We have been very very busy trying to prepare for baby and just trying to get a lot of things accomplished for ourselves before she arrives. I really hope that after she's born that we have some time to slow down and enjoy her!

This week has been a pretty typical week except that Mike has worked 60+ hours. I've been taking some masters level classes (they meet one night a week until 9:30 - makes for a VERY long day!) to try to move up on my salary scale. Lucky for me by the beginning of April I will have enough hours to move up to the next level so all the long hours and work has paid off. On most nights that we don't have prior commitments, we are either out getting stuff we need for baby or trying to get the house in order for baby. I'm always over-prepared for things so I won't be caught off guard if something happens before it really should. I'm sure it drives Mike crazy when I get on a roll of over-planning but it helps me feel better to know that everything is done ahead of time. I have spring break in two weeks and that week will be great for me to get everything in the baby's room set for her. I was going to use that time to come up with my maternity leave sub plans but I already did it (I know, I'm way too organized for my own good) . Her room is pretty much ready now but I want to clean up a little bit and from that point on the cats will not longer be allowed in there. Right now they think the letters on the wall spell their names because they are in there all the time on the chair, on the floor in the sun, sometimes I even catch them in the crib.



I think Zebby (our big jumbo sized cat - that's him above lying on the dog's bed) can feel the baby and is very aware that she's coming soon. He always wants to lay with me and purrs loudly when she moves around. I think the other animals (Bubba - cat and Earl - dog) know something is happening but are not as tuned in with me as Zebby. He began this very early on with me - maybe around October. I couldn't even feel the baby yet but he seemed to sense that something was happening. It's weird how in tune animals can be!

There's one last thing I found out at work this week that makes me very very happy. I might actually have some storage space in my office! I know it sounds lame but if you've ever been to my office you know that it is a cramped little room with little space to put anything. Right now I have a closet in my office that houses our building's internet server. It's a huge piece of equipment that takes up the entire closet and makes the room very hot. We don't have air conditioning in the building either so in the fall and spring that room is a furnance. If you've ever been to Missouri in the summer you know how hot it can get and you are probably very surprised that there are still schools around without a/c. Just imagine trying to teach in a room with 20-25 sweaty children and only 2 small windows and fans to circulate some air. It's horrible! Anyway, I had hoped that they would put a/c in my office because of the server but the district didn't think it needed it (lukcy me). But I am happy that they have at least decided to move the server to another location and will most likely leave me with some storage space.

TLA