Friday, August 12, 2011

7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 22)



1.  On Tuesday, my cousin and his girlfriend found out they are having a girl!  The family is abuzz talking about our new little princess.  We have a small family - my grandparents have three children and three grandchildren, so the addition of two new little ones in so close a time is such a rare and wonderful occurrence.  My aunt only has one son (she’s always spoiled me as her girl), so she is very thrilled to be having a granddaughter.  That little girl is going to wear nothing but the girliest pink and lace if grandma has anything to with it!

2.  Since we announced we were pregnant, everyone in my family has been convinced that I’m having a boy and my cousin’s girlfriend is having a girl.  And they think this is confirmation that they are right on both counts.  For some reason, I also think I’m having a boy.  Do you think that mothers really can tell?

3.  I’ve heard wonderful things about the farmers markets here in North Carolina.  I haven’t been to farmers markets much in the past, because I’ve only lived in places with tiny ones (the kind that you visit once or twice a season just for the experience, not necessarily because they have anything you want).  So it usually doesn’t even cross my mind to go to a farmers market for our food, but this farmers market guide over at Modern Mrs. Darcy reminded me that I’ve been meaning to try it.  Hopefully we find some vegetables that force us to shake up our weekly menu a little bit, we are in desperate need of some variety.
           
4.  My husband and I are going to Colorado in less than a month!  Do you know what that means?  It means that I get to see my mom every other month for the rest of the year!  She was just here last month helping us move, we’ll be out there next month, and she’s planning to come a few days after the baby is born in November (well, if the baby makes his/her Nov 27th due date, it will be more like early December).  And to top it all off, we are planning to go to Colorado for Christmas so all the family can meet our little one.  I miss all my family, but especially my mom - we talk on the phone almost everyday (often more than once a day), but that’s just not the same.  I can only hope that  I have the same kind of relationship with my kids someday that my mom has with me.

5.  August 15 is usually a Holy Day of Obligation (Feast of the Assumption), but not this year because it falls on a Monday.  That makes me a little sad - I don’t see why it being on a Monday makes any difference.  Will you still be attending Mass on Monday?

6.  My husband doesn’t graduate until May, but he is already in the process of researching and applying for possible jobs.  It sounded a little early to me, but I guess it really isn’t in the academic world.  We pray that he will find a job in Colorado near our families, but we’ll just be thrilled for him to have a job when he graduates.  He found a potential post-doctoral position here in Raleigh, and while it’s not Colorado, it would be nice not to have to move again next year. 

7.  I applied to substitute teach several months ago, but never heard back from the school district.  We were really hoping to have a little extra income from me before the baby was born, but I guess that wasn’t to be.  I’ve put my profile on several tutoring sites in hopes that I’ll get some tutoring jobs (which I could potentially continue a couple evenings a week after the baby is born), so wish me luck.  It’s such an awkward position to be in to be looking for employment while 6 months pregnant, especially since I won’t be working after the baby is born.  Even if I had a full time teaching job, the salary wouldn’t be high enough to warrant paying for daycare (and I really want to stay home anyway).  I know that we’ll get by, but I hate that I am just sitting at home during the day (without much to do until the baby is born) when I could be helping provide for the family financially.  

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6 comments:

  1. Just found your blog and have enjoyed reading it! We had a very similar change of heart about getting pregnant and using NFP...babies are such a blessing to marriage and God does provide!

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  2. Yay for your cousin! And I'm glad that you'll be able to see your mom every other month. I'm sure that's helpful when you move far away! I'm hoping you get a subsitute job!

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  3. My little sister decided to keep her third baby a surprise. After having her first two, though, she was sure... SURE... she was having a girl for #3. #3 seemed so much like pregnancy #1 (her girl)_ and nothing like pregnancy #2 (her boy). She was so sure my mom made a feminine baptismal gown. And when she went into labor... she was stunned when her little boy arrived. I think it actually took her a few hours to get over it lol. So, who knows... :)

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  4. I was convinced both my babies were boys, and well, you've seen my daughters:)I love being surprised though.

    I've been thinking about what you said about wanting to hire a doula and not being sure about the cost. The DONA International organization (which is the certification and traning process for women who want to become doulas) requires doulas to attend 3 births before they're actually certified. I'm a sure if you contacted DONA they would give you names of women training to become doulas who would assist you through your birth for free. Just a thought.

    Here's their website:
    http://www.dona.org/

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  5. It will be so exciting to see if you are right about your baby being a boy! I believe in mother's intuition! :)
    I pray that your husband's job search goes well! It is remarkable how similar our situations are. My husband is also graduating in May, and he has a postdoc offer here that he's currently seeking funding for, but he'll have to look for faculty positions too. It's stressful! I'm trying to "let go and let God." I do pray every day that he gets a job close to home, though, and I'll pray for the same for your family!

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  6. It seems like some women are convinced that you can trust a mother's intuition and there are some many others that have stories to tell of when it didn't work out that well (seems like the mother is right 50% of the time, which is as accurate as any guess!). I guess we'll see in a couple months. I'm glad we're only getting neutral baby clothes and gear anyway, because we're hoping to have more!

    Jennie, thanks for the suggestion, I went to the website and sent an email asking them if they give out contact information for doulas in training, so we'll see what I hear back!

    Louise, that is so crazy! We are is such a similar position. My husband ideally wants a faculty position, but he'll probably be getting a post-doc to begin with (and he'll look for jobs in industry if he has to). What is your husband studying? It's so nice to know that there are other "grad wives" in the same position (especially ones with children - we haven't come across too many that my husband knows that have kids!).

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