Having Fun! - Weeks 24 and 25

The past couple of weeks have been a lot of fun! Last weekend we held the Hilo Hat Draw Ultimate Frisbee Tournament and both Phil and I were busy helping organize and orchestrate the event. Phil had played in the Kaimana Tournament the weekend before in Oahu, but I had opted to stay back as I don't think I am up to tournament play. I was okay with my decision not to go, but definitely found myself having a little pity party when everyone got to play and I was left at home.
The Hat Draw, however, was right up my alley and provided a much needed opportunity for fun. At the start of the weekend I was skeptical about how much I would be able to play; with the amount of rain we have had over the previous weeks I hadn't been as active as usual.
Saturday, day one of the tournament, proved to be a gorgeous day in East Hawaii. I was introduced to my teammates (yellow team) who were all awesome people and supportive of me playing. I wasn't sure how the running and jostling would feel on my abdominal and groin muscles so I devised a little system to hold it all in which involved an ace bandage. I could not have been more pleased with the results. I played way more than I had expected and felt great doing it. It took me a while to adjust to my changing body - timing my throws and jumps, and I definitely played a calmer game, but I felt so great on the field, in the sunshine, and in the company of old and new friends.
I feel like playing in the tournament also gave me an opportunity to bond with Bean and become more acquainted with my new body. I was very aware of my activity making sure to drink lots of water, stretch and rest between points, and get plenty of nutrients during the day. I had a kind of dialog going over the weekend with Bean, checking in, making sure I felt good so he would feel good, and giving him time to rest and relax.

So now, at the end of week 24 I am feeling more comfortable with my growing self, having fun getting to know this moving, kicking, playing being inside of me, and accepting my limitations while finding ways to still enjoy the activities that I love.

Faith in Humanity Continues to Shine

Here I am, nearing the end of week 22, and it has become obvious, even to the untrained eye, that I am indeed pregnant.

Yup, I'm pregnant.
I teach at a Catholic high school.
I am not married.

All of these factors have put me into the "potential scandal" bracket in the eyes of my administration, parish priest, and Honolulu bishop (God hasn't yet weighed in!) . When I told my principal that I was pregnant, back in December, I was asked not to announce my pregnancy to my students or to the faculty. I conceded that easily enough, with the understanding that I don't have to tell people, but of course, I am not going to lie about it either (that would be a fairly futile exercise anyway).

So last week, the buzz finally surfaced and the "is she or isn't she?" questions were answered. It was a kind of two front attack, with students on one side and faculty on the other. First, I got a maternity book in my mailbox with a coy little note from the woman in the business office ( she is a mother of 5, and I have had two of them in class). From there I have gotten notes and little congratulations from faculty and staff all week. From the students, it started with two brave eighth graders who approached me at lunch. Par my agreement with myself, I answered their questions and accepted their congratulations with honesty and gratitude. As I assumed, the flood gates opened from there. Within a day, all my students were talking and excited and have been both warm and generous.

It is really a bizarre situation for me. In my personal life, I haven't really been faced with questions or judgments about my pregnancy, or lifestyle - at least not that I know of or want to know of. All our friends and family have been super supportive and excited. But at work, a policy of denial and ignorance has been largely enforced, and questions have been posed about my place here. I was nervous what would happen when I started to show, and continue to be a little apprehensive about how people will react as I continue to grow. However, I am very pleased with the response by both faculty and students. So far, I feel welcomed and supported here at school, and I believe the "potential scandal" will fizzle into nothingness (fingers crossed!)

Now nearing the end of week 22, I am definitely starting to feel, and look pregnant, in fact I wore my first maternity outfit to work today! Bean has been really active, particularly in the evenings as I am winding down. Last night as Phil and I cuddled up to a movie Phil got to feel him moving around, which was fun and a first.
I promise I will get some pics posted soon, now that I have something to show.

The proud parents of a Dodge Grand Caravan

That's right,we are official mini-vanners!!!!!

Phil and I have been looking for a new vehicle, as the truck isn't quite conducive for three passengers. Last week Dine told us about a used car dealer who was liquidating his inventory and Phil went to go check it out. He came home all excited about this minivan that he had test driven and wanted to make an offer. The van was quite a bit out of our price range, and I wasn't too sure, but we went to see it again with our buddy Timber who is an avid minivan enthusiast. After test driving it myself, I agreed that it was a pretty sweet ride - two captains chairs in the middle, a bench in back, two sliding doors, all seats are removable, power everything - but I was still uncomfortable with the price. So Phil put in an offer that was more in line with what we wanted to spend and it got turned down. Oh well, we thought, we have time to find a car that is right for us.

Well, luck would have it that the dealer called us the next day and accepted our offer and we went in and bought it off the lot. Yeah for us!!!! It's really funny how people have reacted. Those who don't own a van think it is hilarious, and those who do own a van keep assuring us that we have made the best decision and we will be nothing but happy with our purchase. I have to admit, I didn't think I would be all to fond of being a van owner, but Phil spoke my language when he told me that we could throw our bikes, camping gear, friends, and baby in the van and be off! So I guess we have crossed some invisible threshold into the world of the minivan, but I think it will suit us well.

With that said, I will end this post with a big thank you to our current vehicle - 2000 Toyota Tacoma, which has been an absolute champ out here in Hawaii. Without the truck we wouldn't have been able to explore such places as the summit of Mauna Kea, the beaches of Waipio, Green Sands, and Champagne Ponds. It has been a real adventure owning the truck and it has never let us down.

Rain, rain go away......

Oh the rain, the rain, the rain......
Today was perhaps the first day in 10 where it did not rain. The rain that has been falling for the last 10 days has not been your run of the mill drizzle or shower, but all out monsoon, torrent rain.

The worst of the rain was over the weekend where parts of Hilo and surrounding areas saw 19+ inches of rain in a 24 hour period! Can you imagine if that was snow? Highways were closed, or down to one lane in places due to flooding and landslides. The rivers were at astounding levels, making you feel like you were about to be swept off the bridge as you looked over the edge.
Needless to say, the Ultimate field is under about 3 feet of water right now, and even if we wanted to play, we would have to paddle down the highway to get there!

Phil and I are very fortunate that we had no water damage to our apartment. We live in a basement and fully expected to come home every night to flooding. About 120 - 150 homes in the area did suffer water damage so we count our selves as the lucky ones.

As exciting as the rain has been, I am ready for it to be over. I never thought I would get cabin fever in Hawaii, but I have now officially experienced it. Here is to a sunny tomorrow!