the end of my bachelor's.

Ho.......Ly..........Crap.

Like, 

Really? REALLY? Am I almost done?!

That means...

5 days of class meetings left.

1 Biology assignment still to turn in (tomorrow).

1 counseling quiz to take (this week).

3 papers left to write (for next week).

And then just 3 final exams.

It honestly took getting married, having a kid, going through a couple of pregnancies and finishing my bachelor's degree for me to realize something about myself-

I'm kinda tough.

Maybe I wasn't always this way, but I am now.

And I'm darn proud of that.