B and I are collectively down for the count with the terrible colds we picked up from the little ones in TN. Luckily though, he's allowed to take medicine, so at least one of us got some sleep last night. And since there's nothing to report on my end I'll give you a little time killer if you're in need of one.
The Washington Post had it's third annual Peep Show where people submit their dioramas using Peeps. In addition to my deep appreciation for all things Peep, I just love the hand made, arts & crafts look to the dioramas. It immediately reminded me of third grade, although I don't think that I've ever personally made one.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Back above the Mason-Dixon
Hi all. We're back from our wonderful trip to Tennessee and trying to get into the swing of things again. Lots to do around here by the end of the month! Posting may get lighter as the month goes on.
Our weekend with the Feather Nesters and Ouisers was soooo wonderful. Happy, relaxing, entertaining (thanks to the little ones), funny, and warm. The trip was SO good that I don't have one single picture to show for it - not one. Ouiser has some good ones from our trip to the zoo, so when she gets the time to send some of those I'll put them up. Of course, she'll have to weed through the ninety pictures of aquarium fish that B put on her camera, so it may take a while.
I wish there was some way to entertain you with stories about the girls, but it's really something that needs to be done in person. Let's just say that a weekend with a 1 1/2 year old and a 2 year old can be really funny.
Our weekend with the Feather Nesters and Ouisers was soooo wonderful. Happy, relaxing, entertaining (thanks to the little ones), funny, and warm. The trip was SO good that I don't have one single picture to show for it - not one. Ouiser has some good ones from our trip to the zoo, so when she gets the time to send some of those I'll put them up. Of course, she'll have to weed through the ninety pictures of aquarium fish that B put on her camera, so it may take a while.
I wish there was some way to entertain you with stories about the girls, but it's really something that needs to be done in person. Let's just say that a weekend with a 1 1/2 year old and a 2 year old can be really funny.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Leaving Again
Once again, we're outta here! In our last bit of airline travel before Baby Girl comes, B and I are headed to Nashville this weekend to see Feather Nester & Ouiser. A year ago they got bumped on their return flight from the crazy bachelorette weekend and scored some free tickets. So instead of trying to deal with the logistics of babysitters and getting the two up them up here to see us, it was easier to give us the vouchers and go to them. Plus - they have the warmth down there.
I'll try to mobile blog if I can, but if not, I'll be back on Tuesday to give you the updates. Later Gators!
I'll try to mobile blog if I can, but if not, I'll be back on Tuesday to give you the updates. Later Gators!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Best Earth Day EVER!!
B got a job yesterday!!!!!
He'll be employed with a division of the state, working on new energy research. A very green job, which is exactly what he was hoping for. Working in the public sector pays less, but it means no more 60 hour work weeks, no more week long business trips all over the country, and really crazy things... like a retirement plan!
Our specific move date depends on housing, but it will be roughly a month from now. Now we know what city we'll be delivering in, we'll have time to set up our house and the nursery before baby girl arrives, we're moving in spring, so we don't have to contend with crappy weather, and we even got relocation expenses, so we don't have to move our stuff!! No one will be lifting any boxes of any kind. The only role we'll have in the boxes is pointing which room they should be put in.
So, I'm happy to say that the fog that had settled over our household over the past 9 months has officially started to lift. Now B has one month to study for the GMATs, take the GMATs, and complete his grad school application - no pressure though!
He'll be employed with a division of the state, working on new energy research. A very green job, which is exactly what he was hoping for. Working in the public sector pays less, but it means no more 60 hour work weeks, no more week long business trips all over the country, and really crazy things... like a retirement plan!
Our specific move date depends on housing, but it will be roughly a month from now. Now we know what city we'll be delivering in, we'll have time to set up our house and the nursery before baby girl arrives, we're moving in spring, so we don't have to contend with crappy weather, and we even got relocation expenses, so we don't have to move our stuff!! No one will be lifting any boxes of any kind. The only role we'll have in the boxes is pointing which room they should be put in.
So, I'm happy to say that the fog that had settled over our household over the past 9 months has officially started to lift. Now B has one month to study for the GMATs, take the GMATs, and complete his grad school application - no pressure though!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sleepless
I'm starting to hate the nighttime. I've had several terrible nights of "sleep" now and I'm hoping it's a fluke and not a pattern that will continue for the next 3 months of the pregnancy. In addition to the cramping muscles, there's the fact that I am down to one sleeping position. Sleeping on my stomach obviously isn't possible, sleeping on my back isn't allowed at this point, so that leaves the sides. They want you to sleep on your left side, which is good because that's the only side I can sleep on as it hurts to lay on my right side. All the tossing and turning and peeing and the full size bed that's supposed to accommodate me, B, the body pillow, and the two fat ass cats who don't move once asleep and it's becoming a recipe for disaster.
Other than the sleepless nights, things are moving along here in week 25 of Operation Baby. My ravenous appetite, which had subsided for several weeks, is back with a vengeance, so I suspect another belly pop is in my future. My back is holding out, but is getting crankier by the week. I'm definitely achy everyday now, which wasn't the case only a few weeks ago. But I'm still holding out hope that my brace and PT will give me more time before any real pain kicks in. I can't believe the second trimester is almost over! After this next doctor's appointment, I start going every two weeks, which makes the end seem so much closer. Now if we could just get to Albany!
***********
On a - mostly - unrelated note, I wanted to give a little shout-out to that horrid little toxin known as BPA. If you're super green than you've read all the websites and know all about it, and if you're like most people you may have heard a news show about it in passing, but didn't pay much attention to it. Feather Nester reminded me about it yesterday with my straw suggestion and I had honestly totally forgotten about it other than the fact that all of the baby bottles and other stuff we registered for was "BPA Free."
There's no need to spend all day doing research because it's already been done for you. There's no controversy about this, every agency agrees that it's dangerous and is affecting our children. And there's no need to get panicky about it either, you just have to know what plastics not to reuse. Click HERE to read the wikipedia page about it. I made a little cheat sheet for myself this morning and just stuck it to the side of our fridge so I would know what plastic containers I can reuse and what ones to recycle. It's that simple.
Other than the sleepless nights, things are moving along here in week 25 of Operation Baby. My ravenous appetite, which had subsided for several weeks, is back with a vengeance, so I suspect another belly pop is in my future. My back is holding out, but is getting crankier by the week. I'm definitely achy everyday now, which wasn't the case only a few weeks ago. But I'm still holding out hope that my brace and PT will give me more time before any real pain kicks in. I can't believe the second trimester is almost over! After this next doctor's appointment, I start going every two weeks, which makes the end seem so much closer. Now if we could just get to Albany!
***********
On a - mostly - unrelated note, I wanted to give a little shout-out to that horrid little toxin known as BPA. If you're super green than you've read all the websites and know all about it, and if you're like most people you may have heard a news show about it in passing, but didn't pay much attention to it. Feather Nester reminded me about it yesterday with my straw suggestion and I had honestly totally forgotten about it other than the fact that all of the baby bottles and other stuff we registered for was "BPA Free."
There's no need to spend all day doing research because it's already been done for you. There's no controversy about this, every agency agrees that it's dangerous and is affecting our children. And there's no need to get panicky about it either, you just have to know what plastics not to reuse. Click HERE to read the wikipedia page about it. I made a little cheat sheet for myself this morning and just stuck it to the side of our fridge so I would know what plastic containers I can reuse and what ones to recycle. It's that simple.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Notes From the Kitchen
Three random kitchen-related tips for you:
* I made pasta salad last week and thought of a genius new way to do it. I realize that most people would only make pasta salad for a picnic, but B loves it so I made some to accompany our turkey burgers last week. As it turned out I made way too much, but that only further proved the brilliant idea that I had.
Here's the idea - make the entire pasta salad but don't add the mayonnaise yet. In my experience, when you add the mayo, the pasta immediately absorbs it and then the leftovers are dry the next day and you either have to add more mayo or eat dry pasta salad. Instead, just add the mayo in single servings when you want to eat the pasta. Then it always tastes fresh and lasts much longer in the refrigerator.
* Mini Green Tip - Did you know you can put straws in the dishwasher? This won't apply to a lot of people, but we're a straw family (originally because of smoothies, but then it spread to other drinks as well). We were going through a lot of them so we figured we'd try to throw them in the dishwasher just as a test and it worked great! So for the last 2 years we've been successfully washing our straws and you should too. (Click HERE for updated thoughts on not washing straws & BPA)
* Crock Pot Recipes - I realize that crock pots are more of a winter thing, but they're such an ingenious way to have dinner that I wanted to pass along this website a friend of mine talked about on her Facebook page. It's called A Year of CrockPotting and chronicles a woman who cooked exclusively with her crock pot for an entire year. As a result, there are 365 recipes for you to choose from, with handy labels on the left side to narrow your choices. If ours weren't packed, I would definitely try out some of the suggestions.
* I made pasta salad last week and thought of a genius new way to do it. I realize that most people would only make pasta salad for a picnic, but B loves it so I made some to accompany our turkey burgers last week. As it turned out I made way too much, but that only further proved the brilliant idea that I had.
Here's the idea - make the entire pasta salad but don't add the mayonnaise yet. In my experience, when you add the mayo, the pasta immediately absorbs it and then the leftovers are dry the next day and you either have to add more mayo or eat dry pasta salad. Instead, just add the mayo in single servings when you want to eat the pasta. Then it always tastes fresh and lasts much longer in the refrigerator.
* Mini Green Tip - Did you know you can put straws in the dishwasher? This won't apply to a lot of people, but we're a straw family (originally because of smoothies, but then it spread to other drinks as well). We were going through a lot of them so we figured we'd try to throw them in the dishwasher just as a test and it worked great! So for the last 2 years we've been successfully washing our straws and you should too. (Click HERE for updated thoughts on not washing straws & BPA)
* Crock Pot Recipes - I realize that crock pots are more of a winter thing, but they're such an ingenious way to have dinner that I wanted to pass along this website a friend of mine talked about on her Facebook page. It's called A Year of CrockPotting and chronicles a woman who cooked exclusively with her crock pot for an entire year. As a result, there are 365 recipes for you to choose from, with handy labels on the left side to narrow your choices. If ours weren't packed, I would definitely try out some of the suggestions.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cupcake Pops
While B was away for three days at a bachelor party this weekend, I decided to plan out some projects for myself so that I wouldn't be bored. I was a little hesitant that I'd be able to find something at Michael's that didn't involve any of the craft stuff I have in storage, but it turns out that I was quite successful. It also turns out that you can have an hour-long phone call with Feather Nester while wandering through Michael's looking for your projects! I've learned that this is what happens with long distance friends and family - you take calls when they come, even though you're often someplace very random. I can't even tell you how many times I've sat in parked cars for nearly an hour in front of a store talking to someone.
Project #1 was Thank You cards for Baby Girl's eventual baby shower. This was perfect because any craft I do either has to be functional or something I'm going to give away as a present. They're very simple, but soooo cute. Apparently Michael's Martha Stewart section has tons and tons of these little craft punches where you can create cut outs of pretty much anything you can think of, so I picked the elephant. Of course, when B saw the tiny pink elephants, he told me I was making cards for gay Republicans, but I told him to shut it. I also told him that his references for everything in life are going to have to start changing from politics and sports to children.
Project #2 was Bakerella's Cupcake Pops (cake on the inside, chocolate on the outside). I have no idea how I found her website, but I stumbled onto it months ago and it's great. She invented these little cupcake pops and they sort of took the baking world by storm. She was even invited on The Martha Stewart Show to give a demonstration (Hmmmm.... did not realize until right now how much Martha had invaded my weekend). Anyway, she has created tons and tons of different kinds for different occasions, and they are SO cute and would be perfect for birthday party favors, so I wanted to learn how to make them.
Of course, as with any baking or craft project, the first time you do something is always either a huge pain in the ass or a disaster. And I knew this going in, so I wasn't even that excited to make them. But now that I've gotten that first round out of the way, I'm excited to tackle them again.
There were all of the requisite first time snafus that I thought there would be - the first round of melting the chocolate didn't work, the second round I realized that I should have bought melting chocolate for the bottoms and not relied on chocolate chips, I need floral styrofoam to put the pops into and not the way-too-dense packing styrofoam, etc. But mostly what I realized is that these are NOT meant to be made start to finish all in one day. At least, not for me. It was too hard on my body and my back to have that much standing in one day. And I spaced everything out and sat down for whatever I could, but it was still too much. And I imagine that if you have children, you REALLY couldn't do all of that in one day just because you could never get that much time alone. And the directions don't sound that complicated, and they're not, but in practice, it's too much.
So the next time I make them, I'll split it up, correct some of the mistakes, and then it will be great. Of course, the first thing I said to B was "these are the favors I'm going to make for Baby Girl's first birthday party a year and a half from now!!" He laughed at me, but this is what happens when you haven't been able to be creative in nine months. He's also smart enough to know that this kind of love affair with creativity and pre-planning is why I was able to give him such a ROCK STAR of a wedding last June!
Project #1 was Thank You cards for Baby Girl's eventual baby shower. This was perfect because any craft I do either has to be functional or something I'm going to give away as a present. They're very simple, but soooo cute. Apparently Michael's Martha Stewart section has tons and tons of these little craft punches where you can create cut outs of pretty much anything you can think of, so I picked the elephant. Of course, when B saw the tiny pink elephants, he told me I was making cards for gay Republicans, but I told him to shut it. I also told him that his references for everything in life are going to have to start changing from politics and sports to children.
Project #2 was Bakerella's Cupcake Pops (cake on the inside, chocolate on the outside). I have no idea how I found her website, but I stumbled onto it months ago and it's great. She invented these little cupcake pops and they sort of took the baking world by storm. She was even invited on The Martha Stewart Show to give a demonstration (Hmmmm.... did not realize until right now how much Martha had invaded my weekend). Anyway, she has created tons and tons of different kinds for different occasions, and they are SO cute and would be perfect for birthday party favors, so I wanted to learn how to make them.
Of course, as with any baking or craft project, the first time you do something is always either a huge pain in the ass or a disaster. And I knew this going in, so I wasn't even that excited to make them. But now that I've gotten that first round out of the way, I'm excited to tackle them again.
There were all of the requisite first time snafus that I thought there would be - the first round of melting the chocolate didn't work, the second round I realized that I should have bought melting chocolate for the bottoms and not relied on chocolate chips, I need floral styrofoam to put the pops into and not the way-too-dense packing styrofoam, etc. But mostly what I realized is that these are NOT meant to be made start to finish all in one day. At least, not for me. It was too hard on my body and my back to have that much standing in one day. And I spaced everything out and sat down for whatever I could, but it was still too much. And I imagine that if you have children, you REALLY couldn't do all of that in one day just because you could never get that much time alone. And the directions don't sound that complicated, and they're not, but in practice, it's too much.
So the next time I make them, I'll split it up, correct some of the mistakes, and then it will be great. Of course, the first thing I said to B was "these are the favors I'm going to make for Baby Girl's first birthday party a year and a half from now!!" He laughed at me, but this is what happens when you haven't been able to be creative in nine months. He's also smart enough to know that this kind of love affair with creativity and pre-planning is why I was able to give him such a ROCK STAR of a wedding last June!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I Dreamed a Dream
Here is the original video of the now-infamous Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent. If you've only seen clips, or if you haven't heard about this story at all, you absolutely must find a quiet place and watch all seven minutes of the video. I started crying halfway through the song and I can guarantee you it has nothing to do with "pregnancy hormones" because I haven't had any crying bouts since being pregnant.
The basics of the story are this - an older and not attractive woman auditions for Britain's Got Talent (the original version of American Idol) and is met with nothing but ill-will and cynicism from every audience member and host. Until she sings and effectively tells them to sit the &$%# down and shut the *&%$ up with the power and sheer beauty of her voice.
I was so overwhelmed with the story of the video and the fact that I was literally witnessing someone's greatest dream come true. I can only imagine what it feels like to long for something for 47 years and then to finally have it come to fruition. And while it's true that American Idol and it's predecessor get their ratings by capitalizing on those who think they can sing, but can't, the sheer contempt on the faces of the audience members when looking at this woman absolutely turned my stomach. They are all making fun of her and practically hate her before even hearing her.
It's something that has been hitting me with overwhelming force lately and this video is such a brilliant and accurate example of it. I'm feeling particularly disgusted and violently bored with our country's obsession with beauty and hollowness above all else. And don't get me wrong, I adore fashion, I love dressing up and think it's important to do so, and I have the deepest love affair imaginable with all forms of art and design - that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about the absolute preoccupation and blinding obsession that surrounds us in regards to beauty IN LIEU OF substance. And maybe I'm more aware of it because I have the television on in the background for much of the day, so I'm exposed to so many commercials for so many awful programs. Or maybe it's because I'm living in this strange limbo with too much time on my hands and so I'm noticing the depth of the problem. Either way, it's making me extremely intolerant of such wretched and boorish behavior as is witnessed in the video.
B and I frequently sit around and wonder what the world would be like if we could celebrate intellect as a form of celebrity that could at least be equal to beauty. We reminisce about a time in which we never even lived in where the average person spoke with reverence about the great scientists of the day.
And again, I'm not in any way calling for a death of fun websites, trashy TV that makes you forget about the economic crisis, unnecessary shopping trips, etc. But there's got to be a better balance and I genuinely fear that it's not coming anytime soon. And this is especially hard when you know that you have a daughter on the way and you're going to have to create some kind of world for her (even if that "world" means your own house) where she's not anchored and pulled under by the one-sided viewpoint that currently exists.
I wish I had a more eloquent take on this problem or a better handle on a solution, but I don't. I just have to voice that this has been tugging on me for quite some time and it's why the video made me cry. I felt like that video was a giant middle finger for all of the people in the world who ever felt like they didn't belong or weren't good enough to sit at the cool table. And let's face it, it doesn't matter how old or how beautiful you are, no one ever feels good enough or beautiful enough - it's the human condition. So enjoy the video, turn up your speakers, and be sure to follow along with the lyrics.
I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables) - sung by Susan Boyle
(To see the lyrics, look to the gray info box to the right of the video and click "more info" and the lyrics will expand so you can read along while she sings)
The basics of the story are this - an older and not attractive woman auditions for Britain's Got Talent (the original version of American Idol) and is met with nothing but ill-will and cynicism from every audience member and host. Until she sings and effectively tells them to sit the &$%# down and shut the *&%$ up with the power and sheer beauty of her voice.
I was so overwhelmed with the story of the video and the fact that I was literally witnessing someone's greatest dream come true. I can only imagine what it feels like to long for something for 47 years and then to finally have it come to fruition. And while it's true that American Idol and it's predecessor get their ratings by capitalizing on those who think they can sing, but can't, the sheer contempt on the faces of the audience members when looking at this woman absolutely turned my stomach. They are all making fun of her and practically hate her before even hearing her.
It's something that has been hitting me with overwhelming force lately and this video is such a brilliant and accurate example of it. I'm feeling particularly disgusted and violently bored with our country's obsession with beauty and hollowness above all else. And don't get me wrong, I adore fashion, I love dressing up and think it's important to do so, and I have the deepest love affair imaginable with all forms of art and design - that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about the absolute preoccupation and blinding obsession that surrounds us in regards to beauty IN LIEU OF substance. And maybe I'm more aware of it because I have the television on in the background for much of the day, so I'm exposed to so many commercials for so many awful programs. Or maybe it's because I'm living in this strange limbo with too much time on my hands and so I'm noticing the depth of the problem. Either way, it's making me extremely intolerant of such wretched and boorish behavior as is witnessed in the video.
B and I frequently sit around and wonder what the world would be like if we could celebrate intellect as a form of celebrity that could at least be equal to beauty. We reminisce about a time in which we never even lived in where the average person spoke with reverence about the great scientists of the day.
And again, I'm not in any way calling for a death of fun websites, trashy TV that makes you forget about the economic crisis, unnecessary shopping trips, etc. But there's got to be a better balance and I genuinely fear that it's not coming anytime soon. And this is especially hard when you know that you have a daughter on the way and you're going to have to create some kind of world for her (even if that "world" means your own house) where she's not anchored and pulled under by the one-sided viewpoint that currently exists.
I wish I had a more eloquent take on this problem or a better handle on a solution, but I don't. I just have to voice that this has been tugging on me for quite some time and it's why the video made me cry. I felt like that video was a giant middle finger for all of the people in the world who ever felt like they didn't belong or weren't good enough to sit at the cool table. And let's face it, it doesn't matter how old or how beautiful you are, no one ever feels good enough or beautiful enough - it's the human condition. So enjoy the video, turn up your speakers, and be sure to follow along with the lyrics.
I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables) - sung by Susan Boyle
(To see the lyrics, look to the gray info box to the right of the video and click "more info" and the lyrics will expand so you can read along while she sings)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Stick a fork in me
Friends, I'm over it. This week officially marks the first time I have felt legitimately and truly DONE. I'm done with this life of transition and carlessness and waiting. It took a loooong time. An impressively long time. B kept giving me looks of "Why aren't you over it? Why aren't you pulling your hair out like I am?? Why aren't you ready to test out the exact height of the gorges... from the top?" And I have continued to give very rational answers for nine months. I have continued to say things like "It'll happen when it's meant to happen. We're not even ready to move. There are still so many things to weed out and pack and see and do before we're really ready to leave. Once we're sitting in the house, with nothing left to do or pack and just literally waiting to move, then I'll share your frustration. But right now... there's still plenty that can happen before leaving."
The thing is, I never thought we'd literally get to the point of sitting around with nothing to do. I thought we'd be moved before that point. And it has occurred to me that this week we officially got there. Everything than can be weeded out has been put into the garage, I packed the final three boxes of things I can pack on Monday, our Master House List has all but one or two items crossed off of it (and that baby was a page long!), and now I'm just bored.
Again, it's probably surprising and confusing that it took this long of being without a job to become bored, but for whatever reason, it did take that long and now I've spent the week wandering around the house. All of the books and crafts have been packed since September when we thought we were moving to Nashville. Buying new crafts costs money we don't have. I finally have my cleaning system down so that there are no more major house cleans to attack, just daily maintenance. And most days I'm without a car, so there are few opportunities to just wander through the world - sitting in coffee shops, reading books and writing letters.
Feather Nester thinks the whole problem is being compounded by the pregnancy nesting instinct that kicks in. And B was totally amused (with an underpinning of horror) that I was just now getting to this point:
"You mean, you're just NOW over it?? (long and confused pause) So you're just NOW frustrated with our situation? Up until now you were fine, but suddenly you've realized that it's REALLY time to move?? Oh... my... God!!! Is THIS why we haven't moved yet?? Have you been IN ANY WAY unclear with the Universe about your intentions? Because I'm starting to think that the fact that you aren't nearly as impatient as I am has somehow led us to NOT MOVING. Well! Shit! Now that you're finally frustrated, maybe someone will listen and we can actually move. Good news!"
Also he said that we could work it out so that I got the car more. "You know... just so you can get out of the house... like for window shopping or whatever." Only a husband would think that window shopping for shit you can't have would be a good way to spend your wildly abundant free time. I think I'll trend more towards the drinking-decaf-iced-coffee-while-reading-free-magazines type of time passing. That used to be the best part about being a waitress - all that free time during the day to browse magazines at your leisure. But again, back then I had a car and didn't live in the country.
So obviously there is nothing that can be done about this, but I just had to share where I'm at right now. And if you had told me at ANY other time in my life that I'd be this anxious to move to Albany, NY of all places, I would have laughed and thrown a drink in your face. Ah, drinks... from what I remember, those used to taste gooooood. Oops, got distracted by alcohol! Sorry. My mind tends to wander these days.
The thing is, I never thought we'd literally get to the point of sitting around with nothing to do. I thought we'd be moved before that point. And it has occurred to me that this week we officially got there. Everything than can be weeded out has been put into the garage, I packed the final three boxes of things I can pack on Monday, our Master House List has all but one or two items crossed off of it (and that baby was a page long!), and now I'm just bored.
Again, it's probably surprising and confusing that it took this long of being without a job to become bored, but for whatever reason, it did take that long and now I've spent the week wandering around the house. All of the books and crafts have been packed since September when we thought we were moving to Nashville. Buying new crafts costs money we don't have. I finally have my cleaning system down so that there are no more major house cleans to attack, just daily maintenance. And most days I'm without a car, so there are few opportunities to just wander through the world - sitting in coffee shops, reading books and writing letters.
Feather Nester thinks the whole problem is being compounded by the pregnancy nesting instinct that kicks in. And B was totally amused (with an underpinning of horror) that I was just now getting to this point:
"You mean, you're just NOW over it?? (long and confused pause) So you're just NOW frustrated with our situation? Up until now you were fine, but suddenly you've realized that it's REALLY time to move?? Oh... my... God!!! Is THIS why we haven't moved yet?? Have you been IN ANY WAY unclear with the Universe about your intentions? Because I'm starting to think that the fact that you aren't nearly as impatient as I am has somehow led us to NOT MOVING. Well! Shit! Now that you're finally frustrated, maybe someone will listen and we can actually move. Good news!"
Also he said that we could work it out so that I got the car more. "You know... just so you can get out of the house... like for window shopping or whatever." Only a husband would think that window shopping for shit you can't have would be a good way to spend your wildly abundant free time. I think I'll trend more towards the drinking-decaf-iced-coffee-while-reading-free-magazines type of time passing. That used to be the best part about being a waitress - all that free time during the day to browse magazines at your leisure. But again, back then I had a car and didn't live in the country.
So obviously there is nothing that can be done about this, but I just had to share where I'm at right now. And if you had told me at ANY other time in my life that I'd be this anxious to move to Albany, NY of all places, I would have laughed and thrown a drink in your face. Ah, drinks... from what I remember, those used to taste gooooood. Oops, got distracted by alcohol! Sorry. My mind tends to wander these days.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
No reason... just because...
A short list of items I've never purchased at the grocery store:
Turnips
Cabbage
Rutabaga
Figs
Star Fruit
You??
Turnips
Cabbage
Rutabaga
Figs
Star Fruit
You??
Monday, April 13, 2009
24 Weeks
Yesterday we did double duty with an Easter picture and a 24 week picture. We had a lovely Easter with my mom's family, where I'm sure they regretted having us down once I arrived and promptly ate pretty much all of the appetizers. The following sentence was actually said: "oh, don't worry, I bought two of those containers of cheese, so go ahead and keep eating." That would be because I had single-handedly finished the first one and then started to feel guilty as I realized there wasn't any left.
Saying that, it'll come as no surprise that I gained 8 pounds this past month - both in my belly and my ass. Everyone except B had a little growth spurt. Although, even B swears he gained weight on our Florida trip and restarted his workout regimen immediately upon returning to NY.
I'm happy to say that I'm still in the second trimester honeymoon and all is going well. I've gotten used to the belly a little bit more and don't feel quite as huge as I was feeling. Also, the back has been getting weaker, but is still holding up great. I do my physical therapy 2-3 times a week, carry my brace everywhere just in case, and make sure I'm never walking around for any extended length of time.
I'm also happy to say - despite yesterday's little incident - that my appetite has settled into a more normal range. I don't feel like eating everything in sight anymore, so that's nice. I've also drastically cut down on the sugars I've been eating. I've tested high for glucose 2 months in a row now and they're doing the first glucose tolerance test in a few weeks to start testing for gestational diabetes. So just in case, we've both started the lower sugar diet now just to err on the side of caution. It's ironic too because normally I have low blood sugar thanks to my hypoglycemia, so I had always assumed I would never face that problem.
Other than that there's not too much to report on Baby Girl. We have settled on a name that we love, but we're keeping it a secret until she's actually here. We're also really curious as to what she looks like (I'm betting black hair, not red, since we don't know if B has any red hair in his family tree), and are getting impatient at her arrival. It doesn't help that we have 2 adorable newborns in our life now to remind us of what's to come!
Friday, April 10, 2009
More Design Love
After seeing this post at How About Orange, I suddenly have an overwhelming urge (no.. need!) for calling cards. Calling cards! No one does that anymore. Any they definitely haven't in my lifetime, so I think it's time for a resurgence. At a party and want to give your new friend your phone number? How uber-cool and classy would you be if you whipped out your calling card? Love, love, love it.
Update:
I did it! I now own calling cards! Maybe one day when we have two cars and I leave the house more than twice a week I'll get to use them! Until then, I may just hand them out for absolutely no reason whatsoever. You've been warned.
First time, shame on you. Second time...
Overheard in the mall in front of Victoria's Secret yesterday:
Woman - I need a job.
Man - Go work at McDonald's.
Woman - Naw, man, they've fired me like FOUR TIMES.
Man - Yeah, but that doesn't matter. They've fired me at least eight times and they still keep hiring me back. Especially the one downtown.
Woman - Yeah, but the last time, that forth time, that was the last straw. They REALLY MEANT IT.
Man - Huh.
Woman - I need a job.
Man - Go work at McDonald's.
Woman - Naw, man, they've fired me like FOUR TIMES.
Man - Yeah, but that doesn't matter. They've fired me at least eight times and they still keep hiring me back. Especially the one downtown.
Woman - Yeah, but the last time, that forth time, that was the last straw. They REALLY MEANT IT.
Man - Huh.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Design Love
Although B and I don't take many trips, we pride ourselves on our general lack of consumerism while traveling. And, believe me, it's not necessarily an easy thing to do when every destination makes it SO EASY to return with a suitcase of worldly goods. This was especially true in Turks & Caicos where there was store after store of wonderful art, sculpture, jewelry, and home goods. The same was true - of course - in Disney. But at the end of the day, neither one of us has any interest in adding to the "stuff" in our lives. We got rid of an entire garage full of stuff over this past year and it still feels like we own too much.
On our honeymoon we decided that we wanted to return with one beautiful item that reminded us of our trip and could be permanently on display, so we chose 2 metal fish that, until recently being packed, sat on our mantle. They were perfect - the fish were very island-reminiscent without looking out of place in our house, and the fact that we bought two was symbolic of the two of us. Additionally, I came home with two necklaces.
We continued that tradition at Disney and only came home with one frame so that we could remember our Babymoon and one piece of jewelry for me. This is a ring I stumbled upon on our last day down there. I had to search through the entire box to find one big enough to fit my fingers, but was eventually successful. I love big cocktail rings and don't own any, but I do own earrings and a necklace that match the dark wood perfectly, so this was a nice start. Plus, it's nice to have something small that will always remind you of your trip in a very subtle way.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Clearly he's in the wrong profession
Anyone who lives near B or spends a significant amount of time with him eventually learns that he is a passionate animal lover. A mere mention of the word "zoo" brings an excitement and light to his face that is usually only seen on a young child with a globe-sized lollipop in his hands. Regardless of what he's doing, he will always notice the birds, insects, or animals that happen to be in the area. Whether he's golfing, driving, looking out a window, walking into a store, etc., he will always notice the wild life. And when life gets stressful and he needs some alone time, the first thing he does is take a hike on a trail and come back with a camera filled with nature shots.
In this house I am very much the one in charge of the camera. If not, everyone would be intimately aware of the markings and behaviors of our two cats and have no idea what we looked like. This trait of his in no way disappears or subsides when we go on vacations. On our honeymoon we came back with about 300 pictures and an ABSURD amount of them were of the little lizards that were running all over the resort.
This held true on our Florida trip as well. We came back with 73 pictures and about ten of them contained a human. I had to edit the pictures I sent around to people so that they knew we were actually together on our vacation and really did go to Disney and not just to a wild park somewhere in Florida.
And the best and most amusing part is that it literally doesn't even OCCUR to him to take a picture of me, or us, and yet a duck waddles by our pool chairs and it's all "QUICK!! GET THE CAMERA!!"
And yet, I don't learn.
Every trip I hand him the camera in the hopes that we'll get a few nice shots of me, or us, on vacation and then when it becomes clear that it's not going to happen, I have to sheepishly intervene:
"Um, honey... would you just take a nice picture of me by the pool so that people can kind of see what the vacation was like?"
(This is where a slight sense of confusion washes over his face followed by a tiny glimmer that that might actually be a nice idea)
"Oh! Uh... yeah, sure"
Here's a small sampling of the wild life we saw in Florida. Just keep in mind that for each picture posted, there are eight or nine more of that same animal in different poses.
In this house I am very much the one in charge of the camera. If not, everyone would be intimately aware of the markings and behaviors of our two cats and have no idea what we looked like. This trait of his in no way disappears or subsides when we go on vacations. On our honeymoon we came back with about 300 pictures and an ABSURD amount of them were of the little lizards that were running all over the resort.
This held true on our Florida trip as well. We came back with 73 pictures and about ten of them contained a human. I had to edit the pictures I sent around to people so that they knew we were actually together on our vacation and really did go to Disney and not just to a wild park somewhere in Florida.
And the best and most amusing part is that it literally doesn't even OCCUR to him to take a picture of me, or us, and yet a duck waddles by our pool chairs and it's all "QUICK!! GET THE CAMERA!!"
And yet, I don't learn.
Every trip I hand him the camera in the hopes that we'll get a few nice shots of me, or us, on vacation and then when it becomes clear that it's not going to happen, I have to sheepishly intervene:
"Um, honey... would you just take a nice picture of me by the pool so that people can kind of see what the vacation was like?"
(This is where a slight sense of confusion washes over his face followed by a tiny glimmer that that might actually be a nice idea)
"Oh! Uh... yeah, sure"
Here's a small sampling of the wild life we saw in Florida. Just keep in mind that for each picture posted, there are eight or nine more of that same animal in different poses.
Vaccination Link
As you get closer to parenthood you realize that there are vast discussions about things there never used to be discussions about. Things like circumcision and vaccinations are being thought about in new ways and many people (especially with the issue of circumcision) are making different decisions than they did in the past.
One of the blogs I read regularly, Dooce, just wrote a very articulate take on the recent vaccination problem and the new issues that are arising as a result of parents who are not vaccinating their children. If this is the first you've heard of this issue, the post may raise more questions than anything else, but it's interesting nonetheless.
One of the blogs I read regularly, Dooce, just wrote a very articulate take on the recent vaccination problem and the new issues that are arising as a result of parents who are not vaccinating their children. If this is the first you've heard of this issue, the post may raise more questions than anything else, but it's interesting nonetheless.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Babymoon '09
This was outside the dining hall at our resort, Port Orleans. It was quieter to eat outside, plus we were sunshine hogs and tried to soak up as much as we could.
As part of the New Orleans theme, there are little instrument-playing alligators all around the pool area, so we made sure to get at least one Couple Shot before leaving.
From the moment I remembered that Pooh was a Disney character I was super excited to get our picture together since we currently look so similar. My intention was just to walk in a store and hold up a stuffed animal next to me, and then we found this perfect little picture spot! B thought I should make the photo more authentic by turning my tank top into a midriff, but I thought the picture should be cute and charming - not terrifying and filled with elastic waist shorts.If you saw the mobile posts below than you already know pretty much everything there is to know about our trip. We had a great time and did a lot of slow moving and relaxation and very little activity.
Our resort was wonderful and - unbeknownst to us at the time of booking - at the most perfect location for our trip. The Disney resorts are spread all over and if you're planning to go to all the theme parks there are closer resorts to stay at. However, there are only three resorts that sit on the little river that leads to Downtown Disney and ours was one of them. This meant that we were only a 10 minute riverboat ride away from our nightly dinners and any shopping we wanted to do. Staying at any other resort would have meant much longer bus rides to get to our dinners and other activities. The resort was also very lush and quiet and surrounded by tons of greenery and trees (which was my original reason for choosing it).
They were predicting rain and thunderstorms every single day we were down there, but each day the weather report changed and we were given beautiful weather. We figure that the all-mighty Disney powers have some kind of speed dial to God and let it be known that they weren't going to tolerate any inclement weather on one of the first big travel weeks of the season. Our timing on that was perfect too - any sooner and it would have been too cold and any later would have been too hot.
I also realized that Disney is the perfect place to go for a pre-baby vacation because it's filled with very happy families that make you feel like you might not totally be ruining your life. All the kids were very pleasant and happy and respectful and all the parents were (mostly) relaxed. Unlike our honeymoon on Turks & Caicos, where you don't even want to be reminded that children exist in the world, being at Disney was a nice reminder of the general cuteness that kids can display.
Most of the days we stuck close to our resort and stayed by the pool. We took one day and pool-hopped to the Animal Lodge to see their pool and all the animals on the property, but it was over an hour trip each way, so we only pool-hopped once. We also spent one day in Downtown Disney touring the shops and wandering around. We didn't really buy anything because although everything is adorable, who wants a house filled with Micky Mouse stuff?
So as long as you weren't planning on doing much of anything, our little five day trip was just perfect. However, it did reinforce what we became convinced of on our honeymoon, which is that if you want a full trip with both relaxation and activities and don't want to come back feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation, you absolutely must have a long trip - at least 9 days. Five days was enough for either relaxation or activities, but not both. I don't know why, but it just takes several days to really settle in to a vacation and truly exhale and forget about regular life.
The one downfall to the trip was the horrible glimpse into my future that I was given. As I mentioned, the weather was lovely - high 70s or low 80s with not too much humidity. However, the heat and humidity were enough to make it so that the only shoes my fat, swollen feet could fit into during the day were my flip flops and one pair of little white sneakers. It also made my rings horribly uncomfortable. Once the evenings hit, things were mostly back to their normal size, but let's just say that if I wasn't scared enough about being 8 and 9 months pregnant during the summer, I am now.
*********
On another baby-related note, my friend and bridesmaid Z (who many of you know) had her baby boy this past weekend!! His name is Rafael, but we don't have any other information other than a picture text message because we haven't spoken to them yet. He's adorable though!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Outlet Bonanza
I'll write about our Florida trip tomorrow, but for now I wanted to show you the truck load of clothes that my mom just sent the baby girl. She had mentioned to me that she "found the outlets," but I had no idea that meant "I personally helped them meet this month's sales quota." Please notice the cream onesie in the middle that says "My Daddy Rocks" - not only is it adorable, it'll be a nice subtle reminder that her parents were cool at one point. Before being the tall lame people with the disheveled hair and the crazy eyes, they were a musician and a groupie (excuse me... Band-Aid, not groupie) once.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Last Day in Florida
The trip has been great - very little activity and lots of relaxing, which was exactly the point. Also, we got to be reminded for the first time since September what it feels like to get through an entire day without any shivering whatsoever.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Professional Relaxation
We pool-hopped to the Animal Kingdom pool one day, but it takes a while to do that, so that was the only pool-hopping for us.
Today we're spending the day in Downtown Disney... And then probably back to the pool for a few hours. And if I can figure out a way to bottle some of the warmth, I'll do that too.
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