Ok, so I've been back for a week, but at least I'm blogging again. One week from today, my recital takes place, and I"m somewhat more ready for it, though I've still got a ways to go...I'm goin got go study for it next. I've got a concert tonight as well, the last official concert of my college career, supposedly, though we're doing a Vivaldi's Gloria concert, (I think with the Sioux City Symphony? Maybe?) in about 3 weeks to a month. We haven't started working on that yet though, so that'll be what choir consists of for the next however many rehearsals till that concert. But I digress.
It's weird. Once my recital's over, and the opera is over the week following, most of my schoolwork will be done. Yes, I have other classes, but those two events have been taking up the bulk of my rehearsal time, and I don't know what I'm going to be doing after that. Probably packing for our move.
Well, I should probably go study for the recital. I've got 4 1/2 songs left to memorize...that's down from 10, but still.
Going off the grid.
Today I leave for choir tour. Not that you probably would have seen a post anyway, but this is to let everyone know that I'll be unavailable for contact by any way except phone until Wednesday evening. Feel free to call me if you wish, though I may not answer immediately, as I'll have a crazy schedule over the next few days.
Talk to you soon!
It's a Boy!
This one shows he's a boy!
This is his face...remember, the ultrasound mostly just picks up bones, not skin...
These are his big feet...he apparently takes after his dad! :)
Top view, head and knees to feet.
His arms, hands in little fists.
You can see, or maybe you can, that he is all there and very healthy. He was moving a lot during the ultrasound, so we weren't able to get a good full body shot, but that's alright. Yes, we have a name, no we're not saying...yet... :)
Warning: Recital Looms Closer.
Yeah, so today I have to study for my recital a ton. It's in about a month, and I'm still learning my pieces...which is to say I"m not even comfortable enough with them to perform them in class, let alone for a grade as a performance. A month would be a long time, if it weren't for the fact that spring break is in the middle of it, with choir tour and then easter taking that time up. So I've got about two weeks before we leave, and then about a week when we get back....scary. I plan to spend most of the afternoon working on translations and notes. I'm posting here so I don't put it off and actually get work done....because, hey, even after all that, a month is a long time! :)
Rehearsing and baby news.
Well, for all of my loyal readers out there who thought I gave up on posting, I'm back! Actually, you've all probably just figured out that you should check back once a month or so....I should be better at this by now!
Anyway, I found some more great pictures that I want to post, but I feel I've deprived you all so long of an actual update that I should do that first. So, here it is.
It hit me last night that I've got about a month until my recital, and I'm still learning notes on some, (read, most) of my pieces. Because of this, I actually chose to go to bed at a reasonable time so that I could get up and go to school before my first class and practice. I meet with my accompanist today to practice immediately after my first class, and I always feel terrible if I show up unprepared and she is, so I'm going to work for most of an hour to rehearse, so I can be ready. My first class is at 11 am, so as soon as I finish this post and pack a lunch, I"m on my way to school.
In other news, Baby is growing, and definitely kicking hard now, especially at night and during choir practice. (I think the loudness of rehearsal is getting through and Baby is protesting at being woken up, as I don't notice movement in the mornings and can only assume Baby is sleeping then.) We find out what sex the baby is next week, and I will take comments on this post if you all want to know. However, if anyone protests, I'll just have to figure out how to tell those that want to know individually.....since I probably should do that anyway. :) This is all dependant on Baby being cooperative for the ultrasound and sitting so the doctor can see, of course.
Ok, I really need to get to school to practice, so here are my pictures I wanted to load. I found them in a group on facebook called "Everytime you write parallel fifths, Bach kills a kitten." I am not a member, and yes, it is very much a music major joke. I still like the pictures though.
Updates and pictures.
Ok, well, I think it's probably time for some updates. I've been on break from school, which has been somewhat of a blessing and a curse. I've gotten next to no work done, which was one of my goals for break, but the reason has been that I've been either sick or exhausted for most of break, partly due to my being pregnant. I finally figured out why I was so tired, and I've been doing better the past two days, but it was pretty ridiculous for awhile there. (I would sleep in till 11 or 11:30, then oftentimes take an afternoon nap.) The reason for me being so tired was because I'd lost all appetite for any food, not because I was nauseous, but just because I wasn't ever hungry, and so my body didn't get enough to keep everything going great and keep me awake at the same time...rather dumb on my part. I've started eating at regular intervals whether I'm hungry or not, though I still can't bring myself to eat much of anything even then. At least I'm staying awake now.
Also because of this craziness, I've now lost over 20 pounds. I'm supposed to be putting on about a pound a week now, but clearly that's not happening. Oh well. I suppose that should turn around soon enough. The weird thing is that some of my clothes are too big now, like my jeans, and I got rid of all my belts because they'd stopped fitting...I'm not used to having this kind of problem!
In other news, school starts Thursday, and I need to do some homework at least to prove I didn't waste my whole break, so now I'll probably be cramming for my last few days free. The good news is that I found a shortcut (totally legal and not breaking any school rules here) on the internet where I don't have to do forty pages of translating a public domain song...I finally found a legitamate translation. I can mostly read the german, since the words are simple, but I was having a very difficult time fitting the words to the music. Now I just have to get the translation approved by my profs at the end of the week, and I can finish thatwhole weird project.
Also this week I have my first real doctor's appointment for the baby. It should be nice to get some questions off the table and see how big "Jellybean" has grown. (We nicknamed the baby jellybean, because that's the size and shape it was at the first ultrasound, and it kind of stuck. Oh well, it's cute, and if it's a girl, we'll probably keep calling her that...if it's a boy, well, we're not that mean...)
Finally, I was bored tonight and I decided to edit another picture. I've posted the original first, so that you can see the difference. It's my sister Susan, for anyone who doesn't know, and I only changed her eyes. Click on the pictures for a really good look.
you will get an update soon, but not today.
Found these "bumper stickers" on facebook, couldn't resist.... Amanda and Chris, I thought of both of you for the third one, for totally different reasons. Hope you enjoy!
Yay for Chris!
My husband is amazing. Just thought I'd let everyone know. He got up this morning about two hours before me, and did dishes all morning while he let me sleep in. Now, he's in the kitchen making breakfast. He is great.
Baby!
School stuff.
Ok, stress has been alleviated somewhat, as my recital review went well, and I passed. That in turn made me feel a bit more prepared for the actual recital too, which is good.
I've also finally picked a topic for that research paper that's due on Monday - Benjamin Britten. British composer, wrote weird songs about nannies threating the kids they were watching with lakes of brimstone if they didn't keep quiet (ok, that was one song, but still!). He was also somewhat of a pedophile, which is very creepy, especially with that previously stated song definition. Despite all of that, he wrote incredible music, even if some of it is creepy. He was also born in the 20th century, so that's something...he's at least somewhat recent...
I'm about a quarter of the way through arranging the first of my choir pieces, and it's going fairly well, although I'm not looking forward to showing this to my prof tomorrow...he tends to tear stuff apart and do it in such a demeaning way, like, what's wrong with you that you would arrange it this way??? Of course this doesn't work! Your singers will hate you if you do that! (The first two are implied, most times, the last one he actually says.) So yay for the prof and class I don't really like. :)
Also, there's going to be a mass meeting of the choral department at my school, without the choral teachers' knowledge (arranged by the dean, so he can get our impressions without them being colored by the interim professors standing right there...) This should be a good thing, since all except one person in my studio is having problems with our teacher...big problems. So we'll see what happens...
That's all for tonight, I need to get back to homework, and make my recital programs too...