A Real Live Teacher

I am behind in my blogging: I missed Tony's birthday, but I'll come back to that when I have time to upload pictures and such. I also missed last week's iPhone update. Like I said, I'll come back to it.

This week has been quite busy. Since I've been waiting around for my teaching license, I agreed to go along with the Children Youth and Family (CYF) Staff from Bethel to a seminar for First Third Ministries. It's a year long teaching cohort that Bethel has been accepted into. Tony and I are on the "dream team" for this group. This means we are members of Bethel that have been asked to work with the CYF staff to create change in the CYF ministry at Bethel. This is a ministry for children birth to graduation. We were asked to be a part of it for 2 reasons: we're on the Music and Worship Team at Bethel and we're going to be new parents entering the CYF program. I forgot the best reason: because we're such a cool couple.... Just kidding!

SO, that being said, I was up at Luther Seminary in the cities since yesterday morning bright and early. I had 2 days of great conversations and lessons, and I had 1 night sleeping on a rock hard dorm mattress. Boo.

While I was at this wonderful conference, Austin School District called and said, since your license has now been processed (meaning I'm a real live teacher) we'd like you to start right away Thursday morning! I'm heading  in to do paperwork before school starts, sign my contract and then shadow the teacher I'm replacing for the rest of the day. Friday I go back and do more shadowing/preparation and meeting with the SPED coordinator. Monday morning, I completely take over the class! YIKES!

I'm going into this with extreme optimism and enthusiasm. At first I was incredibly scared to be thrown in so quickly; but this is such a great opportunity and blessing for me. I told them in my interview that I'm not afraid of a challenge, so now's my chance to prove it to them!

The reason I'm choosing to blog about this right now is I would LOVE it if you could send some positive thoughts and prayers my way over the next few weeks. I imagine I will be challenged in many ways both physically and emotionally. I would be grateful for any extra support people are willing to share!

Baby K is telling me it's time to head to bed. Let's hope my excitement and nerves will calm, so I can get some quality sleep before the big day tomorrow!

3 years.

3 years ago last night, my mom and I camped out beside my Grandma Jeannette's bed in the hospice room at St. Mary's Hospital. 

We took turns holding her hand, reading scripture to her, reliving memories of her life and listening to soothing music. At around 6:30 the next morning as I was knitting and talking to Grandma, God decided it was time to take her home. Mom and I were right next to her as she took her last breath. It was the most peaceful event I have ever witnessed.

About an hour later when Grandpa Arnie arrived to say goodbye, I witnessed him giving the love of his life her last kiss.

I still wonder why God let me witness these events. I never thought I would be strong enough for something like this, but I thank him every day for it.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about Grandma in some way. Whether it's by looking at my tea cups in my kitchen, eating cashews, needing a cooking question answered or drinking a Pepsi.

On the anniversaries of any of my grandparent's deaths, I can't help but remember all 3 of them. I was lucky to have the 23 years I had with Grandma Jeannette, the 18 years I had with Grandpa Clarence and the 13 years I had with Grandma Barb.

Love and miss you Grandma!

Here's a picture of us at Grandma's last Christmas with us.

33.5

Today we had another midwife appointment for our scheduled check-up. Here's the update:

Baby K's heartbeat was right on track.
His/Her head is in position!
I'm now officially up 22 lbs from where I started out, so again right on track.
My blood pressure is low but healthy low.

and that's about it folks!

Nothing new except after this Friday, when we're at 34 weeks, if I go into labor they will not try to stop it. So...now I don't have to be too worried about going into labor. I've been trying to not worry about it too much, but that was a scary ordeal over Christmas, so it's hard to not get worked up over it.

We go back in 3 weeks on February 13 for our next appointment.

Assembly Required

After the shower on Saturday, Tony and I diligently worked to assemble everything we got! We had a blast, and so did the kitties. The pictures are high quality, since they are from my phone.

My cousin Jake had this specially made for Baby K. How awesome! Tony was pretty excited about it!

Luna enjoyed the boxes after we took things out of them. Note the diaper genie. I put it together all by myself!

Sol wanted to go out for a walk right away! 

I thought the 10lb hammer was a little overboard, but Tony said he NEEDED it to get the job done right....

Proof that I can use tools successfully! I put the vibrating bouncer seat together. 

Sol enjoyed all the tissue paper when I was emptying out bags to fold up and store. 

There's the finished bouncer seat. 

Tony put the pack 'n play together. 

Amanda sent us home with balloons from the shower as well. The cats had a lot of fun playing with them. Sorry about the flashes of light in the video, Tony was capturing it on the camera.

Jungle Baby Shower

Yesterday afternoon, my wonderful sister-in-law to be, Amanda and cousin Jake threw a beautiful and fun shower for Baby K and me. I'll give you a recap of the fun we had:

Everyone wrote down "wishes" they had for Baby K. They received a leaf with prompts on them. For example: I hope you learn:______ I hope you grow______ I hope you become_________. There were about 7 or 8 prompts to fill in. They then hung the wishes on some branches. I put them right in the baby book! So sweet to read what everyone wrote.

Next, people could guess when the baby was going to be born, girl/boy, weight, length, eye color and time. We'll see if anyone gets it right!

We played Jungle Baby Shower Bingo. Jill and Mindy tied!

Then everyone had to guess how big my belly was by taking the amount of yarn they thought would fit around me. It was quite interesting to see how close or far off people were. Grandma Jayne was SO close, but Laura beat her by guessing the exact size of my belly.

We had DELICIOUS snacks: Reuben dip, cheese/tomatoes, veggies, zebra cakes, pretzels with almond bark, oreos.....and to end the affair, a delicious zebra ice cream sandwich cake! SO good!

I opened so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts for Baby K. Among the gifts we got: sheets, mattress pad, clothes, stuffed toys, bath center, stroller, pack 'n play, bouncer seat, gift card....

Thanks Amanda and Jacque for a wonderful afternoon!

Thanks to Laur (and I know many others had cameras too), I have some pictures to share from the big day:

Here's Natalie measuring "the belly"

Opening presents

My mom found this adorable bib. I think we'll keep it in the baby bag so the baby can wear it when we're at a Grandma's house. 

The diaper cake Amanda made for us!

Yummy zebra cake!

 It wouldn't be a proper gathering without an elbow train!

Dancing Queen

Yesterday we were able to head over to Byron to watch our niece, Natalie, in her first ever dance showcase. It was just a preview of the cute dancing to come at her big recital in April. She did SUCH a great job! She had a big smile on her face the whole time!

We were VERY proud of her! Here are some shots of the dancing queen in action:

iPhone uPhone

Life around our house has been pretty uneventful this week. I did A LOT of reorganizing and cleaning throughout the entire house. I still have more to do, but it takes longer when I try not to overdo it...

Update on my "job". They are still waiting for my license to get to MDE (MN Dept of Ed). Once it's there, they will request an expedite. Once they expedite it, I will go to discuss contract...So, not much new on that end. Just a waiting game.

Here's what my iPhone captured for the week (sure looks like I'm becoming quite the cat lady):

Here's my loving husband. I spent all day cleaning and was very tired and sore when he got home from work. Even though he had a long hard day, he still did the dishes for me. What a great guy!

Tony and I stayed with Meg and Connor for a little bit on Sunday, and Meg ran upstairs with a little tooth in her hands. She pulled it out all on her own! 

I was looking through my baby pictures to give to Amanda for a shower she is having for me, and I came across this one. This is the picture that has given me the nickname Froggy for as long as I can remember. My Uncle Mark likes to croak at me randomly whenever he sees me. 

Our Luna is quite the beggar when we have 1 of 3 items out: popcorn, string cheese, cheddar flavored chips/snack mix. Here she is begging Tony for some popcorn. 

I have been sleeping in 1000 different positions every night in order to stay comfortable. I woke up with my knees up the other morning and a cat perched on top of them. 

It's hard to see, but Luna is giving herself a bath at the top of the scratch pole. Sol is jealous of her amazing abilities. 

Sol stayed with me all day while I was cleaning. She made sure I was doing a great job!

Here's Luna begging me for some more snacks...

Caught in the action: That's my body pillow Miss Luna! 

This weekend will produce lots of pictures and fun time to blog about! Stay tuned!

My Favorites

I posted on Facebook all of our maternity pictures, but I'll post just my favorites here for you all.  You already saw 3 that I also liked from our Sneak Peak on Facebook.

I love this one because Tony has a better smile than he normally does in posed pictures. He's good at the "fake" smile... I love that the ultrasound is so clear too!

I like the outdoor ones. It captures Tony's personality a little better.

Boy or girl? If we have a girl, Tony has a lot to learn. He was so confused by the tutu. 

Not to be vain, but I just like this photo of me. 

I'm not a fan of Tony's posed smile, but I love the bright colors! 

This sign was one thing I REALLY wanted when we got married. Mindy got it for us, and I just had to use it. Don't be surprised if it comes back in our family photos when we have newborn shots. 

I had a mouthful of Bubble Yum Watermelon gum for this shot! I tried and tried to make a bigger bubble, but it's hard to do on demand!

The year was 1956

In the year 1956, my grandmother thought the best present she could give my Grandpa Arnie for his birthday was his firstborn child. My mother was born the day after my Grandpa's 21st birthday.

I'm pretty glad she was! We helped her celebrate by going to Newt's for supper on Saturday. The whole Fredricksen clan and Aunt Elinor made it. Will and Amanda couldn't make it for cake afterwards, but the rest of us did.

Here she is with her beautiful birthday cake that I slaved over.

Elinor gave Mom a new/old gnome. This was one that Elinor won first prize in a contest I believe in the 80s. 

Mother/Daughter shot.

Sunday we went to Aunt Amy's for a Mexican Birthday Fiesta lunch. Mom does wear other shirts, but she changed back into her comfy sweatshirt after church. Here she is with her new wine chiller. 

We had sundae's with brownies for dessert. Delicious! 

Birthday brownies!

A lot will change for my mom in her 57th year of life. Becoming a grandma and marrying off her little baby boy!

Insta-gram

Here's my life this week according to my iPhone. Yes, there are lots of pictures with my cats, but that's because I'm home all day with them, and they're too darn cute not to capture with my phone!

My little Sol has become my snuggly kitty during the day. I have been getting some organizing done around the house, but I stop to rest on the couch often. Sol likes to jump up and nap on me while I'm resting.

Sol has discovered Baby K's crib. I've only seen her in it this one time, and Luna never goes in it, but I did buy a crib net so the cats can't get in when the baby is in it. 

Last Saturday I went to the Wedding Expo with Amanda and her other bridesmaids. I just LOVED this cake from the HyVee booth. I wouldn't get it for my wedding, but it would be fun for a kid's birthday cake. 

Every day when I get ready to go somewhere, the cats sit at the bottom of the stairs with looks filled with sadness. It makes it difficult to leave!

Here's Luna, still in bed at 10am. She has become the late sleeper! Both cats have started sleeping with us at night, but luckily, they sleep at the end of the bed! 

The other day I was doing laundry. Luna found a bib and a sock to play with...

The Job Search!

When I finished student teaching, my plan was to substitute teach until Baby K decided to make his/her appearance. Out of curiosity, I looked at MN teaching jobs available mid-year. I wasn't interested in teaching EBD in Wabasha/Kellog, Plainview Elgin Millville, or Rochester, but I saw that Austin had an opening for their Setting IV program. I decided to throw my resume out there and see what would come of it.

After Christmas, I received a phone call inviting me to Austin for an interview. Last Friday, I went and met with 3 different administrators at Austin High School. I immediately fell in love with the program I applied to teach in. It's in the middle school setting IV program. I would have 7 students grades 6-8. I would teach the 4 core subjects: math, science, social studies and English/reading, and a mental health professional would teach social skills/functional skills. It seemed like an AMAZING opportunity. They really stress keeping up with the general education curriculum while providing intensive mental health therapy.

By law, employers can not discriminate based on my rather large baby bump, but I still figured they could find something else wrong with me.

However, I was driving to Willow Hill today (to look at adorable baby pictures of Tony), and I received a phone call telling me how impressed Austin was with my interview and my references. They said as soon as my license is processed with the state they want to offer me the job! I will start right when my license is in my hands!

I have a few kinks to figure out, such as maternity leave (how long they'll give me) and daycare (in case I have to go back before the end of the school year).

I am very excited to be offered this amazing opportunity! Tony's words upon hearing I got the job were "You're a rock star!!". It wasn't exactly what I was expecting to come out of his mouth, but it sure made me smile!

31.5

Today we had an appointment with one of our midwives for a routine check-up.

Baby K's heart rate is still great.

My fundal height was 32.5, so that is measuring 1 week ahead.

Basically everything is looking great! I'm gaining lots of weight which means the baby is growing since the weight seems to be staying right in my belly region. Thank goodness!

Our main topic of conversation at the appointment was researching different methods to help with pain since I am opting for no pharmaceutical help during the birthing process. Tony and I picked up a few books on our way home that the midwife suggested. I've started reading one, and I'm enjoying it thus far.

The midwife said the power of thought is very effective, so I had a stern talking with Baby K. I'm buying tickets to the Rend Collective Experiment concert for March 1, and I told Baby K he/she had to stay put until at least the end of the concert. The concert's in Rochester, and I never thought they'd ever come this close to us!

Just thought I'd send an update out there! We'll go back in 2 weeks to check on the little munchkin.

Saying Goodbye

I had mentioned in a post last week that 2013 started off on a sad note for the Fredricksen family. Last Friday night we said goodbye to my dad's cousin Steve. It was a very nice evening of remembering all the good times we spent with Steve. I have lots of memories of wandering around gun shows, going shooting and spending time at the farm. If you're from the area and saw Steve's obituary, you might have noticed that Fredricksen is spelled Fredrickson. One of my grandpa's brothers, Earl, decided to change the spelling because of all the misspellings that occur. This just makes it harder for those of us that kept the Danish "sen"!

Today we are saying goodbye to another cousin, Mike. I did not know Mike personally, but our family is close to his parents David and Mary. It was very sudden that Mike passed away, and I'm praying and hoping that his family is able to find comfort in the 44 years they got to spend with Mike.

I posted both Mike and Steve's obituaries if you'd like to see a glimpse of who they were.

Michael R. Fredricksen, 44, of Apple Valley passed away of natural causes on Jan. 2, 2013 at his home.

Michael was born on Sept. 29, 1968 in Wilmington, Ohio. The family returned to Rochester in 1969. Following graduation from Rochester Mayo High School in June of 1987, he joined the Minnesota National Guard. He was also a graduate of Northwestern University (Roseville).

Mike served in the military for over 25 years, including a tour of duty in Iraq from 2004 to 2006. He was serving with the U.S. Army Reserves at the time of his death. Michael was the owner of Something Fishy, a marine aquatics business, in Richfield and Apple Valley. He enjoyed playing guitar, fishing, missionary work, classic cars, and flying as a private pilot.

He is survived by his parents, Mary and Dave Fredricksen; a brother James (Rachelle); a niece Hannah; a nephew Drew, all of Rochester, and a brother Brian, of Shoreview. His grandmother, Mary Meyers Fredricksen, of Rochester, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins also survive.

He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents and his paternal grandfather and his step grandfather in addition to a cousin.

A funeral service for Michael will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2013 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the chapel. Burial will be at Grandview Memorial Gardens with military honors.

Steven E. Fredrickson, 68, of Rochester, died at home Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.

He was born in Rochester Jan. 5, 1944, to Doris (nee Schleusner) and Earl Fredrickson. Steven graduated from John Marshall High School in 1961, he then enlisted in the Air Force from 1962-1966 and married Nancy J. Fredrickson (nee Hagerty) in 1967.

He worked as a union plumber, upon retirement he worked part-time as a city plumbing inspector.

Steve is survived by his mother, Doris Hawkins; one brother, Richard Fredrickson; one sister, Connie Engle (Lee); one daughter, Anne Fredrickson and one son, Robert Fredrickson both of St. Paul; and his ex-spouse, Nancy Fredrickson.

A memorial gathering will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, at River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home, 1119 11 1/2 St. S.E., in Rochester.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to the American Heart Association or Twin Cities Public Television.