- This week is flying by. It is already Thursday! Tomorrow is Friday! My weeks never fly by like this!
- Window washers are fascinating. All week they have been dangling outside of my window. I feel like I work at the circus. And my already lovely view is even better thanks to clear glass and changing leaves.
- Hey, all you teachers out there: Is there something in the air that is making your students crazy right now or is it just something in the water here in Memphis?
- I am seeing the beginnings of a little baby bump. 'Cause there is a baby in there. And that, my friends, is nuts.
- I cannot get enough Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea these days. With just a dab of honey, por favor.
- The cold weather has turned Weber into a lazy, snuggly little love of a girl. In the summer, she bounds out of bed at 6 a.m. and can't wait to get outside. These days she stays in bed until I leave for work. Jonathan even covers her up in blankets to the point that only her little brown face and floppy ears are visible. What a life! Can you blame her? It's hard to get out of bed when you've got a snuggly puppy keeping you warm.
- I have been craving blackberry cobbler for 3 days now and have yet to indulge. Today might be the day. I keep trying to remind myself that though I am eating for two, that "two" is only the size of a lime and does not require double portions of every little thing that sounds delicious.
- Did I mention that tomorrow is Friday?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thoughts on a Thursday
Monday, October 19, 2009
Baby Daddy
After four negative pregnancy tests, the fifth came almost as an afterthought. I had one test left, had not taken one in a week, and was pretty sure that my body was just confused from traveling. It was a rare occasion when I had gotten out of bed earlier than Jonathan. I took the test and got ready for a shower, so used to getting negative results that I just went about my morning routine.
But before I could even look away, there it was. A line. A pink line. Two pink lines.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I picked it up, shaking, and stared at myself in the mirror. I then picked my jaw up out of the sink and hopped in the shower in a haze of shaky, dizzy, oh my goodness is this really happening, did I really just see those two lines, this is crazy, pick jaw up off the shower floor, rinse and repeat.
Do I tell Jonathan? He was sleeping in. I could wake him up with the news, just run in and jump on the bed screaming "We're going to have a baby!?!"
Or.
I could wait.
A few years ago, Jonathan and I were in a store and went our separate ways. When I found him again, he was standing alone, staring at something. As I got closer, I asked him what was up...he pointed at a little statue, a father holding a newborn baby. And very quietly, he said, "This is really cool." In that moment, I made a mental note to remember that statue, thinking that someday it would be a really sweet way to tell him that we are expecting.
Luckily, in that bleary haze of early pregancy excitement, I had the willpower to hold in the news in order to have that moment that I dreamed of in that store years ago. How I managed to keep the news from him that morning, I have no idea!
On my lunch break, I headed to the mall and was lucky to find the same little figurine. As the clerk wrapped my gift, he looked at me with a knowing smile and said, "Does he know?" So I shared a giddy little chat with the cashier at the gift shop, who sent me on my way with a congrats and good luck.
After work, I told Jonathan that I had a little "back to school" present for him. I had written him a letter in which I told him how proud I am of all of his hard work in optometry school and that I wanted to give him a little something that would help keep him motivated through the end of the semester. He read the letter and then pulled out his gift.
And stared. Silence.
And then he looked up at me, his eyes full of tears. And all he could get out was a quiet "Really?"
I'll leave the rest of that sweet moment to the two of us, but it was just perfect; definitely worth a day of suspense for that reaction.
He is going to be such a wonderful daddy.
And now...a few random details based on some questions in the comments section:
- I am in Week 12
- I am due on May 5, 2010
- We should find out the sex of the baby in early December
- Someone was interested in sending a gift, but does not have instant reply. Please email me at lesliepoe@gmail.com if that was you!
Friday, October 16, 2009
A Little Souvenir
We had been told that it would be difficult. There was really no way to know for sure, but more than likely a past medical issue could make the process of conceiving a child a long one. We braced ourselves for the long haul and mentally prepared ourselves for the fact that having a baby might not be easy.
When our five-year anniversary and Jonathan's 30th birthday rolled around this past summer, it also marked the point when a baby would be born after Jonathan had wrapped up his second year of optometry school. In his program, the first two years are very coursework-intensive and require long hours of late-night and early-morning studying. The third and fourth years, however, are primarily based in the clinic and on studying for board exams, both of which allow for more of an 8 to 5, "normal" schedule. We knew that even though we would be blessed to have a child at any time in this point in our marriage, it would definitely be more practical for us to wait until halfway through optometry school.
So here we are, in the stereotypically well-planned-out window for having a baby, still knowing that things would probably take awhile. We figured that we might as well begin the process now rather than waiting and starting the long process later, if that makes sense. We embarked on our New England/Canada adventure and planned to just enjoy the trip for what it was: a family reunion, quality time with friends, an adventurous getaway, Jonathan's only summer off of school, a break before the grind of another school year began for me. No pressure. No expectations. Just vacation.
Well, folks, let's just say that medical advice was...well...inaccurate. Because a couple of weeks after returning home from vacation we realized that we had brought home the best souvenir ever.
And if our child someday developes an affinity for poutine, creme de cassis, Roots clothing, smoked salmon, cold mountain air, the French language, and real maple syrup we will know why.
Oh, Canada. ;)
At this point I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the fact that we realize what an absolute gift it is to have received this blessing so quickly. We have walked the road of infertility and loss with some of our closest friends and realize that things are not always this easy. As such, we are humbled and awed at the miracle of creation and give credit only to God for this blessing. He gives and takes away, blessed be His name. We appreciate your prayers for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and at the same time ask you to remember your friends who are struggling to conceive or grieving the loss of a child.
When our five-year anniversary and Jonathan's 30th birthday rolled around this past summer, it also marked the point when a baby would be born after Jonathan had wrapped up his second year of optometry school. In his program, the first two years are very coursework-intensive and require long hours of late-night and early-morning studying. The third and fourth years, however, are primarily based in the clinic and on studying for board exams, both of which allow for more of an 8 to 5, "normal" schedule. We knew that even though we would be blessed to have a child at any time in this point in our marriage, it would definitely be more practical for us to wait until halfway through optometry school.
So here we are, in the stereotypically well-planned-out window for having a baby, still knowing that things would probably take awhile. We figured that we might as well begin the process now rather than waiting and starting the long process later, if that makes sense. We embarked on our New England/Canada adventure and planned to just enjoy the trip for what it was: a family reunion, quality time with friends, an adventurous getaway, Jonathan's only summer off of school, a break before the grind of another school year began for me. No pressure. No expectations. Just vacation.
Well, folks, let's just say that medical advice was...well...inaccurate. Because a couple of weeks after returning home from vacation we realized that we had brought home the best souvenir ever.
And if our child someday developes an affinity for poutine, creme de cassis, Roots clothing, smoked salmon, cold mountain air, the French language, and real maple syrup we will know why.
Oh, Canada. ;)
At this point I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the fact that we realize what an absolute gift it is to have received this blessing so quickly. We have walked the road of infertility and loss with some of our closest friends and realize that things are not always this easy. As such, we are humbled and awed at the miracle of creation and give credit only to God for this blessing. He gives and takes away, blessed be His name. We appreciate your prayers for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and at the same time ask you to remember your friends who are struggling to conceive or grieving the loss of a child.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Attack of the Killer Dishwasher
Little Weber Poe received the fright of her life this morning.
I sure wish I had a picture or--even better--a video. Mainly because I would totally win the jackpot on America's Funniest Home Videos. But I will do my best to describe the hilarious start to our morning.
I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, enjoying my oatmeal and the Today Show. Jonathan is in the kitchen putting a few things into the dishwasher. Weber has always had an affinity for the dishwasher, perhaps due to her hunting nose. I'm sure the myriad smells going on in there are just too much for her to bear, and she just can't resist sniffing around (and I'm sure sneaking the occasional lick) as we load the dishwasher. This morning was no exception, and she stood to the side of the dishwasher sniffing away as Jonathan took care of the chore.
The following incident occurred in a matter of 30 seconds, but I will attempt to slow-motion it for you: Suddenly, Weber stood straight up with a shocked look on her face. In a split second, Jonathan realized that the ring of her collar had hooked onto the bottom shelf of the dishwasher! Realizing she was stuck, Weber took a big hop backward to unhook herself, but the weight of her 60 pound body took the whole bottom shelf of the dishwasher with her, dishes and all!
Weber panicked and kept running into the living room, dishwasher shelf trailing behind her, rocking back and forth and spilling silverware and dishes (lots of unbreakable Pyrex, thank goodness!) all over the tile floor of the kitchen. You can only imagine the NOISE that is resulting from this: silverware clanging, paws pounding, Jonathan yelling, dishes crashing, dishwasher shelf banging. It was chaos!
Finally Jonathan stopped her, removed her collar from the dishwasher tray, and sent a shaking, terrifed puppy scampering off down the hall. He found her hiding in the hallway, every muscle shaking like a leaf! Neither of us had ever seen the poor little girl so scared.
Then, Jonathan returned to the kitchen to clean up the mess and Weber followed. At this point, the whole bottom level of the dishwasher is sitting in the middle of the living room, surrounded by dishes and silverware. As Weber approached it, she crouched down into full point, trembling with anxiety, and army-crawled up to the dishwasher tray. When she got close enough to smell it she would hop back in nervousness, and jump around a bit, only to return to her crouched army crawl to creep back again. I was sitting on the couch laughing so hard I was crying.
When Jonathan finally got the mess cleared, he brought Weber through the kitchen to take her out back. That girl looked back over her shoulder at the dishwasher the entire way through! In her little doggie mind, I think she thought that she snuck one lick too many and that dishwasher finally decided to let her have it!
And then, as any of us would like to do when the morning gets off to a rough start, she went back to bed.
Poor little Puppa.
I sure wish I had a picture or--even better--a video. Mainly because I would totally win the jackpot on America's Funniest Home Videos. But I will do my best to describe the hilarious start to our morning.
I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, enjoying my oatmeal and the Today Show. Jonathan is in the kitchen putting a few things into the dishwasher. Weber has always had an affinity for the dishwasher, perhaps due to her hunting nose. I'm sure the myriad smells going on in there are just too much for her to bear, and she just can't resist sniffing around (and I'm sure sneaking the occasional lick) as we load the dishwasher. This morning was no exception, and she stood to the side of the dishwasher sniffing away as Jonathan took care of the chore.
The following incident occurred in a matter of 30 seconds, but I will attempt to slow-motion it for you: Suddenly, Weber stood straight up with a shocked look on her face. In a split second, Jonathan realized that the ring of her collar had hooked onto the bottom shelf of the dishwasher! Realizing she was stuck, Weber took a big hop backward to unhook herself, but the weight of her 60 pound body took the whole bottom shelf of the dishwasher with her, dishes and all!
Weber panicked and kept running into the living room, dishwasher shelf trailing behind her, rocking back and forth and spilling silverware and dishes (lots of unbreakable Pyrex, thank goodness!) all over the tile floor of the kitchen. You can only imagine the NOISE that is resulting from this: silverware clanging, paws pounding, Jonathan yelling, dishes crashing, dishwasher shelf banging. It was chaos!
Finally Jonathan stopped her, removed her collar from the dishwasher tray, and sent a shaking, terrifed puppy scampering off down the hall. He found her hiding in the hallway, every muscle shaking like a leaf! Neither of us had ever seen the poor little girl so scared.
Then, Jonathan returned to the kitchen to clean up the mess and Weber followed. At this point, the whole bottom level of the dishwasher is sitting in the middle of the living room, surrounded by dishes and silverware. As Weber approached it, she crouched down into full point, trembling with anxiety, and army-crawled up to the dishwasher tray. When she got close enough to smell it she would hop back in nervousness, and jump around a bit, only to return to her crouched army crawl to creep back again. I was sitting on the couch laughing so hard I was crying.
When Jonathan finally got the mess cleared, he brought Weber through the kitchen to take her out back. That girl looked back over her shoulder at the dishwasher the entire way through! In her little doggie mind, I think she thought that she snuck one lick too many and that dishwasher finally decided to let her have it!
And then, as any of us would like to do when the morning gets off to a rough start, she went back to bed.
Poor little Puppa.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Slow News Day
I learned the following on the Today Show this morning...
- You too can own a teacup pig as a pet for the low price of $1000. They recommend buying two so that they don't get lonely. Well, of course!
- A woman was viciously attacked by 5 racoons. Racoon mamas will fight to the death for their babies. Don't mess with 'em. And don't feed 'em, either.
- A teenager escaped from detention and has been on a burglary spree ever since, most recently stealing a plane. Catch me if you can!
- Your kitchen is the most germ-infested room in your house. And every food you could even think of eating is most likely contaminated and very, very risky. We should probably all just drink Ensure and Slim Fast for all of our nutritional needs, just to play it safe. (Ok, so that last part I made up...but seriously people! If God has ordained for me to die at the hand of a delicious raw milk cheese or unpeeled potato, so be it!)
- Washing your hands really does make a difference. (Whaaa!?! You are blowing my mind, Ann Curry!)
Slow news day, NBC?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Slang Time
There are lots of perks to working with college students. I am always in-the-know on the latest pop and rap stars, the biggest Top 40 hits, and the latest trends in fashion. I find out where great sales are happening at the cute local boutiques that the sorority women frequent, and I hear about the best deals on great food from the sorority men.
One of my favorite perks is keeping up with the latest slang. It is easy to notice new words as you hear them day-to-day, but when you spend a month working morning 'til night with students you really start to notice the trends in popular vernacular.
Allow me to share a few of the latest slang trends on campus...
Bobo: Not to be confused with a toddler-friendly term referencing a bottom, behind, or buttocks, bobo refers to something that is not legitimate, not as good, or a fake. For example, when the fraternity men thought they were buying Chick Fil A chicken biscuits from the Tiger Den, they realized that they were Aramark chicken biscuits instead. Thus, they returned declaring that they were "bobo chicken biscuits," or "those chicken biscuits were bobo."
Skeezer: Ladies, this is not a compliment. Skeezer is a term describing a woman who makes her way through a fraternity house...if you know what I mean. Enough said. It is words like this that make an ole Greek Advisor think twice before asking, "What does that mean???" Sometimes you just don't want to know!
Fail: Now this one is self-explanatory, but with fail it is all about the delivery. For example, one fraternity man tells a bad joke to the rest of the bunch. Another man will respond, "Fail." but in a deadpan, somewhat exasperated tone, often accompanied by an eyeroll. This can also be used following an embarassing moment, a mistake, or anything else that someone has screwed up. If it was really bad... "Epic Fail."
So there you have it. Just a few of the latest word fads to cross my path. Use them in a sentence today. Actually...scratch that. I really hope you don't ever have to use the word skeezer in your adult, non-fraternity house visiting life. If that is ever necessary in your world...well....
FAIL.
One of my favorite perks is keeping up with the latest slang. It is easy to notice new words as you hear them day-to-day, but when you spend a month working morning 'til night with students you really start to notice the trends in popular vernacular.
Allow me to share a few of the latest slang trends on campus...
Bobo: Not to be confused with a toddler-friendly term referencing a bottom, behind, or buttocks, bobo refers to something that is not legitimate, not as good, or a fake. For example, when the fraternity men thought they were buying Chick Fil A chicken biscuits from the Tiger Den, they realized that they were Aramark chicken biscuits instead. Thus, they returned declaring that they were "bobo chicken biscuits," or "those chicken biscuits were bobo."
Skeezer: Ladies, this is not a compliment. Skeezer is a term describing a woman who makes her way through a fraternity house...if you know what I mean. Enough said. It is words like this that make an ole Greek Advisor think twice before asking, "What does that mean???" Sometimes you just don't want to know!
Fail: Now this one is self-explanatory, but with fail it is all about the delivery. For example, one fraternity man tells a bad joke to the rest of the bunch. Another man will respond, "Fail." but in a deadpan, somewhat exasperated tone, often accompanied by an eyeroll. This can also be used following an embarassing moment, a mistake, or anything else that someone has screwed up. If it was really bad... "Epic Fail."
So there you have it. Just a few of the latest word fads to cross my path. Use them in a sentence today. Actually...scratch that. I really hope you don't ever have to use the word skeezer in your adult, non-fraternity house visiting life. If that is ever necessary in your world...well....
FAIL.
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