upcoming ultrasound

Don't we all get so excited for that 2nd ultrasound so we can "see" the baby again, count the fingers and toes, see the beating heart, and probably the most funnest part of all, finally find out what we're having?!!  I am convinced that this baby is a boy, but we will officially find out this Thursday.  If you vote, don't let my opinion sway you.  I've been wrong guessing the gender before!  But all my symptoms and cravings so far have indicated 'boy'.

some thoughts on pregnancy

• First trimesters, for me (as I know it is for many women), are a time when I wish that I could die a speedy death instead of enduring 24/7 nausea and throwing up.  Or maybe happen upon a time machine that could simply skip over the next month of my life and land me in February. I know that when the curse of "pain in childbearing" was placed upon mother Eve that meant that we'd suffer through the labor and delivery part, but c'mon God.  Really?  REALLY?  Did the sweet, darling baby package also have to include feeling like death warmed over for 3 months solid?  
• Why is it that when I'm not pregnant I have a desire to eat and prepare healthy meals, loaded with whole grains and vegetables, and then when I am pregnant (you know, when one's nutritional intake truly matters) I crave stuff like top ramen, canned chili, Oreos, sour cream n onion potato chips, and Taco Bell?  And I am too exhausted right now to even care about preparing a meal that requires more strength than the push of a microwave button.
• Why does my husband's deodorant/cologne/general male scent utterly repulse me right now?  Oh wait, I know.  It's my body's way of saying, he's the one that did this to you!!!  Keep him far, far away.  I don't really mean that, of course.  It's just funny how pregnancy turns us into human bloodhounds.  Today the girls were eating some now n' later taffy at the table and the smell of the candy was making me nauseous...from the other room.
• Josh has been SO attentive this time around.  He seems to have much more compassion on me and has even taken an afternoon off here and there on my really bad days, to take care of things so I can be a blob on the couch.  In the same breath, he's also the male that keeps saying, "I'm so glad I don't have to go through that!"
• Does a pregnant woman have the right to slap a man when he makes comments like the one aforementioned?  Yes I hear you say?  Alright then.  Be right back.......
• This pregnancy has been such a new experience for me in that the kids are all old enough to understand that they will soon have a new baby brother/sister.  When I had Jayden, Joanna was barely 3, and Jaclyn 1 1/2, so obviously they didn't get it at all.  Jayden especially has shown such compassion for me whenever I'm in the bathroom feeling sick.  He comes in, pats my back and says, "it's ok mom, you'll be ok."  He even brought me a glass of water one time. "Here you go mom, drink this and you'll feel better."  What a sweetheart!! 
• I have a new-found respect for people who endure daily health problems that make it difficult to function.  I am so grateful to God for blessing me with a healthy, whole body that can conceive and carry a baby, as so many desiring women cannot.  I am grateful that I have never had a long-lasting illness or condition that makes daily activities a struggle.  I can barely handle 3 months!
• Eyes on the prize.  Eyes on the prize.  At least I'm gettin' a cute little baby to snuggle when I reach the finish line!

Family Pictures

I'm not the best at having our family pictures taken.  The last time our family was altogether--in one picture--for a more formal picture was when the kids were 4, 2.5, and 9 months.  I know.  Sad, right?  Since they are now 6, 5, and 3.  ;-(  Sad by today's standards, I guess, since this is 2011 and it's so easy and inexpensive to take a picture.  For the moment, judge me through the lens of a photographer in 1922, who would think that taking family portraits 2 years apart was both unnecessary and extravagant.

Here are some of my favorites from our Sunday photo shoot.  Pay close attention to Jayden's sign.  No reason.  Just sayin'. 

 Looks like somebody is not so happy about 

relinquishing the "baby-of-the-family-throne" soon.

So, there you have it.  Cat's out of the bag.  We decided to make one more of these cute little minions.  I'd tell you how far along I am but I don't even know.  Haven't been to the doc for an ultrasound yet and I have NO idea, not even an educated guess, as to how far.  Gotta thank my always irregular cycles for that.  Curses!!!  Based on my symptoms with the other pregnancies I'd say I'm about 7-8 wks along because that's when I started puking with them.  And I threw up for the first (but, alas, not the last) time today.  All I can say it, let the countdown to 2nd trimester begin! 

Halloween 2011

This year I decided that since I'd never dressed up as a witch for Halloween in all my 32 years of living, this year was 'the year' to get my witchiness on. My children could testify that I don't need a costume or a designated holiday to act the part, but that's besides the point.

The kids had a BLAST with their costumes.  For once I planned ahead and bought their costumes a good month in advance (yeah, I know. Very un-Jolie like)  so basically all of October was spent wearing their costumes around the house.  Or in Jayden's case, everywhere!!  He insisted on wearing his Spiderman costumes to the store, out to pick up the girls from school, to the park...it was so funny!  And is it any surprise that Jaclyn chose to be a princess riding a unicorn and Joanna a cowgirl riding a horse??  Ha. 

For the trunk-or-treat Sat. night Josh wore his Batman costume.  He looked pretty bad A.  Sadly, our stupid camera (that wasn't even 2 yrs old!) broke a couple months ago and he forgot his iphone that night so we didn't get any pics of him.  Minus the cheesy pose, he looked something like this:

We didn't go for family themed costumes this year, but I guess Jayden and Josh inadvertently did! My superheros.

Finished Draft

Upon reflection and some help from a local friend I pared the letter down and took out some ardent phrases and loaded words.  I don't want to come across as a crazy person and I decided that burning bridges in this small one-horse town probably isn't such a good idea.  But you all will know just how I really feel!  Here's the finished letter I just submitted for publication:

To the Editor:

As a CWU alumna, wife of a CWU employee, and an Ellensburg resident, I am invested in preserving the quality and reputation of my alma mater. Thus, I have carefully followed the dialogue surrounding Mr. Gaudino's bonus. Why is our community so incensed by a presidential bonus? Two words: poor timing.

Were students not facing steep tuition increases, CWU staff's wages not frozen, and had state funding not been significantly reduced, then his acceptance would not have produced such vehement opposition. But, Mr. Gaudino knew the current financial atmosphere, had time to consider the community reception of his decision, and still, agreed.

Receiving incentive bonuses is common for university presidents, but he might have considered a more honorable approach. For instance, accepting the incentive on the condition his fellow employees' wages are unfrozen. My husband and I feel angry and betrayed when my husband's future contributions to the university will go unrewarded. His decision was a figurative slap in our faces.

Where is the honor in accepting a $500,000 bonus under these conditions? Mr. Gaudino is a U.S. Air Force veteran. Certainly he was taught the importance of honor and camaraderie. Why not serve this university in the trenches of economic sacrifice alongside his fellow staff members?

Over the course of his career, Mr. Gaudino has taught in college classrooms. His title and job description have changed, but he is still an educator. What life lesson did his decision indirectly teach our university students? The lesson is: Sometimes one must throw ethics aside to get ahead in life. An effective teacher and leader would have taught through his honorable example how to conduct himself in the business world post-graduation.

Mr. Gaudino is quoted in the Daily Record as saying, "in the contract there is a provision that says this money throughout the five years will be unfunded and unsecured, which means that it's not coming out of any existing program allocation." That is not acceptable. If I managed our household's budget using this spending model, we would be in debt. I never make a purchase not knowing beforehand where the money is coming from. Mr. Gaudino should never have accepted a bonus not knowing beforehand the money's source.

Mr. Gaudino should admit his error and recant his bonus — at least until he proves that he can take the financial burden of receiving a college education off his students' backs and lift his staff's wage freeze.

Jolie Ramsey

'08 CWU Graduate, Ellensburg