this go round.

Let's just say this pregnancy has been all kinds of different...

First of all, I canNOT believe I'm already 23+ weeks along.  It is absolutely insane how quickly it is going by this time.  With Arabella, things didn't start to seem super fast until about week 35 (when reality hit that a kid was about to come out of me...).  This go round, I can't even remember how we got this far.  And the fact that another kid is about to come out of me...well let's just say that reality is hitting me a lot sooner.

For those who don't know yet, this little rascal is a boy :)  We are both so excited (even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with a mini-Hunter...)  I can already tell you he is crazy strong and feisty.  I felt both he and Arabella for the first time at 16 weeks.  She felt like a little bug, flutters here and there gradually getting stronger until Hunter could feel her from the outside at 22-23 weeks. From the beginning, this little boy has had some jabs.  His movements have been very defined from the get go, and he has been wiggling so hard in there that Hunter could feel him at 18 weeks. My whole stomach already jumps and rolls with him.  Oh man, he's going to be a little ball of fire!

I'm also carrying him a lot lower than Arabella.  She literally camped out in my ribs until they scooped her out (which is why they didn't even attempt to induce when my BP got so high).  This little guy kicks way down low.

I didn't have to potty all the time with Bella until the last trimester.  This guy has had me going since I before I took the test...

My hormones are crazy!  When I was pregnant with Arabella, I was actually pretty close to my normal self--no mood swings or cravings or intensified emotions (at least not much anyway).  This time?  Oh. My. Stars.  Every little thing gets on my nerves and under my skin.  My energy wanes quickly and my patience goes even quicker.  I am a moody mama... :/

Food...oh I love food!  I haven't been a full on petunia pig, but I have been much more lax this time than with Bella.  Plus, with her, I really didn't want to eat much at all the first trimester, and after that, just ate whatever we had.  This go round, I don't necessarily "crave" things out of the blue--but if I see something that strikes my fancy, my mind does not leave it alone until I get it in my mouth!  And while I have loved fruit big time (especially watermelon, grapes, and pineapple), I have definitely been much more drawn to flat out junk.

Heartburn has been a preggo pal of mine with both of these munchkins, but this time it got bad a whole lot quicker...  I had to take Prilosec to sleep the last 2 weeks with Bella--that may happen a lot sooner with the boy.

I've had Arabella's name picked out for years and we both always loved it.  So when we found out she was a girl, she immediately had a name.  We cannot for anything seem to agree on a name for this little fella.  It is so weird to know he's a boy but still not be able to call him by name...

I know without a doubt that the changes will only multiply exponentially once he gets here.  We are so excited to meet our little fella and see the new elements he brings to our little family.  But we are also trying to soak up and savor every ounce of time we have alone with Arabella.  Nothing will ever be the same!

here's to adventure
love, angie

People.

People.  Oh they can drive you downright batty.  I mean, let's face it--the human race is a pretty annoying breed.  And that makes that whole "greatest command" business pretty tricky...  some people are just hard to love.  At least all the time...

Have I mentioned yet that this pregnancy has really limited my patience levels?  I'm still not preggo-zilla, but I definitely and acutely recognize how easily I get annoyed these days, how "thin my skin is", how silly people are.

I know people feel this way about me too.  It would be so grand if the whole human race could just be pleasant to one another and only do and say things that everyone likes and agrees with.  But then where would the interest and variety and reality be?

The most incredible thing on this planet is us humans though.  Because if you look all the way back to the beginning, up in the front in Genesis (chapter 2 specifically), you see this:  26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  So here on this chaotic, crazy, messed-up and annoying world, here we stand and live, created in the image of the Almighty Triune God.  Wow.  That should make people seem less annoying, right?

This week, we're at Encounter with our high school youth group kids.  The theme of the week is "Revolution"--discussing some hot topic questions and discerning the truth about them (vs what the world has taught us, what our traditions and church habits have taught us, what our comfort zones have taught us, what our government, society, schools...anything but the Word of God...have taught us).  Because when you start with the truth and it's rooted in love--you finish in a place of truth and love.  

My deepest yearning and prayer this week is for my heart to break for people.  That I (and these kids) will be pricked to change...to wear the name of Christ boldly through our words and actions.  That we can help reunite the name of Christianity with its root and definition--love.  

So even the people who are hardest to love...especially the people who are hardest to love...Lord give me your eyes to see your image on them, to see the person you created, designed, and deeply love.

And the world will know we are Christians by our love...  

Lord, help my life leak your love abundantly.

Class of 2014, here's to you

I started teaching in January 2009.  It was the middle of the school year, and I was thrown to the wolves filling my 8th grade classroom.  I was terrified and still have no idea how much I was able to actually teach them about English.  But I survived, I loved my kids, and I was coming back next year. 

So that August, I started changing my classroom, my plans, my procedures...and preparing for my true first "first day of school."  Again, I was terrified.  But it was so different getting these kiddos from the very beginning and having them all year long.  

These kids--my first full year's group of students--are pretty stinkin' incredible.  As a group, they have more athletic ability than I had seen.  They are also some of the funniest humans on this planet; there were no dull moments and a whole lot of giggles.  Even then, they dreamed big and thought outside of the box.  And they definitely kept me on my toes.  We made so many memories and had so much fun.  I hope I was able to teach them.  Because they taught me so much about teaching, patience, counseling, love, hard work, and deciding what's really important.  

Teaching remediation these past few months has given me the chance to reconnect with and see so many of them, and that has just been fantastic!  I have loved having all those little strays in my classroom again :)  Plus, getting to see how much they've changed and grown and matured is just impressive.  

And tonight, I get to cheer for them as they walk across a stage and receive their diploma, awarding them for 13 years of dedication and learning.  I will probably be weepy, and I will probably be more emotionally cheesy than I should (we'll blame some of that on the preggo hormones...maybe?).  But regardless and most definitely, I will be oh so proud!

Sadly, tonight will also hold a heavy place and an empty chair as we celebrate the class of 2014.  The loss of Jamarcus is still fresh and his absence has left a very large hole.  But I believe with all of my heart that he is dancing with the angels, laughing with Jesus, and living. 

SO my precious children...let's take it back to my day and dear old Mr. Feeney for one last lesson, shall we?

This scene has always touched my heart (and made my eyes leak...)--because to me, it captures the most important lesson in life.  I am beyond proud of you and so honored to have been a part of your educational journey.  I pray that you learned something in my classroom.  I would be thrilled for those lessons to be of the English language and writing and grammar; but what would make my heart sing more would be for you to look back and know that you learned the value of yourself; that I believed in you with every ounce of my being; that you are capable.

So my dear students, my only hope for you is to not only do well in whatever endeavors you face, but more importantly...do good.  Do good.  And know that you have the ability to change the world.

You make my soul smile.  And you will always be my kids.

Go do great things and make me proud!

All my love and best,

Mrs. Newby

"Your task: to build a better world," He said,

I asked Him, "How?

This world is such a large, vast place, 

So complicated now;

And I so small and useless am,

There's nothing I can do."

But He in all His wisdom said,

"Just build a better you."

Be good.  Do good.

Live and love well!