I never in a million years thought that anyone would be anything but happy for the arrival of Baby J. Well, this past week at school was quite the eye-opener.
Without rehashing every gruesome detail, I will just say that I was almost yanked from teaching a class that I proposed, I researched, I wrote, and I submitted to the College Board so the course could receive "Advanced Placement" status. The AP stamp of approval means that if the students take my course, they can take an exam at the end of the year that can possibly exempt them from a college course, thereby saving them time and money. Not to mention the educational benefits of the course...But I digress...
This past Monday, our School Board president (a woman with children), asked if I should be the one to teach the AP English course next year or if the whole class should just be postponed...because I'm pregnant. That started a whirlwind; my assistant principal text messaged me, asking how long of a maternity leave I planned to take, when I would be back, and then in school, we had many a'meeting about the "best case scenario" for the course. Who should teach it? If Mrs. Jankowski is going to take maternity leave, will she be able to teach it? Fortunately, my principal appeared to be on my side the entire time, but just sitting there listening to the idea that I could not do something because I was having a baby infuriated me. Yes, I understand that I would not be there in the beginning of the school year and that could be cause for concern; however, they were thinking about throwing me into a new teaching assignment when I returned, which would mean it'd be yet another brand new year for me. Brand new mom, brand new curriculum, no thank you. Therefore, I made it clear that if that were the case (me having a baby and pretty much being punished with teaching NEW stuff AGAIN), I would consider taking the whole year because I refused to stress myself. Okay, maybe a bit, as my grandmother used to say, "lippy" on my part, but need I point out the numerous contract-breaking and possibly illegal BS I had endured up to this point? Anyhoo, my principal came to see me later in the week and said that I should take the time I need and rest assured that my teaching assignments (including the AP course) would be waiting for me when I returned. He said that he didn't want to lose one of his "best teachers" for an entire year because she was hesitant to return to a new position. How nice...finally!!
Because of the drama at the beginning of the week, I took advantage of the sunshine this Friday and called a personal day. Zach was able to come with me to a Baby J. Dr. appointment, and then we had some lunch before he left for baseball and I worked on some grad school stuff...in the sun! The Dr. appointment went well. I've gained a total of 20 pounds (for week 26, I should have gained between 16 and 22), my blood pressure is still good (I think 110/60?!), and Baby J.'s heart beat was loud and strong. It's crazy to think how soon this whole pregnancy thing is coming to an end: I have one more every-4-week appointment, and then after May 16th, I have to start going every 2 weeks! AND THEN, at 36 weeks, I'll start going every week and having those awesome internal exams again. CAN'T WAIT! But until then, I'd just like to finish school, go on a tentative vacation my parents are planning, and relax before the birth of Baby J. I cannot wait to find out if this child is a boy or a girl!!
I had hoped to be able to post pictures of the nursery, but it's not quite done, so you'll have to check back!!
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