We are Expecting!

Alex and I found out we were expecting on December 15, 2013.  We had a feeling we were expecting on Saturday, but didn't want to take a test while at the Vanden Heuvel Christmas party and have to keep it a secret.  Therefore, we took the test the day after.

I was so excited to take the test I woke up at 4am to take it.  I woke Alex up and made him come with me to look at the results. I told him to check it as I am not good with failed tests (we had our fair share of those).  He told me he has to always check it is my turn.  As I look at the test and read the words pregnant I turn to Alex with wide eyes and told him it was positive.  He being a little under the influence (remember the VH Christmas part was the day before and it is 4am) hugs me and says, "I don't know what to do with my hands, I feel like I am on a rocket ship."  Yes my husband quoted Will Ferrell as we found out we were expecting!

We did the math and knew we would be due in August.  We didn't want to start counting weeks until we knew for sure what week we were in, so we decorated our board for the holidays instead.  We wanted to start tracking the growth and celebrate in the holidays.

The day we found out, about 4 weeks.

EllieFay Photography & Design took our announcement photos!

About 5 weeks

About 6 weeks.

About 7 weeks

We were able to go in for our first appointment on January 6.  At the appointment we confirmed I was 7 weeks 5 days, officially due August 21, 2014, and we got to see our precious little one.

The week leading up to 9 weeks was a big one.
On Monday, Alex turned 26!

Also on Monday, I somehow managed to get my keys stuck in my car due to some security setting so that the battery went dead and I needed a ride to work on Tuesday, which ended up being an early dismissal because of a snow storm.

BUT on Wednesday morning, Alex woke early to snow blow the driveway for me.  He decided to do the neighbors sidewalk as well. He finished and went to turn around and come back home, and he slipped on the ice.  He and the snow blower fell and he hurt his knee. He rested all day but in the end, he could not bend his knee.  We ended up in the ER 12 hours later.  Good thing it was just a severe strain or partially torn meniscus, but nothing was broken or fully torn. **Confession time** I was starving after looking at the house and such right after school.  I normally eat at 4:30 and I could not make it any longer.  We went to our usual $7 burgers at Tanners first.  Then, since it was report card time, I stopped at home to pick up my school bag so I could work on report cards in the waiting room.  AFTER those detours, then I took him the ER***

We started looking for houses when we found out we were expecting. We love the little house we are renting, but thinking of a family of 3 and 2 dogs in 850 square feet was a little stressful.  We looked at 2 houses.  We loved the second one (on a Wednesday-yes Alex trucked through a house with out bending his knee).  Thursday we put in an offer.  After 7 counter offers, our offer was accepted with a contingency.

At 10 Weeks, to the day, we were told our house was a go.  We still do not have the official paperwork, but that should be coming through in the next week. We have a closing date set for March 7!

How far along? 11 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 1.5 lbs
Maternity Clothes? wearing more leggings and borrowing clothes from my mom.  Trying out a hair tie if I can get them over my hips.  I did buy maternity pants because I had a gift card, but don't quite need them yet.
Stretch Marks? Nope, using my lotion to try to avoid them!
Sleep: Badger is going through some sort of sleep regression, so that has been waking us up.  I have also been trying really hard to sleep on my side and it at times wakes me up with a sore shoulder.  I am also getting up to go to the bathroom more.
Best Moment this Week: Signing the paperwork for our new house!
Miss Anything? Not really.  Feeling a little helpless when we are starting to pack and knowing I shouldn't be lifting.
Movement: Not yet, excited for it thought!
Food Craving? I love fruit, orange juice, and lemonade right now.  Not really craving, but that is what I want.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Silly things like gross things on tv and gross sounds and smells make me gag.  Also, emptying the sink drain gets me every time.
Have you started to show yet? I bloat freakishly early, but it is just bloat for now.
Bellybutton in or out? innie still
Gender Prediction: Not sure why, but boy for now.
Wedding Rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time? Pretty Happy. I am nervous and anxious that everything goes well and have my crabby moments, but I have been pretty happy.
Looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat on Monday!
Labor Signs? No way, thank God

The Holiday Season of 2013

As the year of 2013 wraps up, I find myself reflecting on the year and the things I would like to do different for the next year.

I would like to blog/journal more in the next year as it gives me a feeling of accomplishment to see what I have done, but also to keep in touch with family and friends that live far away and want to know what is going on.  I am not sure the rate in which I want to update, but I do commit to doing it more often.

An update since August:

I started my second year of teaching at St. Edward school in Mackville, WI.  I am teaching public 4K in the morning and Catholic 5k in the afternoon (math, science, and social studies).  I am loving the challenge and the excitement of both the grades and the two groups of children.  Conferences are a little tricky as well as navigating my supplies to two classrooms, but so far it has been going well.  I am learning more every day and becoming more and more organized as a go so next year should be much easier.

We added an adorable family member to the Gloudemans clan, Badger.  Badger is a Bichon-shih tzu, also
known as a "Teddy Bear" puppy.  He was 6 months when we got him and he is quickly becoming a member of the family.  Don't you fret, already has his Packer Jersey, Badger Jersey, stocking and more!

Alex has been floating to the Walgreens in the district, some days driving as far as Marinette, over an hour away.  It has been rough working with a varying locations, schedules, and such, but we are happy he has a job.  Since he has been working, we have been able to purchase a new car for him to drive to work, ensuring his safety as he drives these longs drives.  It is a little crazy going from a 2003 2 door Chevy Cavalier to a 2013 4 door 6 cylinder Ford Taurus.


Thanksgiving was interesting as my mom worked 8-3 and Alex worked 3-9, it made the holiday season a little different.  We all didnt get to be together all at the same place at the same time.   It was also interesting to have snow on Thanksgiving this year.  We have come to expect colder weather and
possibly even snow, but this is the first year in a while we have seen the snow.

I have taken up arts and crafts to keep my busy for all the late nights Alex isn't home.  My most recent project was to take a dresser I found at ReStore that was ugly brown and fake wood and change it to a white dresser with antique paint.  Pretty proud of how it turned out.

I will post a step my step of that soon.

We have decorated our house and gotten ready for the holidays, my favorite time of the year.  Though I love sitting in the sun and relaxing at the lake, there is just something special about spending time with family, showing them how much you love them, listening to beautiful music, surrounded by beautiful lights, and celebrating the birth of Jesus.  

As the new year begins and more adventures are brought our way, we will keep the blog updated with photos and stories to keep in touch with everyone. 

 Until then, Merry Christmas!

Love, Alex, Siraya, Pudge, and Badger!

Crazy Storm & Classroom

Wednesday morning (12:45am to be exact) a major storm that developed VERY quickly and produced what they are calling "straight winds." There were gusts in my area 75-86 miles per hour and 5 tornados reported with in 30 miles.  I woke up to my ceiling fan slowing down, which means the power JUST went out.  I run to shut our windows and it looks like a power washer is blasting our bedroom window.  I run to close the kitchen window. As lightning flashes I see that a GIANT branch off our 100 year old tree laying on top of our power lines.  I tried calling non-emergency police to report it, it was dead.  I called 911 and it was busy.  After 25 minutes of a busy signal with 911 (I didn't know that could happen!) I finally got the sheriff who wrote down my address and hung up.  6:30 am the Fire Department checked and the line was dead so we were safe.  The damage is crazy around here.  43 hours later we have power.

All the teachers went to school because our little school was the only place for MILES that had power (how it survived with power we aren't sure) and we all used that to charge our cell phones, be in the light, and some even brought their curling irons!  Needless to say, we got a lot done in our rooms because it was better than being at home!  I actually finished my classroom (the 4k room) and am starting some of the nit-picky details!

The power just came on, the first thing I do after resetting all the clocks?  Blog of course!

Here are some storm pictures & room pictures.

Tree pinning down our overhead power lines in my back yard

When the lines pulled down, they pulled this metal pole bending it 90* This pole brings the lines into our home.  It went from a lower case l to a capital L!

When the lines pulled down, they pulled this metal pole bending it 90* This pole brings the lines into our home.  It went from a lower case l to a capital L!

My hand on the branch that fell...the branch, not a tree, but one branch!

the left of the screen is the power line, the right is the end of the tree.  The width of my back yard is the height of the BRANCH from our tree!

Splintered power lines on my way to school. 

Splintered power lines on my way to school.

43 hours later, we have the wonderful WE Energy man who drove more than 2 hours to help our area putting the power back on in service!  The closest hotel he could find (when he gets off at midnight) is an hour away.  The linemen are working SO HARD to help us.  Thank You!

After clean up, this is the cut up branch in front of our house.  So much tree, but we were SO lucky to have our home, our cars that we use to go to work, and NO  injuries.  

NOW MY AWESOME CLASSROOM!

Dr. & Mrs. Alex Gloudemans

Alex officially graduated with his PharmD over Memorial Weekend!

It was kind of nice to be back in Illinois and see old friends, see old hang out places, and be back where we were for our first year of marriage.  Though I did not particularly enjoy the majority of the time we had there, there is something sentimental about the first place we had,  the first time we did everything on our own, and the first of many things.

The banquet was fun to see friends we haven't seen since the last Pharm Friend Wedding (last August). It was a little lengthy, but Tyler did a great job with his speech!
                                 

Some Banquet Photos:

Ahhh! Doctor!  Although, I have a bone to pick.   I supported his but for 3 years, dressed him for the day, AND I was the one to fill out the reply card in the first place, and all I get is "& Guest"?!?!

So many silverware!

It was a wonderful ceremony.  It was short to the point and he left a Doctor!  Alex worked his butt off for this day so I could not be more proud of him for making it this far.  I love you Dr. Alex Gloudemans!

And Finally, for your grand finale---or should I say, The End