Good news! We're having a BOY!!!! My ultrasound was yesterday morning and everything was crazy, but we wound up having a great time. My appointment was the first of the day (the nurse told me it was best so if they got behind, I wouldn't have to wait for a long time w/ a full bladder). Unfortunately, the technician got a flat tire on the way into work and was an hour late! I have an iron bladder, but man that was a long time to wait. It really started to hurt there towards the end! Fortunately, once she finished all the initial measurements, she let me go pee and then I could really enjoy the rest of the experience. The baby looks healthy, which is the most important thing, but it was awesome to find out it's a boy. And it's really a boy. We got a great shot of his willy - with the hands right above it - yep, caught my little one already playing with himself! We're still laughing about that.... I guess it gets pretty boring in there. But, he's an active little bugger - jumping all over the place. I'm thrilled about it being a boy - I didn't care what I had, though. Brad nearly stopped breathing he was so happy - he really really wanted a boy. (what guy doesn't?)

My mom was there with us and after Brad went back to work, she and I went shopping. We'd been so good about not buying anything but once we got the notification to buy blue we went a bit nuts. It was really fun. Surprises are nice, but I'm thrilled to know so I can plan the nursery a little easier and Brad and I can just focus on one set of names. Boys clothes aren't quite as much fun as girls clothes, but I'm having fun shopping for them just the same!

The ultrasound machine was really clear, but the pictures aren't. They're better than nothing, though. Here's our little guy:

What a crappy way to wake up.... I just checked my email and my good friend, Brent, sent a very depressing one. Brent and I taught together at the high school in Virginia and sang together in the church choir. His wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor a couple of years ago and they've had a really hard time. They even moved back home to Minnesota this fall when Sarah's prognosis started looking grim, so they could be closer to family. Well, Brent wrote this morning that the doctors expect her pass away some time this week. I don't know exactly how old she is, but it's not more than 26. Brent has been amazingly strong, but this will destroy him. I'm so glad we got to see both of them in March - we had a layover in Minneapolis on our way to London and they came to the airport to see us. She seemed in rough shape but I wouldn't have guessed she'd be ready to die in just a few weeks...

So, a depressing start to the day. I wanted to get this in here, because hopefully, I'll have good news to report on here soon. My ultrasound is in about an hour and a half! I'm crossing my fingers the baby is healthy and we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl.

So cute! Brad is at a conference in Northern Virginia/Maryland this week (I'm so jealous!) and has been staying with his sister and her two little girls. Maya, our 2 year old niece, has been speaking up a storm here lately but apparently has a hard time with the word uncle. So Brad has a new name - he's Knuckle-Brad. Brad thinks it's hilarious. I wish I could hear it in Maya's voice, but I can imagine it. Kids are so cute. Good thing I think so, huh? The girls are wearing Brad out, which is great - he needs a good reality check of what we're in for....

I'm already a bit of a news junkie - cnn.com is my homepage and I usually devote a good portion of my day keeping up with world happenings. However, for the last three days I've been stapled to the news, trying to learn as much as I can about what's happening at Virginia Tech. I was just starting to burn out a bit and was going to stop and then they just released the video the psycho sent to NBC. Nope, more news time for Casey. I was really panicked on Monday since so many of the kids from the high school I taught at in VA went to Tech (we were only 90 miles north of Blacksburg). They still haven't released the names of all the victims, but I've been all over facebook for the last couple of days and if one of the victims was an RC kid, I would have heard by now. I'm much calmer now and am operating under a "no news is good news" policy. Not that it's any less tragic b/c I don't know these people, but I am happy that those I know are safe and okay.

In happier news, I just got back from dinner with a new friend. I've been on a pregnancy message board for the last couple of months and one of the regulars shares my due date and lives here in town with me. I've never gone to meet someone I've met on the internet before so I was a little nervous, but she turned out to be very nice and we have a ton in common. She had her ultrasound today and found out she's having a boy. I can't wait until mine next week!

I just finished prepping my lasagna garden! No, Garfield - don't get too excited. I learned last week from my friend, Tracie, that a lasagna garden is an idiot-proof (well hopefully) way of avoiding tilling, digging and weeding your garden. Here's how it works:

After a Home Depot run, I laid down newspapers on top of the grass in my garden spot. I watered them down with a hose. Then I piled peat moss, manure, and compost on top and covered it with black plastic (like lasagna layers). Over the next several weeks, the stuff on top smothers all the weeds and grass underneath, the newspaper biodegrades and organic material transforms into rich, fertile, and loose soil. It also attracts earthworms, which are yucky, but they till the soil naturally. It's supposed to work like that, anyway. In about 4-6 weeks, I pull back the black plastic and plant my garden and it's supposed to thrive. I've got zero experience with gardening, but I want to have one so bad! I have a small plot to start, with plans to do more next year if this works out. I want to grow both herbs and vegetables. I let you know how it goes! Can't wait!

Oh my gosh. Do I have a story to tell.... So, my morning history class was taking a test today and some kid's cell phone went off about half way through. Just a quick aside, my cell phone policy is really lax - I don't make too big a deal out of one going off in class as long as it isn't habitual - some profs around here deduct points from your grade, throw a fit, etc. So anyway, this kid's phone goes off and he stands up to go outside. I told him he needed to simply turn it off, that he wasn't allowed to answer a call in the middle of an exam (cheating seems to come easiest these days via cell phone). He told me he had to take the call and headed outside. My startled expression spoke volumes to the rest of the class who shared in the shock.

I followed the guy outside and told him again it was the middle of a test and he HAD to hang up the phone. He pointed his finger at me and said "NO, it's an emergency." So I folded my arms and stood right next to him while he spoke. Turns out he did have a very sick family member at home and he finished his call quickly. We had a little chat before going back in (he's very fortunate I didn't give him an automatic F and send him on his way!) about, emergency or no, how he will NEVER speak to me like that again. His response? "This is college." Our little chat continued.... Btw, I don't yell. I get this very calm low voice like I'm talking to a crazy person w/ a gun (lots of practice in public school - yelling doesn't get you anywhere and you can get blamed for harassing a student even if they started it). So, very calmly I discussed the merits of adulthood and respecting the people around you. He proceeded to tell me he's never had a professor treat him as much like a kid as I just did - apparently this school is full of profs who happily let their students answer phone calls in the middle of tests. Yeah, right. He was incensed that I would imply he might be cheating by answering the call. I know it's hard for students to comprehend how much baloney I've seen and heard in my 7 years of teaching and how, deep down, I don't trust a single butt in the seat. I'm thrilled he says he's not a cheater - but I have no way of knowing that.

Ugh. So anyway, that was my morning. I hate these confrontations. I've developed some pretty thick skin over the years and so stuff like this irritates me rather than genuinely upsets me. I'm confident I handled the situation well and I know that some of my other colleagues around here would have just gone bonkers on this kid. I don't like that I have experience with this, but I'm glad that I do. I'm still just reeling from the nerve of this kid! It does make one heck of a story, though. Sorry this was so long. Just thought you'd like a glimpse into my world. :)

It's snowing. SNOWING! Argh! Granted it's just flurries, but still. It's bleeding April! I was so ready for spring. I'm tired of being cold. I want to open my windows, plant flowers and create a vegetable/herb garden. Argh!!!!!!!

Sorry for the whiny rant. You can slap me in August when it's 112 degrees and I'm 8 months pregnant - I can guarantee there will be some serious grumbling going on then....

Alright, the blog is finished! If you look to your left, you'll notice a new link - Our England Adventure. Click there to hear about our trip.

I got to have a lovely lunch yesterday with my friend, Tracie. She and her hubby, Sean, are coming over for Easter. I'm excited b/c I haven't cooked a major meal in a while - we've just been too busy.

In other good news, Brad's dad just proposed to his girlfriend of 2 years. No wedding date has been set yet, but they have no need to wait a long time. I'll keep you posted. Brad and I are really happy for Dave. Judy is great and we like her a lot, even though we've not spent much time with her.

That's about all the major stuff. After beautiful weather last weekend, I was all set to work in the yard, but it's freezing here. Literally - I think it's about 25 right now. Ugh. It's so deceptive b/c everything is green and the sun is shining... Happy Easter everyone!

I'm back! We had an amazing time in England. I didn't take just tons of pictures, though, and just a few of those turned out decently. Oh well. I do plan to do a separate blog - my goal is to have it up and running by no later than the end of the month. Stay tuned.

We got back last weekend, then had a crazy week at work getting caught up. On Friday, my friends, Mendy and Tracy from Texas, came to visit. We are a devilish triumverate and always have a great time together. We saw the sights on post and around town a bit, but mostly just enjoyed spending quality time together. They just left this afternoon and so it's back to crazy preparations for the workweek.

I had another doctor's appointment today. We heard the heartbeat again and scheduled my first ultrasound (which should tell us the baby's sex by then) for the 24th. Just three weeks away! I'm just now starting to show, which is nice. Before, I was just looking like I ate too much for lunch, but now it's mostly obvious I'm a little bit pregnant.