I thought I loved you

It's no secret that I'm beyond crazy about my sweet husband Sam.

It's also no secret that we are totally psyched to welcome our first baby, a son to be named Charlie in December.

But something I keep to myself more often than not, are the little things my husband does for me that grow the love I have for him.

To say I love him is the blanket statement that most couples use, but I decided to immortalize my affection in a more detailed manner.

I thought I loved my husband the day we married, but I'm amazed at just how much more I've grown to love him since then.

I love how he sends me text messages after I've turned my phone off at night, because he knows that I'll get them first thing in the morning.

I love how he will text me our special "code" of IFLY during the day just so I know he is thinking of me.

I love how if he unexpectedly goes out to lunch at work, he always brings me home a cookie.

I really love how he does the dishes at night.

I really really love how rubs my feet when I've had an insanely long day.

My favorite thing to love about him is his smile when I do the little things for him. Take it I'm usually not trying to do anything special, but he gives me this look that simply says, "You really love me, don't you?"

I love you darling!

Tomorrow!

We are down to the wire here! School starts tomorrow at 8am and boy am I ready to kick off the school year.

For two weeks I've been bombarded with paperwork, supply orders, and teachers who always need something. It almost felt like I would never catch up, mostly because it felt like I was doing the work of three people (phones, registration, and paperwork). Regardless, I finally was able to catch up and call in some reinforcements to reclaim a bit of my sanity.

Now, we have one day left until school starts.

I'm so ready to just get started and get back into our school year routine.

I have a feeling that many more parents will be registering tomorrow, so I will be going in early to help alleviate any potential masses of people.

The biggest difference (besides the vast array of knowledge I have this time around) is that I am pregnant.

I keep forgetting to take time to do things like eat and go to the bathroom, but every day when I go home my feet ache like there's no tomorrow.

I'm actually doing pretty well.

I had a doctors appointment last week and she told me everything was going well. At almost 24 weeks, I've gained 11lbs but have still managed to get 8,000 steps almost every day. Prenatal yoga before bed has been a godsend, as has early morning stretching.

Some pregnancy downsides thus far have been aching legs, middle of the night charley horses followed by bathroom trips, and the occasional heartburn/constipation combo.

I've actually enjoyed my pregnancy for the most part, but who knows if my opinion will change as my due date approaches.

Anyway, pregnancy aside, I'm very excited to start the school year tomorrow!

it's the most busy time of the year

You guessed it, elementary school registration!

By far, the busiest time of my year is registration week. It's like Christmas, except I don't look forward to it and I get virtually no joy. There are memorable moments for sure, like when the kids come with their parents and drop in just to see me. But then there are other moments when parents choose to be rude, entitled, and aggressive toward me.

Let's go back a year ago and compare.

Last year I had no clue how to run an event like this. Sure, I had been trained to ask for certain documents and how to verify addresses. But that alone did not prepare me for the plethora of issues and technical nuances that accompany different types of situations.

I had nightmares for weeks before, during, and after. My stomach ached so frequently that I thought I was developing an ulcer. I was overwhelmed, drowning in a sea of fire and parents who didn't trust me and therefore felt that listening to me wasn't necessary.

For lack of a better phrase, it simply sucked.

Additionally, Sam and I were also trying to close on our house and slowly de-cluttering our apartment in preparation for our big move.

It was a lot to deal with.

This year was different. Especially with the whole being pregnant circumstance that so many unfamiliar parents feel comfortable contributing unsolicited comments.

First of all, because I know so many of the students it has been easier to answer questions. For example, one of my SPED kiddos registered at another school and the secretary didn't know he was SPED. Being able to provide her that info created an opportunity to fix a potentially sticky situation that could've made her life super challenging in about a month.

So yeah. The little tidbits of info that I have are already going a long way.

Second, our system of registration wasn't entirely perfect, but I'm diligently checking everything as I do computer input. It's easier to catch those little nuances and follow up with parents right away.

And finally, all of our big ticket orders like planners, AVID supplies, and T-shirts are all arriving before the 1st day of school. It was a bit of a scramble last year, but improvement is a beautiful feeling.

So as the first week of crazy draws to a close, I half-heartedly tell myself that it will all die down by Labor Day. Then the next wave of projects will come in.

Like I said, it's the most busy time of the year!

like a boss

Today was my second day back at school.

Naturally there are a plethora of tasks that need to be completed before registration next week and the first day of school shortly thereafter. Pregnancy brain doesn't help, nor do the people who keep telling me that it turns into mom brain and my superb brainpower will never be quite the same.

Regardless, I'm beyond psyched to be back in my element and doing what I enjoy (aka running the world).

This year is going to be a different experience because Charlie is set to make his debut mid-December. Because I'm planning to go on leave for about 12 weeks, I want to make sure my office continues to run smoothly in my absence.

Anyway, today was one of those crazy busy days. I had two trainings that ran longer than anticipated, and a to-do list that grew with every received email.

I can't explain it, but as I drove home I couldn't help but feel so accomplished. Maybe it was all the knowledge I'd absorbed throughout the day, maybe it was feeling so happy to be back at my desk. I don't know.

All I know is that I felt like a boss, pregnant belly and all.

I'm really excited for this school year to start!