What a month or two we've had! At the end of August, it looked like Paul might be transferred with his work out to Eastern Washington, putting us into a wierd phase of living in "limbo land", waiting for all the "what if's" to work themselves out. We had been discussing selling our house for months and this was the motivation to get it going... so we put our house up for sale. (For more info on our house, you can check out http://www.2915timothypl.com.) After a few weeks of our faith and trust being tested in "limbo land" Paul decided to take one "if" off the table and we chose not to move out of Mount Vernon, even once our house is sold. YAY! We love living here so that part was easy and a huge relief! We want to build a new home once this one is sold...Meantime, I was hired at the end of September to work as a one-on-one assistant to a wonderful boy with disabilities at the girls' school. I have always appreciated the staff at Madison School and here in the Mount Vernon School District, so it was a real pleasure to be there on a daily basis. My student is an amazing boy and a real delight to work with. It was a real privilige to work with him. It also felt very good to be there at the school, available to our 3 girls but not right in their faces. (They seemed to like it too.)
I was just starting to settle into my new position there at the school, when I started feeling like maybe I was catching Paul's flu... but oddly enough I felt better in the afternoon. Other signs and symptoms appeared making me question "my flu". I thought maybe a little test at home was in order... SURPRISE!!! Yep - it confirmed my suspicions, I officially have the "Egyptian Flu"... I'm going to be a "Mummy" again! It's an extra surprise, especially since I had been told by my healthcare professional back in April that I was in premature menopause, confirmed by ultrasound and bloodwork. The Lord must have some pretty neat plans in mind for this miracle baby! After my first u/s, the "Dr" thought maybe she saw 2 babies... but after my first visit with the OB today, he confirmed only ONE baby - doing very well thus far. ;) Baby is due in May.
Once I knew that I was "with child", my ability to perform my duties with my student changed immediately. Because of my previous pregnancy histories, I am considered "high risk" so I am no longer able to lift him as required and must be extremely careful. I am not on bed rest but after the middle of December (16 weeks) will be limited even more physically. The school staff was very understanding and accommodating, but after weighing all my options and considering the possibilities, I decided to relinquish my contract and just go on the substitute list, relieving myself of the pressure of reporting daily but at the same time, I can work as I'm feeling up to it and available. I am sorry for the sake of my student but I'm confident that all will work out as it is supposed to, since Baby Surprise wasn't part of my plans but the Lord's :)
We are all very excited about Baby. It's pretty cool to be able to see such a strong heartbeat already so early. The girls are busy making plans of their own for Baby and are very sweet with the way they "take care" of me. Of course Paul is as amazing as ever, making sure I'm getting enough rest, bringing me crackers, fluffing my pillows, etc., so comforting, strong, and nurturing! Now thinking about making plans for a new home, the requirements just went from a 3 bedroom to at least a 4...
Stay tuned for more updates, coming your way via this channel soon....
