ten hours of sleep...

...and I had crazy dreams.

I love gaining an hour when we "fall" back.

By the way...

...if you'd like to hear our baby's heartbeat, you can listen to Ryan's cell phone recording from the doctor's office today.

We were pretty impressed with our child's amazing health and talent. I think you will be too.

go listen

after a long eleven hour day of work...

...we spent a few hours here on Tuesday night.

I recorded some violin accompaniment for a local folk artist's new CD.
It was a very satisfying musical experience. Not super challenging, but fun.

The producer, Michael Crittenden was so helpful and knowledgeable. I don't usually have a lot of direction or creative input from others when I'm improvising. But it was really helpful to have the guidance of an amazing musician and producer.

More Baby Stuff...

If you are interested in reading every detail of our baby's existence thus far...and all the random thoughts of a new expecting mother...
click here

If not, just ignore that link.

Two months ago, the night before school started, Ryan and I stared at the image above in disbelief.

Shaking....with excitement, terror, indescribable happiness.

Yes, this is an announcement.

And here is a picture of our baby at only six and a half weeks...



As we watched the ultrasound monitor in amazement, we also listened to our baby's heartbeat. I have never heard music as beautiful as that sound.

That was more than a month ago. Now, our baby, an impressive two and a half inches long, has all of his or her organs, fingers, and toes. Even the eye color has been determined. Though, I can't feel it yet, he or she now moves around, swimming in the amniotic fluid.

In about six months, (sometime around May 9th) we will get to meet our baby.

Tomorrow, I'll be twelve weeks pregnant, and I will tell my students my secret. It has been the hardest secret I've ever kept in my life. I can't wait to let it out. (If you read this before Tuesday morning the 25th, try not to spoil my news at school.)


We cherish our alone time together. It's going to be an adjustment that we could never be fully prepared for. But I can't wait to do this together. To be parents.

My amazing friend Mandy works in a Children's ICU.

I've always told her that I could never do her job. The weight of all the sadness there would be too much for me. Children who are sick...sometimes dying. It seems so unnatural and wrong.

My job may require patience (occasionally there are *some* rough days), but I don't ever have to watch grieving parents watch their child suffer.

Schools are full of life...and hope. Mostly healthy kids, learning, playing, growing.

This morning at one of the elementary schools where I teach, I was surprised and concerned to see tears in the office. The matter-of-fact, cheerful, efficient secretary didn't greet me as usual. I thought maybe she had just received news about a family member or close friend. This afternoon, when I returned to the school, I understood.

The classroom teacher quickly tried to warn me that something really sad had happened....the kids might say something. We'd talk after class. But as I started to welcome the kids, several kindergarteners raised their hand.

"Mrs. Corbin, Alexis isn't here because she died."

It was true. My beautiful little kindergartener, died last night after complications from a heart operation.

We sang together. Silly songs about "Old King Cole" and "BINGO." They laughed and sang and played, but it was hard. Maybe not for them. They can't and probably shouldn't feel the weight of this. Not yet.

I think that must be the most awful pain that a parent could ever feel.

I still feel sick.

Ryan is a masterful dancer. You should have seen him tonight. Every woman there was filled with envy as we danced the rumba and the foxtrot.

We're thinking about crashing a wedding reception soon...just to show off our moves.

Feminist for Life

Just found a feminist website that I love. I think you will too.

the cabin...again!!

In July, I dreamed of the cabin...
"Mornings at the cabin are some of my happiest memories. Waking up to the sound of a crackling fire and the smell of coffee, and peeking out of my room to see my dad, reading by the fire.
I think I can imagine the cabin more vividly than any other place in my past. I can almost hear the sound of the hinged screen door swinging open and banging shut, and feet crunching accross the stones in the driveway, crickets chirping, the smell of cedar and grass and smoke..."

Again, my senses are anticipating the comforting familiarity of this peaceful place.

tomorrow.

(Sorry Andrea, I couldn't resist stealing your picture. The chair at the end of the dock looks like the most perfect place on earth.)

not too surprising...

...especially since two of the more 'conservative' members of my family turned out to be "Democrats"
( a name I once thought was synonymous with athiest, pagan, and all that is evil and wrong with the world )

You are a Social Liberal (66% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (10% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test