Back to School!

Natalee went back to "school" August 28, 2014. This year she has speech twice a week for thirty minutes, Monday and Thursday. She loves "school" and I am so glad she is eager to learn!

Sisters were all excited too!

A few weeks into the year, Natalee started riding the school bus to school! It is so nice to have her picked up from the bus stop! :) She absolutely LOVES riding the school bus! I must admit the first day was really hard on me...I've only let them ride with family members, and very few at that, so a complete stranger, phew, it was a tear-jerker for me! My little tiny baby is getting SO big!

Seriously, I don't think I could love her anymore than I do!!!! 

This was just a few weeks ago, waiting at the bus stop with baby Brooke too! 

Last Day of School!

This past Tuesday (06/10/14) was Natalee's last day of speech at school. She has been going to speech once a week for a few months now and we are already seeing so much improvement. She is easily putting three and four words together now, and the best part is that we are able to understand what she is saying. I could always understand what she wanted and needed, but anyone else would have a very hard time. Now though, she is really sounding out words easily and repeating what we say a lot more. I am so thankful for early intervention!!!

Here is my big girl in front of her school! She kept saying, "no more school" all day! :) And we brought her teacher a potted flower to thank her for helping Natalee "blossom". ;)

She will resume speech in the fall when school starts, when hopefully all the girls will be going to school for half a day, everyday! Oh the happiness.... :)

Guest Post #1

Here is the first of some lovely ladies that sent me guests posts to post while we were on vacation, but since I never scheduled any...I thought I would do a guest post every other day while you read about your vacation!

Hope you enjoy!

I'm Jamie from over at Jamie's Journey Through Life (jamiesjourneythroughlife.blogspot.com).  A brief little bit about me, I am 17 and a Senior in high school.  I have a brother, a half brother and two step brothers.  One of my favorite things to do in the summer is babysit.

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Today I'm going to be talking about what parents should look for in a babysitter.  I have babysat for my cousins for four years, plus my half brother many times and also babysat for a family with four kids once.  So I've had my far share of babysitting experiences.  This is what I think a parent should look for while looking for someone to babysit for their precious children.

1. Someone that loves children.  I definitely believe that in order to babysit, you have to love children.  Babysitting can be easy but can be hard on some days.  I think you have to have a love for children to get through those hard days and it makes babysitting more enjoy to love children and to enjoy watching them. :)
2. Someone that is accountable and trustworthy.  I believe that a person has to be accountable and trustworthy in order to be babysitter.  You need to have the peace of mind that they will be there to babysit when you need them and you can trust them with the care of your most priced possession, your child(ren). :)
3. Someone that makes your child(ren) happy.  It's so important that your children like the babysitter.  The children should look forward to having the babysitter.  If the child(ren) doesn't like the babysitter, it makes it no fun for anyone.
4. Someone that can drive.  Definitely not needed but it is nicer if they can. :)  I know this from experiences.  Until this summer, I was not able to drive so you were stuck at home and it makes it harder.  If they can drive, they can take your children to the park, library, bowling, ect.  It's more fun for the kids, wears out the children for you and makes it easier on the babysitter. :)

It was an honor to be blogging for Holly today.  I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writting for you all today!

Remember to keep all these great tips that Jamie suggested in mind anytime you are looking for a babysitter for your children! You can NEVER be too careful!

My Master's Degree Diploma!

At least it didn't take me as long this time to frame AND hang on the wall. I think my Bachelor's Degree took me over a year to get framed. My Master's Degree...only 6 months. I'd say that was BIG progress!

According to the 2004 Census, only 9.4% of US citizens have a Master's Degree or higher and that statistic I'm very proud to be a part of! Anyway, I LOVE it and I am proud of myself, if I do say so!

UMB School of Social Work Graduation!!!!

Today is Graduation Day! We woke up at 4:15am and we made it to Baltimore by 7:00am! So, yes I did figure out what to wear, iron it and and my gown and I made it on-time (I AM ALWAYS on time!!). I was a little stressed when we weren't even on the highway at 6:15am, but I calmed down.

We ate a quick bite to eat and I had to line up almost immediately...I found Kim and we put on our gowns and hats...and officially looked like weird-os! We just laughed at one another because it messes up our hair, makes us look fat and I could help but of thinking that I would have really looked like a wale if I was 8 or 9 months pregnant (when I thought I was so pregnant those first few months, I would have been  BIG in that gown today).

The ceremony was very quick and there were 380 School of Social Work Master's Degree graduates and 3 PHD graduates. One interesting point - our school is in the top 10% of social work schools! Whahoooo! 

I think I was more nervous today then I was walking down the aisle at my wedding! I was so afraid I would trip over the wires everywhere! It was neat that we had to go in a "buddy system" and Kim and I of course were buddies! Normally, they do these things in alphabetical order but they didn't so it was super cool to walk beside each other the whole time. It was like a commencement of our own time together through this whole process for the past six years. Secretly, I loved that.

The did say my name wrong. Stupid Assistant Dean I Can't Read and Pronounce...she said my last name as Guidos instead of Gaydos. I even wrote on the card, "it's pronounced exactly like it's spelled, Gay-dos" but apparently she didn't understand that. Ugh!

We walked across and didn't fall! We got "hooded" and officially became social workers! Now please, I would like my first pay check....

On to pictures and then we went to lunch where I couldn't eat because the nausea is kicking in really bad now, along with the cramping. Then Tim and I came home and took a nap relaxed.

I got so many wonderful and lovely text messages from friends and family that couldn't be here and it means so much to me that you are thinking of me today! Thank you!

In a few minutes we are leaving for softball games, Rita's and then to Kim's party!

So below are a few photos from the day! Enjoy!!!!

Before the ceremony

Here we come...

Best friends FOREVER

Proud Parents

Proud Husband

Roger, Kim, me, Tim

My family

My sister, Christine

All in all it was a wonderful day and I am glad that I decided to go!

Thursday Report

Nurse My Favorite called with my report...estrogen is over 1000...I can't remember the exact number because to be honest, I was napping out of it. I still had 12 follies getting much bigger today! It's so cool to see them everyday! I love it! There's one that is getting very big so they're going to let that one "over mature" and wait for the rest.

She also told me that Dr. Stilman is going to be out of town this weekend and all of next week. So sad about that. I really, really wanted him to be there for either the retrieval or the transfer but she said he might be able to make the transfer if it's next Sunday (as scheduled).

I am really, really tired. Not looking forward to getting up at 4:15 tomorrow to be in Baltimore by 7:00am. Lovely. HOWEVER, it's the last time I will be visiting that horrible city ever again. Give me my degree and goooooooood-bye!  Have not ironed my robe yet. Have not picked out an outfit yet. Have not seen if I can fit into anything. I have my tickets ready though and gas in my car. I'll get it all together. I always do. It's going to be exciting. I never get excited about things I do for myself. I should be excited. I am excited.

Tomorrow is also exciting because it is one year until my best friend, Kim and her fiancee get married! She will also be graduating tomorrow, right next to me! We have gone to school together since Kindergarten and now we are still together, graduating with our Master's! We did every step of the way together and would not have made it through without each other. It's exciting to be done and also kind of bitter-sweet to be done, because it's a chapter of our life together that's ending. Of course we will still have plenty of time together doing other things now..not school work!

So tomorrow should be nice and then I go back Saturday morning for more monitor and then again Sunday! I will keep you all updated!

Monday Blues...

Yesterday was not a good day.

I got my protocol for our IVF cycle.

Embryo Transfer Day is the day of my grad school graduation. Boo.

I feel like this is the same protocol they give every woman in the clinic on "the first try".

Nurse stated, "this is what the doctor feels best for you right now".

...SURE...

I hope it works.

Ugh, I really hope it works.

I want a baby so badly.

I start my BCP's tomorrow.

Then, I didn't get to give my presentation in class, as I was supposed to.

Stupid professor.

Now I have to wait another week and try not to forget all the preparations that I did ALL last week for this 2 hour presentation.

I was going to take off next Monday.

Now I can't

Now I have to go to my classes.

Ugh.

At 4:00pm, I realized I had to go to this "Exit Interview" at school, to be able to graduate.

It's to make sure you realize that you have to pay back your loans...for the rest of your natural born life.

I will be in debt forever.

There goes my Lexus SUV.

Damn it.

Ugh, damn it, again!

I need a job ASAP.

Such a lovely idea to have it at the end of the day, when we have all been in class from 9AM, and now it's 7PM, and I'm sitting in traffic on the oh so lovely streets of Baltimore.

Man, I hate this city.

I will never come back to this disgusting place after May 21, 2010.

It's dirty.

It's gross.

It's loud.

There are nasty people.

This drunk guy followed Kim and I to our car, in the parking garage, up the elevator.

I held my mace, ready at any second.

He was stumbling.

And smoking.

Eww, get away from us!

Then the parking attendant said, with no teeth, by the way, "your girlfriend is gorgeous"...

I just took the money and drove out.

What just happened?

Kim and I laughed.

He was MR.

We shouldn't judge.

We are social workers for God's sake.

It was funny though.

And, Tim is sick.

Thought it was allergies.

Nope.

Sick.

My throat kinda hurts too.

I'm not acknowledging it.

Damn, I have to wake up at 5:45AM tomorrow for Terminex.

Tim met me at the door upon arriving home and said "we are under attack".

I hate ants!

I have a whole militia in my house.

Ugh.

I have therapy tomorrow.

Amen!

Well school started today...

Always a good and, not so good feeling about going back to school in the fall. This will be my last year (19th) of going to school in the fall. I am estatic (literally) to be graduating May 22, 2010..only 8 months and 18 days left...and those 8 months will hopefully fly by, as most school years do. There are so many things I am looking forward to over the next few months, to help pass the time:

1. Fall weather
2. Warm clothes, ie. sweatshirts, boots, pea coat...
3. Good food...hot chocolate, warm apple pie, hot apple cider, chili
4. Poolesville Day
5. Colorfest
6. Thanksgiving Dinner
7. Christmas Eve church service
8. Christmas morning presents..yes, yes I know..but who doesn't love getting presents
9. Decorations (lets be real, I mean buying new decorations and wondering where I am going to put them when it's January)
10. Football season...sunday family afternoons and good snacks
11. Fires (in the fireplace or outside)
12. SNOW!!! (snow days off from school, cuddled up at home)
13. Skiing, and watching Tim try so hard
14. Anxiousness of possible pregnacies each month???!! :) (that needs it's own list)
15. Candles smelling like gingerbread, warm sugar cookies and apple spice
16. Our 2nd holiday open house in December
17. The returning of Survivor, The Amazing Race and other shows that still steal my attention
18. November 15th--the day they begin playing Christmas music on 97.1
19. My birthday, I will always look forward to my birthday
20. The continuation of this blog
21. Painting one of the bathrooms upstairs and painting a baby room...maybe
22. Going for walks in the evening with Tim and Audrey
23. Starting to become friends with Julian Michaels...s l o w l y . . .
24. The 2010 Winter Olympics
25. Buying a new car, hopefully
26. Saving for vacation, hopefully back to Aruba


So, I'll stop there for right now...back to listening to my professor gabber on and on, on Friday afternoon until 5. Lovely...hopef time goes by fast..