The Big Announcement

I've been neglecting this blog...it's not that I haven't had much to say, but that I wasn't ready to say it. Now I'm ready to share our biggest news yet: I'm expecting! First, let me introduce you all to our "Lumpy":

And here's what I'm looking like these days:

 

 

 Some FAQs:

-Will you be having a boy or a girl?
It's a girl! We are very happy.

-How far along are you? When is your due date?
I am 29 weeks today. She is due July 3rd. She'll be a Freedom Baby!

-How are you feeling?
Relative to a lot of other pregnant women, I shouldn't complain. I'm able to eat and sleep and go to work every day. But I am feeling increasingly exhausted and have much less stamina than I used to. I need a lot of rest, so I'm trying to find ways to sneak it in (naps on the train, naps in my office chair, etc.), while conserving energy where I can (less socializing, carrying less weight in my backpack, etc.). The commute plus teaching back-to-back classes are the hardest parts.

-Are you getting time off from your work?
Yes! I'm still keeping my fingers crossed, as not everything has been signed on the dotted line. But it looks like I'll be teaching until I go into labor (I'll be as involved as I can with my summer program in June and early July). Once Lumpy comes, I'll be on temporary disability leave for several weeks, until my program ends. I'll be responsible for the final wrap-up administrative work in August/September, but then I get my usual fall annual leave in Oct.-Dec. Then I'll use my parental leave proper next spring, so I won't have to teach until Summer 2017. I know I complain a lot about my job, but this is one reason to be very grateful for it – and for my union. I will still have administrative and research responsibilities, but my schedule will be extremely flexible, and I will certainly have most days at home. Hurray!


-Are you excited?
Yes! But also nervous and scared about how much our lives will change and how challenging it is to know how to parent a child. Since I teach college students, I have a lot of exposure to people just as they leave their parents' home and set off on their own path; and wow, obviously some kids are going to be better adjusted than others, probably due in part to individual temperament and in part to how they were raised. It's so intimidating to think about how much influence we will have, despite our ignorance and lack of wisdom about so many things. Even worse, we might not discover the various consequences of our choices for a couple decades! But I know we'll cross each bridge as it comes, and in the meantime, I'm trying to enjoy this stage of waiting to meet our little baby. Just a few more months to go!