If you’ve read my recent posts, you know that I am nine weeks pregnant, horribly sick, and generally miserable. Because this was a planned pregnancy and I knew I would likely be pregnant this fall, I made sure that it was jam packed with obligations and responsibilities.

My fall looks something like this:

• I am homeschooling Kyra, which takes at least two hours of sitting right with her, but usually more.
• I volunteer at choices for four hours every Wednesday afternoon.
• I have a Statistics class for three hours on Wednesday nights, one hour after my shift at Choices ends. My volunteer work and my class is in Oak Ridge, which requires a 45 min drive there and a 45 min drive home.
• I have a Literature class for three hours on Thursday nights, which also requires an hour and a half of driving.
• Chris and I are going to be leading the high school Awana class at our church on Sunday nights.
• Starting next Wednesday, I will have monthly doctor’s appointments in Knoxville.
• Every other Tuesday night, I have Ladies Bible Study at church.

Yesterday was our first day of homeschooling. Yes, it’s true. I am now a homeschool mom. Don’t expect to see me around town in a denim jumper, though. I refuse. I just won’t do it.

Our first day went pretty well, even though we got a really late start. I’m not a set the alarm and get started real early homeschool mom. I am a nine weeks pregnant, puking first thing in the morning homeschool mom. Kyra was excited about her first day of homeschool, but don’t let that fool you into thinking she is a model student. No. She was mostly excited that she didn’t have to get up early to go to school. She is a smart kid, but has a very defeatist attitude. She tells herself something is too hard, and then proceeds to lay down her head and cry. When I do get her to focus and try…usually reading an unfamiliar word…she can usually do it easily. It can be kind of frustrating. We were done by three, though, even with the exceedingly late start. 

Today, we got a late start again. Yesterday, it was because I was not quite organized for the first day. Today, it was because I was, oh, so sick. When I finally drug myself out of bed, I threw up once, came in the kitchen, ascertained that the kids had already ate a breakfast of cookies, and sat down with Kyra to get started. She finished her math for the day in about ten minutes. Unfortunately, science and social studies slowed her down with all the reading (she doesn’t like to read), and we are taking a lunch break right now before finishing up with her English. 

So, yeah. I’m like the antithesis of the ideal homeschool mom. I don’t get up early. I don’t cook a hot, hearty breakfast. I don’t bake my own bread, and I don’t wear denim jumpers.

I do, however, suddenly speak in a sickeningly sweet, high-pitched, “you can do it” voice, praising every minor accomplishment as if a cure for cancer has just been found. I’m pretty sure it’s a downhill slide from here.

I don’t like asking for money. It kind of makes my skin crawl. I always hated fundraisers in school.

With that said, I’m going to ask you guys for money.

I have written about volunteering at Choices Resource Center in Oak Ridge. It’s a crisis pregnancy center with a far-reaching ministry. They help young women to see that they have choices other than abortion, help those women through their pregnancies by providing counseling and parenting classes, as well as providing free std testing, abstinence education, and post-abortion ministry. Above all, they want to show their clients that God loves them and present the Gospel to them. I’ve seen first hand the good that they are doing, and I really believe in that ministry.

Choices is a ministry, and, as a religious organization, they don’t get any funds from the government. They depend on donations and support from churches and individuals to keep their doors open. They are gearing up for one of the biggest fundraisers of the year, the Walk for Life.

I am participating for the first time this year. I don’t like fundraising, but I know it’s necessary for Choices to operate. So, if any of you are able and would like to donate to a good cause, I’d really appreciate the sponsorship. It’s not a per mile kind of thing, but a one time donation of whatever amount you want to give. You can donate by credit card online here , or you can choose to be billed in October after the walk is finished.

During this time of the year, when everyone is concerned with politics, abortion has been on a lot of people’s minds. Working at Choices has really cemented my already hard and fast pro-life position. We can’t just vote for pro-life candidates and leave it at that. In a lot of cases, it is desperate young women who turn to abortion. We have to give them hope, and we have to give them the help they need. Choices is doing just that.

If you can, please consider a one time donation to help us help women in need. If you aren’t able to donate monetarily, please pray for us. Pray that the needed funds will come in, and pray for the clients that we strive to help.

If you would like to sponsor me, you can do so here.

I was watching a youtube video that had a baby in it. Owen saw it, and started saying, “Baby! Baby!”
I said, “Yeah. A baby. Do you like babies, Owen?”
“Uh huh.” Owen said.
Thinking it a good opportunity to once again bring up the new baby, I asked, “Where’s Mama’s baby?”
Owen patted his chest, indicating that he was mama’s baby.
I couldn’t help but smile and give him a big hug.

I wonder if I’ll have a jealous kid this time around. When I first told the kids I was going to have a baby, Owen shook his head no, patted his chest, and said, “My (I’m the) baby.”

A blogger that I read recently blogged a very on point post on pregnancy after miscarriage. It definitely struck a chord with me. Her Ryley sounds just like Kyra. Everything is “if the baby doesn’t die”.  Gretchen’s post really wrapped up the scary happy of being pregnant after losing a baby.

You can read it here:

If Ifs and Buts Were Candy and Nuts, We’d All Have Happy Pregnancies

Just a few things I thought I would share with you guys:

• I have been listening to a new-to-me band non-stop for the last few days. I had heard one of their songs on the radio, and have been listening to all their stuff since then. Check out Needtobreathe’s Myspace page here.

• My baby is growing hands and feet this week. S/he’s got color in her eyes now, too, underneath her fused eyelids.

• My favorite popsicles:

You should really try them. They’re delicious

I haven’t blogged in a while, because I got hit hard with morning sickness while we were still in Columbia and it hasn’t stopped. I’ve had stuff to blog about, but it’s hard to stay upright long enough to sit at the computer and blog. Right now, it’s five p.m. and I’m sitting in my pajamas with a trash can between my knees.

Here’s a few quick updates:

• We made it home from SC on Thursday. We came home a day early because I was so sick. It took me two extra hours to get home, because I had to pull over so much to puke. The first stop found me hanging out of the door of my van, throwing up in the parking lot, while a truck driver sat in his bread truck and watched. Fun times.

• I had an ultrasound Monday at Choices (the crisis pregnancy center where I volunteer), and the baby looked good. We got to see the heartbeat. It was a big relief to me to see that.

• My little brother, Luke, that I mentioned was so sick and then didn’t say how he was now…is fine. He had Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. He’s feeling much better now.

• My kids just came in from playing outside. Sweaty little kids make me want to puke. Apparently, all of my babies make me sick.

So, that’s all of my updates for now. Pray for me if you think of it, because I am so siiiiiick. (I mean every one of those i’s, too.)

I am totally exhausted, sick, and have a sore back, but the kids and I made it safely to Columbia (Chris is staying in a hotel off post) a little while ago.

Let me just say, it wasn’t the easiest trip ever.

I had training at Choices last night from six until nine. While on my way home, my sister in law, Misty, called me to tell me my little brother was in the ER. Luke has been hurting for a few days, mainly in his neck and back, and it had gotten worse and his legs had broken out in horrible dark red spots. They were testing him for things like west nile virus and meningitis. I was really worried, and, since my kids were spending the night with Misty, I went to the hospital to check on him. I ended up staying there with him until 2:30 this morning.

When I finally left, I still had to pack, so I didn’t get to bed until about twenty after three this morning. I didn’t fall asleep right away, either. My mind was too busy. After about three and a half hours of sleep, I got up at seven to finish packing and make it back to Oak Ridge by nine when my training started. I then had six hours of training, and was finished at three. Mom brought the kids to me in Oak Ridge, and we set off to see Daddy.

About six hours and three stops later, we made it through three torrential downpours…one in Tennessee, one in North Carolina, and one in South Carolina… and into Daddy’s arms. We got to Columbia at about nine thirty, seconds before the afore mentioned torrential downpour made it to the hotel.

All I can say is…I AM TIRED!!!

Oh, I can say one more thing…

I am Superwoman.