Sunday, December 20, 2009
Better post later...
Baby 2 was born on December 13 at 5:55 pm, after 33 hours of labor. 32 of those hours were without epidural, but I was too tense to make progress and figured I didn't need to prove anything about nonmedicated birth after such a long labor. Once I got the epidural, it was over in a flash. Baby weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces, and was 20 inches long.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
And then there were none
I just checked the wiki, and the last school I applied to has now scheduled interviews. No MLA calls for me this year. It's just as well, since I'll be going into labor sometime in the next 24 hours.
I'm honestly not bummed out about the job interview fallout. In a way, it's a relief not to have any of that to stress about when I'm about to enter the hospital. I think that I will be in a much better position to apply to spring job announcements. At least then I'd be able to interview!
My sister is in town now; she arrived at around 2:00. Right now, she's taking a nap. Pretty soon we'll have to pick up kiddo from daycare, and then we need to think about dinner.
And by the way, I am totally in denial that I am going to be in labor in the next 24 hours. To-tal de-ni-al. I'm a little scared that the induction will fail and that we'll have to do a c-section. That's my "best-worst-case scenario." The "worst-worst-case scenario" looks a little more like dying in child birth, a la gruesome literary plot device. (Admitting that gives me the willies.) Anywho... we're ready to go, pretty much. I'm sure there's something I forgot at some point. But the major things are covered - camera, extra camera batteries, and all that good stuff. I just hope that kiddo #2 cooperates. When you screw with nature like this, it makes me very nervous. But I trust my doc, and she was the one that suggested induction. So let's hope it all goes without a hitch.
We have to be at the hospital in five hours. What should I do with all that time? See the sights? Travel? Read a book? Facebook? Take a nap? Mmmm... naaaaaaaap.
I'm honestly not bummed out about the job interview fallout. In a way, it's a relief not to have any of that to stress about when I'm about to enter the hospital. I think that I will be in a much better position to apply to spring job announcements. At least then I'd be able to interview!
My sister is in town now; she arrived at around 2:00. Right now, she's taking a nap. Pretty soon we'll have to pick up kiddo from daycare, and then we need to think about dinner.
And by the way, I am totally in denial that I am going to be in labor in the next 24 hours. To-tal de-ni-al. I'm a little scared that the induction will fail and that we'll have to do a c-section. That's my "best-worst-case scenario." The "worst-worst-case scenario" looks a little more like dying in child birth, a la gruesome literary plot device. (Admitting that gives me the willies.) Anywho... we're ready to go, pretty much. I'm sure there's something I forgot at some point. But the major things are covered - camera, extra camera batteries, and all that good stuff. I just hope that kiddo #2 cooperates. When you screw with nature like this, it makes me very nervous. But I trust my doc, and she was the one that suggested induction. So let's hope it all goes without a hitch.
We have to be at the hospital in five hours. What should I do with all that time? See the sights? Travel? Read a book? Facebook? Take a nap? Mmmm... naaaaaaaap.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Free at last, free at last...
I have never been in such a rush to get stuff done at the end of the semester. I guess being nine months pregnant will inspire one to accomplish major feats. They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I would argue that necessity is the mother of motivation. And I'm one motivated mother.
That said, it is my honor to announce that I am DONE with grading and have entered grades into the computer. It wasn't a big deal to get the work done in the end. The hard part was getting to the office at all. I've had so many things to do -- cleaning, laundry, baby prep, appointments, shuttling Kiddo here and there... you know, the usual. I thought I'd never get my damn grades finished. But when the doc said this morning that we could induce on Thursday night I thought, "holy mother, I MUST get those grades done today, or else." Or else...what? Well, I don't know. But it seemed imperative.
I ended up having to wait around until 3:45 for the repair guy who was coming to fix the garage door. (The time frame was from 2-4, so of course he came at 3:45.) That meant I had to drive to school in rush hour traffic. The 35 minute drive became almost an hour and a half. It didn't matter. I had to get the work done. By the time I got to the office, the campus was a ghost town, except for the security detail. It took about an hour to read reflection papers, enter grades, and send out appropriate emails. (Speedy mama!) I really wanted to get home in time to put Kiddo to bed, so I raced out of there and made it home about ten minutes before the usual book reading commencement. He was delighted to see me, and the feeling was mutual.
I am very excited to welcome the new kiddo, but I have to admit, I'm a little worried about how the old kiddo is going to react. I want him to adore his baby brother, but I am not naive -- I have an older sister I barely talk to. I'm hoping that they'll be great friends like my little sister and I are. (Little sis is coming to visit and help out during the birth of kiddo #2. Big sis? I've only talked to her once since my dad died.) Only time will tell what this relationship between the kiddos will bring.
But you know what's really cool? One of my comp students wrote me a lengthy card, saying that the class taught her so much and that she could tell how much I cared about my students' progress and learning. She wrote that my kids were lucky to have me for a mom and that she knew I would always be a good teacher for them. It made me cry. I hope that I can live up to that expectation. Some days I do better than others. Zero days are perfect. But like any great art, the beauty of relationships comes from their near perfection, enhanced by the little flaws that in the hands of a lesser person would destroy the nuance. Writing is like that. Sculpture is like that. Painting is like that. Parenting is like that. We aren't perfect, but we're passionate. It's nice that my student has such faith in me.
Our revels now are ended -- and now it's time to pack that damn bag for the hospital that people have been bugging me about for over a month. :) I'll post updates ASAP.
That said, it is my honor to announce that I am DONE with grading and have entered grades into the computer. It wasn't a big deal to get the work done in the end. The hard part was getting to the office at all. I've had so many things to do -- cleaning, laundry, baby prep, appointments, shuttling Kiddo here and there... you know, the usual. I thought I'd never get my damn grades finished. But when the doc said this morning that we could induce on Thursday night I thought, "holy mother, I MUST get those grades done today, or else." Or else...what? Well, I don't know. But it seemed imperative.
I ended up having to wait around until 3:45 for the repair guy who was coming to fix the garage door. (The time frame was from 2-4, so of course he came at 3:45.) That meant I had to drive to school in rush hour traffic. The 35 minute drive became almost an hour and a half. It didn't matter. I had to get the work done. By the time I got to the office, the campus was a ghost town, except for the security detail. It took about an hour to read reflection papers, enter grades, and send out appropriate emails. (Speedy mama!) I really wanted to get home in time to put Kiddo to bed, so I raced out of there and made it home about ten minutes before the usual book reading commencement. He was delighted to see me, and the feeling was mutual.
I am very excited to welcome the new kiddo, but I have to admit, I'm a little worried about how the old kiddo is going to react. I want him to adore his baby brother, but I am not naive -- I have an older sister I barely talk to. I'm hoping that they'll be great friends like my little sister and I are. (Little sis is coming to visit and help out during the birth of kiddo #2. Big sis? I've only talked to her once since my dad died.) Only time will tell what this relationship between the kiddos will bring.
But you know what's really cool? One of my comp students wrote me a lengthy card, saying that the class taught her so much and that she could tell how much I cared about my students' progress and learning. She wrote that my kids were lucky to have me for a mom and that she knew I would always be a good teacher for them. It made me cry. I hope that I can live up to that expectation. Some days I do better than others. Zero days are perfect. But like any great art, the beauty of relationships comes from their near perfection, enhanced by the little flaws that in the hands of a lesser person would destroy the nuance. Writing is like that. Sculpture is like that. Painting is like that. Parenting is like that. We aren't perfect, but we're passionate. It's nice that my student has such faith in me.
Our revels now are ended -- and now it's time to pack that damn bag for the hospital that people have been bugging me about for over a month. :) I'll post updates ASAP.
Better get those portfolios graded...
... because I'm going into the hospital tomorrow night to be induced. Baby turned head down, and doc wants him out before he can change his mind! Wish me luck.
Booooo!
I went to bed last night at about 12:45. Slept until 4:30 and then had to go to the bathroom. Then kiddo decided to get up at 5:00, just when I had gotten comfortable again. No amount of coffee or reassurance can make today less sleepy. I reallllly hope I have time for a nap later. But I didn't get out to school yesterday, so I MUST go today and grade those blasted portfolios, figure the last of the final grades and enter them. Blerg. THIS IS WHY I WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL YESTERDAY.
I was foiled by hubby not wanting me to go out to campus and clean out my office by myself. (I have about 50 books I need to bring home, in addition to a couple of decorative things.) Hubby's offered to come with me to school and help carry the stuff out to the car. That's nice, but we'd have to do it after picking up kiddo from daycare. By then, it'll be getting late, and we'd have to drive in rush hour traffic to get there, causing a 35-minute drive to turn into an hour, minimum. I'm tempted to just go alone at around 4:00, have hubby pick up the kiddo from daycare, and clean out the office by putting everything on a cart and wheeling it to the car. What difference would it make if I did it alone? It would only take an extra few minutes, and I wouldn't lift anything heavy if I were putting individual books on a cart. I guess I'll just have to see how I feel this afternoon.
Right now, at 7:15, I've got a fatigue headache coming on. I have a doctor appointment at 9:15, and there I will learn what's up with young master kiddo 2. Oh, and I have a damn repair man coming between 2-4 to fix our garage door, which has been making a horrible noise and sticking slightly.
Okay - it's official. I hate today a little bit.
I was foiled by hubby not wanting me to go out to campus and clean out my office by myself. (I have about 50 books I need to bring home, in addition to a couple of decorative things.) Hubby's offered to come with me to school and help carry the stuff out to the car. That's nice, but we'd have to do it after picking up kiddo from daycare. By then, it'll be getting late, and we'd have to drive in rush hour traffic to get there, causing a 35-minute drive to turn into an hour, minimum. I'm tempted to just go alone at around 4:00, have hubby pick up the kiddo from daycare, and clean out the office by putting everything on a cart and wheeling it to the car. What difference would it make if I did it alone? It would only take an extra few minutes, and I wouldn't lift anything heavy if I were putting individual books on a cart. I guess I'll just have to see how I feel this afternoon.
Right now, at 7:15, I've got a fatigue headache coming on. I have a doctor appointment at 9:15, and there I will learn what's up with young master kiddo 2. Oh, and I have a damn repair man coming between 2-4 to fix our garage door, which has been making a horrible noise and sticking slightly.
Okay - it's official. I hate today a little bit.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Official rejection and nesting
I got an email from one of the schools that already scheduled interviews, officially rejecting me. Duh. I got the hint when no interview request was forthcoming. Also, one of the two last schools hanging on apparently sent emails out today requesting more info and scheduling MLA interviews. My inbox? Empty. There's still one school left -- the one I spent the most time on when writing the job letter. But I am not hopeful. In some ways it would be easier not to have to worry about any of that business. After all, I have nesting to do.
Speaking of -- I was so, so, so tired this morning that I was convinced nothing good could come from today. How wrong I was. I dropped kiddo off at daycare at 10ish, then went to Starbucks and read for about an hour. When I came home I started getting very irritated about all the things I needed to do but COULDN'T do because of so many other things piling up. So I just started working on the first thing I saw: the baby swing. I put it together -- very simple -- and then looked for the next thing. Laundry. We only had three loads, but every pair of maternity pants I owned were in there. So I did a bunch of laundry (and put it away -- always the thing that never gets done). While waiting for the laundry, I cleaned the kitchen -- a bloody mess if I've ever seen one. Thus, despite all forecasts to the contrary, I got a lot accomplished. That said -- the front room is still a mess, and I STILL don't have a bag packed for the hospital, but at least I can be in the kitchen without wanting to take a shot gun to the sink. And at least I can walk in my bedroom now. That's progress.
Tomorrow I have a doctor appointment to find out what's up with baby kiddo. I reeeeallly hope he's turned on his own. It's hard for me to tell. It seems like he's done some decent sized movement over the last week, and I'm feeling kicks up high and down low, but that could also mean that he's just more vertical (head up OR down) than he was last week. I'm interested to see what develops from the appointment onward. Right now, I'm just doing my part to stay calm and heartburn free. (Breathing is giving me heartburn these days. Oh how I look forward to THAT ending.)
Speaking of -- I was so, so, so tired this morning that I was convinced nothing good could come from today. How wrong I was. I dropped kiddo off at daycare at 10ish, then went to Starbucks and read for about an hour. When I came home I started getting very irritated about all the things I needed to do but COULDN'T do because of so many other things piling up. So I just started working on the first thing I saw: the baby swing. I put it together -- very simple -- and then looked for the next thing. Laundry. We only had three loads, but every pair of maternity pants I owned were in there. So I did a bunch of laundry (and put it away -- always the thing that never gets done). While waiting for the laundry, I cleaned the kitchen -- a bloody mess if I've ever seen one. Thus, despite all forecasts to the contrary, I got a lot accomplished. That said -- the front room is still a mess, and I STILL don't have a bag packed for the hospital, but at least I can be in the kitchen without wanting to take a shot gun to the sink. And at least I can walk in my bedroom now. That's progress.
Tomorrow I have a doctor appointment to find out what's up with baby kiddo. I reeeeallly hope he's turned on his own. It's hard for me to tell. It seems like he's done some decent sized movement over the last week, and I'm feeling kicks up high and down low, but that could also mean that he's just more vertical (head up OR down) than he was last week. I'm interested to see what develops from the appointment onward. Right now, I'm just doing my part to stay calm and heartburn free. (Breathing is giving me heartburn these days. Oh how I look forward to THAT ending.)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
2 holdouts
I checked the wiki last night before going to bed. There are two lone holdouts of the schools that I applied to. One is in NYC and the other is in Massachusetts. I looked at the job descriptions again, and I'm not sure that I really fit everything they are looking for. Last year, I straight up lied in some letters, saying "sure, I can teach post-colonial drama," thinking "how hard could it be??" But these secondary interests are things that I might not be as qualified for. (Since world drama is my secondary expertise, really, how hard could teaching po-co drama be?)
For instance, one of the schools wants Ren/Shakespeare with the ability to teach literary theory, which I could do, I suppose, but I've always been a little hesitant about theories I don't like, or worse, don't "get." That might be tough for me to teach. The other school would like someone who can teach Milton. And I will admit that in all the time I've studied the Renaissance, I was never forced to read Milton, so I just haven't. (When have I had time outside of school?) I am no friend to epic poetry, so I would probably have a hard time getting through Paradise Lost; teaching it would thus be difficult. Samson Agonistes wouldn't be so bad, probably. At least it's a closet drama.
But then again, I didn't have a whistling fool's clue about grammar until I had to teach it. As Richard Bach says, "we teach best what we most need to learn." While the comment is a bit snarky, it's true on a literal level, too. There are a lot of folks who have to teach something they've never read, but they manage. And it'll always be easier the second and subsequent times.
Nonetheless, I don't feel uniquely qualified for these jobs. It doesn't really matter though. It feels late in the interview calling season, and my expectations are low. Either of these jobs would be really wonderful, but I am not convinced the stars will align for me this year. (Or ever for that matter.) IF I apply for jobs again next year -- a big, fat IF -- then I'm going to have to work on writing a new article before the job season starts again and at least have it under consideration somewhere. I have a billion ideas, and I even have some research saved on my computer. I just need time to work on it. With a new baby, that may be hard. (May be? As if I didn't already know...)
I did write a novel (unpublished) when my first kiddo was little. So it's possible, I guess.
At this instant, it's sort of hard to plan much more than a day in advance. Maybe once the new kiddo is here, and we get into a reasonable routine, I'll have a more clear picture of what I'm able to accomplish.
For instance, one of the schools wants Ren/Shakespeare with the ability to teach literary theory, which I could do, I suppose, but I've always been a little hesitant about theories I don't like, or worse, don't "get." That might be tough for me to teach. The other school would like someone who can teach Milton. And I will admit that in all the time I've studied the Renaissance, I was never forced to read Milton, so I just haven't. (When have I had time outside of school?) I am no friend to epic poetry, so I would probably have a hard time getting through Paradise Lost; teaching it would thus be difficult. Samson Agonistes wouldn't be so bad, probably. At least it's a closet drama.
But then again, I didn't have a whistling fool's clue about grammar until I had to teach it. As Richard Bach says, "we teach best what we most need to learn." While the comment is a bit snarky, it's true on a literal level, too. There are a lot of folks who have to teach something they've never read, but they manage. And it'll always be easier the second and subsequent times.
Nonetheless, I don't feel uniquely qualified for these jobs. It doesn't really matter though. It feels late in the interview calling season, and my expectations are low. Either of these jobs would be really wonderful, but I am not convinced the stars will align for me this year. (Or ever for that matter.) IF I apply for jobs again next year -- a big, fat IF -- then I'm going to have to work on writing a new article before the job season starts again and at least have it under consideration somewhere. I have a billion ideas, and I even have some research saved on my computer. I just need time to work on it. With a new baby, that may be hard. (May be? As if I didn't already know...)
I did write a novel (unpublished) when my first kiddo was little. So it's possible, I guess.
At this instant, it's sort of hard to plan much more than a day in advance. Maybe once the new kiddo is here, and we get into a reasonable routine, I'll have a more clear picture of what I'm able to accomplish.
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