One Month? It's True.

It is unreal to me that one whole month has already gone by! Apologies to those who have been checking this blog for updates. I guess I've just been busy living life. And I think it's more fun to read blogs than to write them. Just bein' honest.


I don't have the self-discipline or memory to take a picture of Haddon weekly, but I can do monthly! So this is our first monthly photo. I'm planning to have that doggie present each time to reference Haddon's size. Sound familiar, Kate?

This shot is just prior to me figuring out that button indent on the pillow is a good head prop for newborns. Haddon often has arms & feet in that position. It reminds me of motorcyclists. Not that that's what I'm hoping my son will turn out to be. Not that there's anything wrong with that! (anyone?)





And here's the chosen final product. I think he looks so old here! Maybe it's the wide eyes, maybe it's the polo shirt. But that's our little pumpkin!

I promise to do better at blogging. I have the birth story under drafts; it just needs some finishing up. Hang in there & you might get some videos someday too!

spring break!

Spring Break 11 starts today! I am thrilled to not be working this week. Words cannot express. However, I realized that this spring break is quite different than years past. This year, my plans include a long to-do list that involves cleaning every corner of my house. Tasks such as throwing away leftovers (we're really bad about that. i always cook too much and no matter how many servings of ravioli we can muster the energy to eat, there's always more. alas.), lining the drawers in the baby's dresser, and organizing guest room closets. Am I nesting? Perhaps.

So this post serves to remind myself that I am a fun person at heart. And that even though there is no exotic vacation this year, transitions into new stages of life bring great JOY. Maybe I'll start planning next year's trip. 11-month-olds make good travel buddies, right?


Spring Break '08: San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Focus on the fun, not the extra $400 we each had to pay because we missed our flights home.




Spring Break '07: Arizona
Trips to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Sonic. Lots of pool time, ice cream, & Grey's Anatomy Season One.

Who's with me for next year??

enthusiastic aunt?

or creeper?


you choose.

Baby Shower Numero Uno

A few weeks ago, I flew up to Wheaton to be blessed with 2 showers for... you guessed it, Baby Fink! Or, He Who Shall Not Be Named (yet).
The above picture includes my darling shower planners, Auntie Bonnie, my mom, Kelly, & Whitney. They did a fabulous job! Whit graciously hosted all 28 female family members at her house. We squeezed in there perfectly! Decorations included the cute "baby Fink" banner, the diaper cake below, nest & egg cupcakes, & of course, lots of blue!



The shower game was a hilarious "old wives tale" sheet. For example, "If you have colder feet than usual, you're having a ____" Guests were to insert either "boy" or "girl." However, if you're Auntie Bonnie, you would have fun shouting things like, "nervous breakdown!" instead. Whit did a great job managing the crazies during the game. Also, you can see everyone lined up around the room. I told you there were a lot of my wonderful aunts and cousins there.

Then came the presents. My goodness, I was so blessed! It was very humbling to receive all such loving and generous gifts. As I sorted through the 80+ pictures my cousin took for me, I laughed not only at my own expressions, but WHIT takes the cake. Out of respect and love for her, I will not post the series I had in mind, but know that she is most expressive while watching baby gifts being opened.

The lamb pictured above was a gift from my grandma. When squeezed, it plays a recording of a small child reciting The Lord's Prayer. If you'd like to hear it, give me a call. Then you can decide if it's really cute or actually kind of creepy. In the picture, I think we're listening to Grandma explain the lamb.

My cousins Sarah and Hannah, slaving away in the kitchen. They also happened to be my photographers, so I have a lot of pictures of the two of them now. :)



All in all, a WONDERFUL time with family!!

*second shower post coming soon!

pregnancy craving.

i am starting back at this blog thing.

i just have to do it in small increments to get myself going.

i will not hold it against you if you think it's boring.

here is what i have been eating like CRAZY these past 2 weeks.



yup. navel oranges. just bought an 8 lb. bag at Trader Joe's to satisfy this need.

that's all. i told you it would be baby steps.

figs again!

you know how when you learn something new, it inevitably pops up in your life again?
i guess that's what figs are for me this year. it's a good thing i learned what a fig was this summer because i had to pull out my fig knowledge again this week.

this is a strange segway into the jist of this post, but if you know me, you know that i enjoy random stories. so hang in there.

i have been getting weekly emails from a popular website for 11 weeks now, and this week, it claimed that, "Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed."

see? i needed to know about figs again because my baby is the size of one!
ok, now the fig portion of this post is over. breathe easy.

this is the official blog/facebook announcement that ben and i are going to be parents! or, already are parents of a small fig-sized child.

we've known for awhile, so i won't be appearing on "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant" on TLC. (if you haven't heard about this, i'm not sure i believe it. but it sounds interesting. i haven't watched it yet)

the baby is due May 13th. which means i get out of school early! that is cause for celebration.

here is a little picture of him/her, taken about 3 weeks ago. cute, huh?


so that is our big news! we are very excited. and oh yes, if you haven't heard, my buddy erica is pregnant, too. smiles.

A First in Teaching

Teaching is always an adventure. An adventure in seemingly-senseless paperwork, ever-changing schedules, lack of bathroom breaks, and oh yes, spending all day with 10-year-olds.

But this past week, I experienced something new. And I have to share it.

To begin the math period, my students have a math warm-up of a mere four questions. Some breeze through it in 30 seconds while others could take a year and only answer three of them.

After a short time, the students pass their papers to the right and a classmate corrects their work. It's quick exercise and allows me to see how well the students are retaining their skills.

Now, the scenario is this. I have just walked around to the groups, quickly picking up the stacks of corrected papers. I arrive at group 6 and immediately can tell something is amiss.

I scan the group but everything seems normal. I must be imagining things.

"Please hand me your papers, you guys." (Yes, I'm one of those teachers who still says 'you guys' even when referring to a group that also includes girls. They tell you not to do that but old habits die hard.)

Four of the students hand me their papers. J.P., we'll call him, does not. Nor do I see it on his desk.

"J.P., where's your paper?"

no response.

I look to the other kids, raising my eyebrows and giving them the teacher look that says, "Someone had better tell me what's going on RIGHT NOW."

A brave soul ventures to tell the unfortunate truth, "Umm, Ms. Fink, he ATE it."

Yup. ATE his worksheet. Because he only got one answer correct.

I guess it made sense to him.

And just to clarify, he didn't quite eat it. I know, because I instructed him to open his mouth and watched him spit out the soggy, wadded-up ball of copy paper.

And that's my job.