Life as we know it...

...is pretty darned awesome!

K absolutely LOVES her new preschool.  Well, except for in the mornings.  As in, just about every morning.  She'll say, "I'm too shy!" as soon as we get there, clings to my leg, and doesn't want me to set her down when I pick her up for hugs and kisses goodbye.  Truly, it's been getting easier over the past three weeks she's been going there, but considering how happy she is every time I walk in at pickup, how she doesn't want to leave, you'd think she'd be more receptive in the mornings!  But I think that's three years old for you.  All four teachers swear that five minutes after I leave, she's fine.  And I believe it.  I just think it's kind of funny how every morning, it's the same scenario.  Her favorite friend there is Dylan--I keep meaning to ask her which boy he is, but I keep forgetting.  Her least favorite kiddo is Connor, who "wears a red shirt and tells everyone they're babies."  She'll say he's "not nice.  Well, he's a little bit nice."  I love how she expresses herself--so funny how her little mind works!  I love the sentences she puts together!  I really think I need to invest in an old-fashioned tape recorder so I can capture her speech and her songs...for giggles as she gets older.

I really thought I was in for a rough year teaching-wise...SO many changes at my school and at the district level, not all for the good.  I even consented to taking on a student teacher, something I've never done before in 19 years of teaching.  The first week, I had serious second thoughts...too many changes, I wasn't sure I wanted a "constant shadow" to whom I'd have to explain absolutely everything all the time, always having to be "on".  But now I'm so glad I said yes!  Not only is he super easy to get along with, very open as far as talking about what he needs to get out of this experience, but, dare I say, he's become a fun friend to have around.  I'm finding myself appreciating the need to make sure every aspect of my teaching is up to par--it's a great challenge, believe it or not.  I still feel like I'm living in a fishbowl, but I also feel like I'm doing well this year, I really like my students (more than in other years), and I really feel like it's been a strong start to my year!  SO glad things are working out well at school.  So far, at least.

The only negative, which isn't really negative when I stop to think about it, is that on Friday I learned that I will have to postpone my next T42 iui another month.  Turns out--much to my surprise!--that I have a cyst on each ovary as a result of ovulation.  My RE says I have an 80 to 90 percent chance of them resolving themselves by next month.  I guess it's good that I'm ovulating from both ovaries, but it does worry me a little--what happens if they don't resolve?  Surgery?  Not being able to try again?  Definitely a few unanswered questions.  I'll be using injectables next month in addition to my Femara, so that's something new.  Plus I'm currently taking DHEA and CoQ10 each month to improve egg quality.  Interesting stuff.  Hoping for a miracle.  I turn 44 in October...but pregnancy isn't exactly unheard of at my age.  Still got my fingers crossed.

I will become an Aunt around September 17th!  SO excited to have a new niece!!!  As if getting to be a Mom isn't wonderful enough...now I get to be an Aunt too!!  I won't get to see her much, since my brother and sister-in-law live in MN, but the idea of it is still so exciting!

And now a few pictures...K and I did a fabulous Saturday morning yesterday at the mall, and we found some fun things to do!  We rode the Monkey Train--K loves her trains--made wishes and tossed pennies into the fountain, shared a soft pretzel together, petted the puppies at the pet store, and finished up by spending some time at the indoor playground.  It was an awesome outing, one I know we'll do again, just because.  :)  (Yup, she still loves her "Baby Thomas".  She calls him her "little one", and she likes to pretend he's crying about something so she can comfort him.  So cute!)

PS - K's half birthday is today, September second!  She is now officially three and a half.  In six months she'll be four.  So hard to believe!  She's growing up too fast for her Mama...