Long-awaited Results

In just a few months, I expect that these will be very swollen.


Not much to look at now, I know. They'll look even more pitiful once they've been toting around a couple of extra chillins.

Yes, I said a couple! Both of the embryos did not make it, but the one that did had a little surprise in store for us. It split and now we are having identicals!! Dr. J is all smiles and excitement, I'm still a little overwhelmed.

We have so much information to pass along but the most important is that we want to thank everyone for their prayers. Our friends and families' prayers have meant so much to us, particularly the prayers that took place when we were finding it so difficult to pray at all. We thank God so much for our gifts.

We do ask for your continued prayers. Carrying multiples is always high risk, carrying identicals is even more high risk, essentially they share a food supply. If my ability to share is any indication, it doesn't bode well for one of our little ones. So, particularly in the next 5 weeks or so please keep all of us in your prayers. We are almost 8 weeks now, and we'll feel a lot better once we move into the second trimester (in both confidence and indigestion).

We wanted to tell our grandparents in person so we did put off telling everyone for a few weeks. We also hid the twin info from everyone and that's been fun to spill. More to come, more to come....

My Date in Dallas

About a month ago, Dr. J asked if he could take me on a date while we are in Dallas.

Date stop #1 ...

Yes, indeedey, there could only be one location for our date. And yes, these are the posh "paper towels" on top of the granite countertops that reflect a beautiful Dallas Cowboy blue when the light hits it just right, inside the new Cowboy Stadium.

And since I only had Ivanka to take photos with, you'll have to bear with me as you squint your way to see the lockers of Miles Austin, Tony Romo, and Jason Witten ... made of African hardwood.


Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of JJ's (Jerry's) private elevator that ports him from his private nook to the field in a matter of seconds ... so he can speak with Coach Wade about what a great job he's doing.

We actually had to skip out on the last stop on the tour (the Cowboy Cheerleader's locker room) because we had a dinner reservation. Seriously, I had nothing to do with this. I think those girls are just so wholesome. In any case, we had dinner at Five-Sixty, the restaurant on the floor above where our wedding reception was. How romantic is that!? Five-Sixty gets its name because it's 560 ft in the air, on a rotating floor so you get great views of the skyline. It's in Reunion Tower, a Dallas landmark, that made for a beautiful wedding reception locale.


See the "ball" shaped tower on the right? Our reception was there in 2005, on the bottom of the rotating floors, the restaurant is one floor up and was just remodeled a few years ago. I highly recommend it, if ever you come to town and want to splurge. We had beautiful views all evening and the food? Wow. Too die for. Did I mention the chocolate souffle that we finished the evening off with?

The Crazies

So Wednesday night, there was this guy that was straight out of a SNL skit that mocks the crazies who go out to dinner alone, at 5 pm, and murmur themselves. I actually snagged a picture of the scenario when he got up for a refill (right before I ran for my life).

Picture me at 5 Guys next to This Guy:
- white guy, mid-50s with a combover
- has four LARGE ketchup containers lined up in single file
- ever fry he ate was dunked into each of the four ketchup containers (in order)
- he alternated the dipping direction with each fry. One fry starting with the furthest ketchup container and coming towards him, the next fry started with the closest ketchup container and went away.
- when the fry cup was half empty, it was refilled from the bag

I'm so grateful that my darling husband met me for dinner so I didn't add to The Crazies. Maybe I did though. Perhaps he's blogging about me right this very moment. My hair did look really, really scary, but I didn't see a mirror for another 2 hours.

If you aren't already

You gotta start watching Modern Family.

I think I may get a bumper sticker. I'm gonna do everything in my power to keep this hilarious-ness around.

Sometimes, I'm too smart for my own good

By Saturday of Thanksgiving break, I was starting to feel guilty that I hadn't even started grading all those lab reports that were due the day before Thanksgiving. By tonight, I felt really guilty about it. So at 8:15, I sat down to grade them ... and opened my bag ... and remembered that I left them at school on purpose knowing I wasn't going to grade them, so why carry them?

And for all of you that think it's harsh to have lab reports and tests on the day before a break ... well, you have a point. I just tell myself I'm preparing the leaders of tomorrow, but I'm probably just preparing more physics teachers.

2 weeks and 4 days of school until Winter Break and the annual 17-hour drive to Dallas!!!

Productivity

I got the following things done:

1. I ate two chocolate chip cookies and drank two IBCs with sugar in one day. This is a pretty intense amount of sugar for me. ok fine, and I definitely ate a bunch of pringles. and some cashews...

2. I got caught up on Ugly Betty (5 episodes), The Office, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy

3. I prettified my blog. By comparison to the other things I did, this actually might have been worthwhile.

4. I watched a Christmas Movie on ABC Family / Lifetime (is there a difference when it comes to made for tV movies?) I can barely remember what it was about but I remember that I was so in suspense that I held in going to pee for a good 15 minutes in spite of the fact that we have a dvr and I could have paused it.

5. I read an entire book of the bible (a long one!). I wish I had time for that every day!

6. Cowboy Game (those are some seriously short shorts on the cheerleaders. I know they always have been but whoa, they just really got to me today, maybe it was the cookies)

7. Defeated another 3 levels of Batman Lego for Wii. All except for one evasive bat canister that me and the Wii are currently disagreeing over. I say I got it, Wii doesn't think so. It may win because it's a dictator and has total control, but it will never convince me.

8. A little smidgen of work done for my national boards. Boy am I going to regret that. All that nonsense and nada to show for boards.

9. I washed my hair (I got so little done that this seems very significant) ... I haven't straightened it yet so this process is hardly complete.

10. I finally got some overdue baby gifts bought online and shipped. I found this one super cute thing that I'd love to put here but one of the recipients tends to read this blog, so I'll keep it to myself (but it's a giraffe teether!!)

You might hear a lot from me this weekend

I just called Ashley to find out what the weather is like and to have her describe her every movement. She's supposed to call me if the weather changes. I'm trying to be a good couch potato and I was looking forward to it all week long. I'm just not one to sit for so long. I think I'm gonna go hit the wii here in a bit, now that I've got my blog all pretty, and pass some mindless hours finding the rest of the bat canisters on Batman Lego (which totally rocks by the way).

I will leave you with this photo, because the Professor is totally cracking me up today. Last week, I got a pair of boots and decided we should keep the giant box because Christmas is right around the corner. Prof M LOVES herself a good box to sit in, so every chance she gets she looks like this ... sitting upright ... in the box.

New Layout

A perk of lounging ... I need to be distracted or I'll go nuts! I've always hated the look of this thing so I'm working on making a few changes. The first few changes truly were just a mere click of a button but now I've got a photo frame sitting atop my subtitle. Since I know I'm not the only one that doesn't speak html, there must be an easier solution here but for the time being I'm just gonna wait until Dr. J gets home to do a little diagnostics.

I did however find some easy to add buttons that go on the bottom of posts! And in case you are wondering, Professor McGonagal loves the new background.

Attempt 2

Dr. J and I are going through our second round of in vitro this week. There is a good possibility this will be our last, one way or the other, this roller coaster is a little much to take. Please pray for us for the next few weeks.

The jealousy may commence

Dr. J just asked me if he could take me on a date while we are in Dallas for Christmas.

I'm so spoiled.

Ahhh Christmas

So I was talking to mom today and she's definitely working the weak, invalid, post-surgery angle. She plumb wore herself out today with online shopping. Apparently her shoulder was exhausted from all the computer usage. How cute is that :) Thankfully an order she placed a couple of days ago came in, to give her a little material comfort in her time of need.

Me: [Being dutifully supportive] So what do your new sweaters look like?

Mom: I wanted to get a new Christmas sweater that didn't scream Christmas

Me: [sighing of relief and remembering the sweatshirt with the reindeer whose antlers were tangled with Christmas lights that I wore through middle school] Nice.

Mom: It's green and it has these trees on it

Me: MOM! Trees?? What on earth? How does that not scream Christmas?

Mom: They aren't bad, I promise! And there's a bear .... [interrupted]

Me: MOM!!! A BEAR?!?! For the love of God, you bought a sweater with trees and a bear and that doesn't scream Christmas?

Mom: It's not like a "teacher bear" (somehow implying that there is such a thing as a non-teacher bear outside of collegiate gear)

Me: Yes because there are good bear appliques and bad bear appliques

Mom: It's really not bad you can barely see him peeking through the trees.

Me: [Dial-tone]

And my mother wonders to this day why I didn't go shopping until I was in my twenties. I mean, what was really the point if even the non-screaming attire were iron-ons. I guess when she said it doesn't scream, she meant in the literal sense.

I really, really like those chewy blonde brownies

They are so rare and I always forget how delicious they are.

But I don't get why they call them brownies. In any case, people should make them more often.

It was only a matter of time

I'm officially a hooker.

But it's under the codename flapper and it's in this PCA Dance performance this week where they rope in some shameless teachers to make fools of themselves with costume and heavy makeup. All in good fun. We have our very own number and in spite of the limited motion "dancing", I do have a bizarre ankle injury (in recovery).

The performance this weekend is actually going to be very cool (I'm only in one number, but I do have a solo for 2 8-counts that has yet to be worked out). The choreographer / writer created a performance that blends The Nutcracker with The Untouchables and it is so clever!!!! It's called the Uncrackables. :)

If you are bored out of your mind and are up for a different variety of entertainment (and really want to see my upper thigh in fishnetting) there are performances at 7 pm on Thursday and Saturday. I'd recommend Saturday. It is $6 / adult (you can buy online if you are super fancy and/or never carry cash).

Yay!!! I made the list!!

Stressful jobs that pay badly. (according to CNN Money)

Oh wait.

...

I'm not alone though, ADAM.

:)

gotta get back to working so I'm ready for tomorrow!! (9:22 p.m.)

I am very bad at wheel of fortune when my ears are stopped up

You wouldn't think they'd be related, but you'd be wrong. You'd also be wrong if you thought that this would not be important to me. I am the wheel of fortune master. And it stings a little when my awesomeness wavers.

My students are so talented

The same girl that painted the sophomore banner is my student aid. I was able to help her fulfil a "lifelong dream" of completing the wet floor caution sign. Apparently there is some scene in the movie 300 that it bears a striking resemblance to. I definitely saw that movie, but mostly i just remember a bunch of roaring, bare-chested men on ego trips banging on their chests and dragging women around by their hair. If that didn't happen it might as well have.

Apparently the janitors weren't too happy with her addition, but I love it. :)

Overheard between students

One of my Jewish students returned today after being out for 4 days. Poor guy, he really didn't look like he was ready to return.

I overhear a student say to him, "Swine flu ... huh. Is that kosher?"

I laughed outloud hysterically. Couldn't hold that in.

Some homecoming banner photos

I took these before the pep rally, so some groups had lights in their banners (i know, these are crazy!) .... and the lights aren't up yet, but this gives you an idea of why they took so long. there is a closer view of the freshman banner because it's harder to tell what it is. all of them are painted expertly, and you can kind of tell that here, but in person they are impressive!!

enjoy!

We lost :(

For the first time in about 5 years ... the senior class lost. It was so sad!!! They really tried their best though and I was really proud of them. The way the competition works here is that the different classes compete in about 8 different activities, one of which is the banner (that's what we were still working on LATE LATE on Thursday) ... one is the skit (ok that ran pretty late too) ... another is raising money for a charity.

And they raised almost $1100 for Families Helping Families and we'll be able to do such a great christmas for some local families here!!

I took some great photos which I have to show you guys but I have to download them first. The banners really don't translate well to photos, you just can't tell how huge they are and how well they are done.

Anyway, I'll post them tomorrow (I hope!)

It's all done ... So now we wait and see

Please note that it is 11pm and I'm about to go home. Be back at 7:30!!