Week 10 of 2016! So
crazy. This week marked the halfway point for this pregnancy – I can’t believe
how fast this is all going, this baby is going to be here in no time! I spent
the week still battling some nausea and appetite issues, I had my
stress-inducing echo, a big issue with Olivia at school and just about every
random thing you can think of. What an interesting week….
On Monday, I woke up
dragging after a really crappy night of sleep. I’m beginning to accept the fact
that pregnancy insomnia is start to rear its ugly head. No fun!! But, we were
all up, ready, and off for the day. I dropped the big girls off at daycare, Eliza
off at my in-laws and settled in for a pretty low-key day at work. After work I
picked Eliza up, and we arrived home just as Christian was finishing up dinner.
We ate, and rushed to get ready for gymnastics…and just as we were getting in the
van, I started feeling really sick. Sure enough, I rushed to the side of the van
and threw up. Seriously, this is NEVER going to end! The big girls were already
in the fan, but I hadn’t gotten Eliza loaded up yet, so she stood back behind
me, asking me if I was OK. Poor thing, I hate when they see me sick. No rest
for the weary though…off to gymnastics we went. Thankfully I was otherwise
feeling OK, and didn’t have any more issues (and, thankful it happened before
we hit the road, or got there). Eliza was quite a handful tonight, not
listening and running onto the mats where she’s not allowed. It was really frustrating,
and I get so embarrassed. Toddlers, they’re super fun! After class, we settled
in at home and relaxed for a little while, before the girls were off to bed for
the night. I wasn’t far behind.
On Tuesday, I was up
after another terrible night of sleep. On top of that, my stomach was turning flips
all morning. I showered, and still wasn’t feeling any better, probably worse,
so I called in late to work so that I could rest for a while. I finally started
feeling a little better, and was able to get up and ready for the day. The
girls woke up shortly after, so I helped them get ready, and we loaded up into
the van. Then, all hell broke loose at daycare, because I wouldn’t let Eliza
sneak her handful of Shopkins into daycare. Ugh. She usually grabs some random
blanket or stuffed animal, which is fine, but I couldn’t let her take choking hazards
in with her, so she threw the biggest fit! In addition to that, since we were
late, she went right to her classroom, instead of the baby room, so she wasn’t
with Miss Barb. DRAMA!!!! Thankfully, there weren’t any babies there yet, so
Miss Barb came out into her room and held her until she calmed down. Seriously,
she has the world wrapped around her super dramatic finger! It was a really hectic day at work, one issue
after another, and the days are already starting to feel long and exhausting. I
have a LONG 4+ months ahead of me if I’m already feeling so drained. So looking
forward to maternity leave…already. I picked Eliza up after work, and we settled
in at home. My stomach was still bothering me quite a bit, so Christian and the
girls just had some leftovers before he left for work. We watched some TV, relaxed
and had a pretty quiet night. The girls were off to bed a little early, and
while I TRIED to put myself to bed early as well, I just couldn’t fall asleep.
Seriously, LOOOOOOONG 4+ months to go.
On Wednesday I was up and at it,
much better than the last few days. I slept a bit better, I was feeling quite a
bit better, and the world seemed much more doable. The girls and I were up and
ready, and off for the day. Eliza was extra tired and crabby, but we survived.
I left work early today for my echo appointment. While I’m not concerned, and I
was actually “cleared” years ago, during my first pregnancy, they decided they
would rather be safe than sorry, and have me screened again. And get back on an
every-three-year schedule anyway. Of course, while I don’t really worry about
anything changing, it’s still a pretty stressful thing to go through. Luckily
it went much faster than I anticipated, so I still arrived home at about the
same time as usual. However, while I was in the waiting room, my phone rang. I
debated answering, since I would be called back any time for my appointment, it
was the girls’ school, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I answered, and sure enough,
it was Olivia’s teacher calling to discuss an “incident” that occurred this
morning. This proceeded into a series of conversations throughout the night, in
order to piece together the entire story.
-
First, my conversation with her teacher.
She said that there were a few versions of the story going around, but that
this morning Olivia came rushing into class, crying and noticeably upset. She
said that while getting off the bus, she had been punched in the face by a
little boy (from daycare). That apparently some of the girls that go to daycare
together have been having a hard time getting along together…bothering each
other, bickering, just driving each other crazy. And it escalated today on the
bus, to the point of some of the other girls’ little brother punching her in
the face, “seemingly unprovoked”. She wasn’t sure what really started it all,
but heard it was over who was going to sit with Amelia on the way to school.
She said all of the kids involved had spent some time talking with the counselors
at school, discussing what happened and how to move forward. Her teacher said that
Olivia and one of the little girls, who is in her class, have been having a lot
of issues lately – just not getting along and bothering each other. Of course,
now this whole thing sat with my through my entire appointment, and I was so
upset and anxious to get home and get the next piece of the story.
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Next up, I arrived at daycare, and
thankfully the assistant director was still there. I asked her if she was aware
of the issues on the bus this morning, and she took me into the office to
discuss. She had talked to the bus driver and had a little more to what started
it all (this morning anyway). The kids were all playing tag on the playground
before school, and while they were playing together, they was some teasing and
pestering going on. One of the other girls started telling Olivia that she was
going to sit with Amelia on the bus and wouldn’t stop bothering her. They
eventually loaded up and were on their way to school, and Olivia and Amelia sat
together (which I would assume is pretty typical). Once they got off the bus,
the other girls’ brother punched her in the face. The bus driver got off and
brought him back on the bus to separate them and talk to him, while Olivia went
off to school. The director said that two of the other kids had been written up
(which leads me to believe that Olivia really didn’t do anything to provoke it,
since I didn’t receive anything for her). I know this group of kids gets in
trouble quite often, but the little boy especially has been a lot of trouble. He’s
now hit both of the girls (he’s actually in Kindergarten, Amelia’s age), he’s
been suspended from the center, he is just a violent, bad kid. This pushed me
to get into a conversation about his behavior, and how they’re dealing with it,
and discuss some of the other issues Olivia and Amelia have expressed to me
over time (the things these kids will say and do, the name-calling and bullying
they’ve described to me). They said he’s on a behavior plan and they do
everything they can, but that after this incident, they’re going to meet to
come up with some more plans of how to move forward. I mean, it’s something,
but doesn’t really make me feel better. After our talk, I grabbed Eliza, and
made my way home.
-
Once home, I immediately made my
way to the girls’ room to talk with Olivia about what had happened. I didn’t
really say much…I wanted her story, I didn’t want to prompt anything. So, from the
beginning, she said they were playing tag on the playground before school, and
the other kids weren’t playing nice, and were calling her names. She didn’t
want to play with them anymore, so one of the girls (older, in her BFF Bella’s
class) started telling her that she’s going to sit with Amelia on the bus to
school, and how she’s Bella’s BFF now, not Olivia, and they’re going to have
sleepovers and not invite her. Just typical “mean girl” kind of stuff, nothing
Olivia can’t handle. She brushed it off, went about her business, and they
eventually got on the bus to school. She said she sat with Amelia, and the
other kids sat behind her, kicking and pushing their chair the entire way to
school. I asked her what they did, and she said they didn’t say anything, they
just sat there. She said at one point the boy who eventually punched her, hit
her in the back of the head. Then they finally got to school, got off the bus,
and he ran up and punched her in the face. She did say that at that point she “threw
him to the ground” (which, sorry, I laughed about. Sorrynotsorry, he deserves
it) to stop him from hitting her again. She said the bus driver took him back
on the bus, and the other kids (mostly his sisters and cousins) were teasing
her, because she was crying, telling her to stop acting like a baby, and “just
stop crying already”, and that’s when she ran off to class. She seemed to be handling
everything OK, but she was clearly upset about the things that have been going
on. I think a lot of the shift has happened since she stopped going to the
center in the afternoons – like she’s being “left out” now (Amelia doesn’t
really seem to be affected by any of it).
-
After talking with her, I chatted
with Amelia just a little, to see what she said. I asked her if they were doing
anything, or saying anything, when all of this was going on, and she said no,
they were just ignoring it, and didn’t say anything. I asked her what she was
doing while all of this was going on, and she just said “nothing”. So, I told
her that she needs to stand up for her sister when people are bothering her,
just like Olivia does for her. She said “well, I went right over to her after
he hit her and asked her if she was OK”. LOL.
After piecing everything together,
I sent a very lengthy e-mail to the director at daycare, and Olivia’s teacher.
I basically just summed up the entire story, and went on to explain my issues
and reservations with this other group of kids (more so with daycare, since it
involves more kids and interaction there than at school). I told them I’m not
comfortable with my girls being around these other kids anymore – that I don’t
want them playing with them, talking to them, hanging out with them. That it’s
becoming more and more of a concern, that I can see the way things are
escalating with them, and I’m honestly worried for my girls’ safety at this
point. I have all of this anxiety over sending them to daycare, or school, at
this point, and the entire thing has me all emotional. You hear about the
things that go on these days…the things kids do and say, the way they bully
each other and push other kids to their emotional limits. And with so many of “them”
vs. my two girls (there are 4 siblings, plus 3-4 cousins), I can just see them
all ganging up on Olivia and/or Amelia one day, and something violent
happening. Sure, maybe I’m over exaggerating, but I’ve watched the way things
have escalated to this point, and my fears are getting the better of me.
Thankfully, they’ll only be at that daycare for 3 more months. We just need to
survive 3 more months! At this point, I was all worked up and upset, and
exhausted from all of the drama. We ordered some pizza, ate, and settled in for
the night after Christian left for work. And, eventually, we were all off to
bed early. What an exhausting night!
Here's this week's baby picture (19w5d)
On Thursday, we were up and at it, and
it was FINALLY my Friday!! It’s been a hectic week at work – lots of issues and
weird things popping up, so my brain is totally ready for the weekend! In
addition, with the issues at daycare/school yesterday, I just feel like my mind
and hormones have been on overdrive. I’m not going to lie, I was SUPER nervous
dropping the girls off this morning, but by the time I arrived at work, I
already had a response message from the director, which made me feel a lot
better. She validated a lot of my concerns, understood where I was coming from,
and went over some of the changes they’re putting in place. She was going to
drive their bus for a while, to keep an eye on things, and they were going to
have assigned seating, with Olivia and Amelia right up by the driver. She said
they were going to implement more behavior tracking and discipline plans, and
keep an eye on things. I reiterated my desire to have them separated, and she
seemed to understand. Later, at lunchtime, she did e-mail me again with an
update of how the morning went, and she said everything was smooth and they didn’t
have any issues. She did say that at drop-off, the other kids’ mom had them
apologize to Olivia, which was nice to hear (but, doesn’t change my opinion). Olivia’s
teacher responded to my e-mail later that day, and let me know that things had
been going OK at school, and that Olivia and the girls in her class both had
sessions with the guidance counselor again today to talk about the issues and
focus on the “golden rule”. I told her that I appreciate their working with the
girls, and we’ll certainly work on that at home as well, but that I’m past the
teasing/name-calling concerns right now (even though, yes, it’s important to
discuss the harm that can cause), and that I’m much more concerned with the physical
violence and my concerns over the way things are escalating. And, again,
reiterated that I don’t want Olivia involved with this other girl anymore. I again
received another e-mail later in the day, from the guidance counselor. Basically,
saying the same thing her teacher had. So, I pretty much responded with the
same response I sent her teacher. I’m happy they’re dealing with it, and not
just brushing it all under the rug, but, like I said, I just want them to put a
little more concern than they seem to be on the violence. At the end of the
day, I’m just happy that it was a successful day. I ended up working a little
late today, trying to get as much done before I left for the weekend as possible.
I picked Eliza up, and we settled in at home with the rest of the family.
Christian had to work a little early, so he was off shortly after we arrived
home. The girls and I watched some TV, had dinner, and hung out for the night.
Olivia spent a lot of time playing with Eliza, and they were all running
around, laughing, having a blast together, and eventually all snuggled up in
Olivia’s bed and she was reading a book to them. I love nights like this – just
complete perfectly. Eventually everybody was off to bed, and I was SO looking
forward to the weekend.
School Pictures!!! Olivia, 1st Grade, Spring Picture
Amelia, Kindergarten, Spring Picture
On Friday, I let the girls sleep in
a little. Christian arrived home, and hung out with Eliza while I dropped the
big girls off at daycare. Christian was off to bed as soon as I got back home,
and Eliza and I spent the day together. She’s so funny, I just love spending
time with her. We ate, played with ALLLLLLLL of her toys…I did some laundry,
picking up and caught up on Hulu. Just a standard, low-key day at home
together. Eliza took a nice long nap, so I rested for a while. It was seriously
a pretty perfect day. I picked the big girls up from school, and had to give
them the unfortunate news that their BFF movie-night had been canceled (Bella’s
mom had to work late). They were pretty bummed, but we watched some movies and
spent the night hanging out together. Once the girls were in bed, Christian and
I settled in to watch the movie “Focus”, which was actually pretty good, but
Eliza woke up about halfway through screaming and yelling, refusing to go back
to sleep. We tried sitting with her, and she wouldn’t go back down for
anything. So, after the movie, I settled into bed with her, and she spent the
night with me. It doesn’t happen too often, so I enjoyed our all-night cuddles.
On Saturday, we were up and at it.
I cleaned up around the house a bit, an got breakfast going. After eating, and
getting ready, I was off to swim class with the big girls, while Christian and Eliza
hung out at home. I had decided to take the electronics away from the girls for
the weekend…not for any specific reason, they just needed a break from them, so
we spent some time watching movies together and hanging out. They kept bugging
us to go somewhere and do something, so Christian finally gave in and told them
they were leaving soon for an overnight at Grandma Mary’s house. Sure enough,
maybe an hour later, she called to tell me that she wasn’t feeling well, and
had to cancel the overnight. So, again, I had to tell them that they’re plans
had been canceled. Poor things. There are two reasons that I NEVER tell them
what we’re doing/what our plans are. 1) They’ll drive you insane wondering “is
it time yet?” “are we leaving soon?” “can we go yet?”; and 2) I don’t have a
ton of faith in other people keeping our plans, and I hate disappointing the
girls. After telling them two days in a row that their plans had fallen
through, I felt terrible. So, I quick hopped in the shower, got ready, and
loaded the big girls into the can for a little girl’s day out. We went to an
indoor play area for a couple of hours (I had some free passes), and then we
stopped into Davanni’s for dinner (all while Christian hung out at home with
Eliza). It was nice to get out of the house for a while, even though the girls
still drive each other crazy, whether at home or away! We settled back in at
home, and the girls played pretty well for the night, and entertained Eliza. Christian’s
friend, Lorenzo, stopped over to watch the UFC fight, and I painted our “gender
reveal” balloon box for Monday. Two more days, I can’t believe we’ll know what
little baby Duran is!!! The girls ended up going to bed pretty late, so it was
a complete mystery what the morning would bring…
Play Time!
Dinner Time!
Sunday was another lazy kind of a
day. The girls did indeed sleep in a little bit, thankfully, so it was nice to
get some extra rest. I was actually feeling pretty motivated for a change, so I
took advantage and got right to work on chores around the house. The girls
helped me clean up their room, and then I got our room and the bathroom cleaned
up. I got the dishwasher unloaded, and loaded back up, cleaned up the kitchen,
and worked on laundry throughout the day. I even actually got ALL of the
clothes put away and everything – bonus! We watched some movies throughout the
day, and hung out…the girls played outside for quite a while – the beautiful
weather is making an appearance again, and it’s amazing!! Olivia made some
rainbow loom bracelets for everybody and it was just a perfect Sunday around
the house with the family. Eliza refused to take a nap, but eventually fell
asleep sitting with Christian on the couch. He delated putting her down, but it
was getting pretty late and I told him that he shouldn’t, or she’d be up way
too late. Of course, he didn’t listen, he put her down, she napped for quite a
while, and was indeed up way too late. UGH!!! We had takeout for a late dinner,
and I watched “The Walking Dead” on the computer while the girls watched some
shows before bed. I finally showered, and got Eliza down for bed. I was so, so,
SOOOO tired from the busy day around the house, but SO excited for tomorrow’s anatomy
scan…making sure everything is looking OK, and seeing what this little hitchhiker
is finally. I weight myself today out of curiosity, and at just over 20 weeks,
I’m actually still down the 7ish pounds that I lost early on! I’m seriously
hoping to keep my weight gain very minimal, or preferably non-existent, this pregnancy,
so hopefully I can keep it up. I guess it’s one bonus to the sickness and lack
of appetite!
Our reveal box is ready to go. TOMORROW!!!
Until Next Week! XOXO
