Funny Funnies

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner...

The BABY, that's who!!! I was putting away some clean dishes, preparing to wash dirty dishes, and lamenting the fact that I had to make dinner - I just haven't been into cooking for a really long time now. And then it hit me - I am going to have to make dinner for MY SON, whether I want to cook or not! And for a long time! WOW! Well, of course K can cook too, he's good at it. It's not that I don't like cooking exactly, I actually enjoy it when I'm inspired. But, especially since living out here, I haven't had the energy to cook, we eat take-out more often than home-cooked meals. During K's recovery from his accident, I was cooking up a storm, and I enjoyed getting the meals ready before I went to work so that he had food at home, it was nurturing. I am sure I'll have no problem cooking when it is for my son. Back at home, I did a whole lot of cooking for my stepsons, sometimes I'd cook a whole day's worth of meals in one shot. Yes, I'll be fine. But it was just one of those moments when it really hit me that my life is about to change enormously!

Summer In The City

So, we've just returned from a short trip to NY to visit family and attend a wedding (and I apologize to those family and friends I didn't get to see, i.e. everyone!!). I kept my visit mum because I was overwhelmed by the short amount of time I had, and how much I wanted to see everyone but didn't think I could. I realize that I really need at least a week, maybe two, to get a full visit in with everyone. What was surprising to me about this trip, and the reason why I didn't get my visits in like I had hoped, was that I am out of NY shape! And I think it is mostly because of the pregnancy, but partially also because of the fact that I don't do that much walking in Las Vegas; we drive everywhere. I walk Brooklyn, but that's slow, minimal walking. And I walk through the mall at work to get to the theater, but sometimes I valet and avoid the mall altogether, taking the escalator/elevator straight up. And walking through an indoor mall is not like walking on hard, NY city pavement. On an incline at that! My Brother and I went up the hill to get some food, and the hill took the wind out of me, I was so surprised. And the one day that I did venture on the subway to do some banking, I was really careful about stairs and crowds and took my time, which is so not me in NY; I used to zip through crowds, climb stairs in record time, weave in and out of the maze of commuters so as not to lose my momentum. This was just so wild. I had envisioned myself having lunch/dinner dates with friends, taking pics down in the Village, visiting folks at the theater, seeing a movie, catching some live music (which is unrealistic in a 3 day-stint, pregnant or not). Instead, after that walk up the hill, my heel was aching, and I was just winded, so I ended up spending most of my time on my Grandma's couch! Which was perfect, actually, because I got to spend undivided time with my family, which was long overdue. And then, I got to spend quality time with my in-laws and my stepsons, who are SO EXCITED about the baby, it was really beautiful and touching!!!

There was something really nice about being in NY with my baby in my tummy. I felt like I was already sharing some of my heritage, some of my love for NY with him. When I landed (I arrived two days before K), and I got in the cab to take me to my Grandma's house, the baby started kicking as soon as we got on our way. My family and I joked that he was saying, "New York, just like I pictured it!" (from Stevie Wonder, can't remember which song, Living For The City?).

The NY weather was delicious, mostly mild like Spring or Fall (although anything is mild compared to Vegas Summer heat). I suffered pretty badly from jet lag, and maybe the pregnancy is making it harder to adjust - I had really bad jet lag in Brighton too. So I didn't get the sleep I had hoped, but that's okay, I didn't notice too much, what with all the excitement of seeing family. Didn't sleep much at all on the plane either, which is also new for me. Usually I am asleep before we even take-off and I can stay asleep for most of the ride, but my back was so uncomfortable in the seats, and it felt like the recline made it more achy.

The one thing I didn't remember so much about NY that became so apparent to me during this trip was the dirt! NY is DIRTY!!! Vegas has dirt, but it is natural dirt, it is dust, Vegas is dusty. NY's dirt is FILTH!! And because I am such a germaphobe right now, it magnified the dirt for me. I know NY has always been dirty, but I guess I was used to it. I wonder if I would be such a fanatic about avoiding germs if I was experiencing this pregnancy in NY. Or would I just be even more paranoid?! Things that make you go hmm...

Sunny Days

6 months pregnant. I am very happy!

Got Milk?

Breastfeeding an 8 year-old. Not sure how I feel about it, and not sure if that's just social conditioning, but just can't help thinking that 8 years old is too old to be breastfed. And yet, I don't want to be close-minded. The mother is lovely, and the children seem well-adjusted. But still...jury's out on this one. Check it out.

Story Time

I found this website of free online children's stories - I thought I would jump start storytelling to the baby by reading to him in utero, and I don't have any children's books here in Vegas (probably not appropriate to read the love-torn, romantic novels of Isabel Allende aloud to the baby!) While not the same as reading to your child yourself (and therefore not much use to me while pregnant), I do think it's cool that SAG set up this online storytelling site where actors read the stories, and there are close-ups of the illustrated pages and captions to read along. If one were exhausted or looking for an alternative distraction for their already-born child, I guess this would be a fun substitution. And since computer literacy is such a necessity, I guess I wouldn't be too opposed to sitting in front of the computer and watching Robert Guillaume or CCH Pounder read to my child. Or maybe I will just sit in front of the computer while pregnant and play Robert Guillaume reading "Guji, Guji" over and over again, and then when my son is born, he'll expect me to sound like Benson! That would be a kick! KIDDING!!!!! ("That would be a kick"?! What is this, the set of "Beach Blanket Bingo"?! Frankie, Frankie?? Is that you?).

Story Online

Sitting On The Dock Of eBay

So this morning, after pulling open one of my dresser drawers, which are so full of new and old clothes that to open one is to open four simultaneously, and yanking out one of the few pairs of pants that still fit me, I decided it was time for stage two of my pregnancy clothes clean-out. And this time around, the pile of clothes that no longer fit me is much larger than the pile from the first trimester. Which was a little daunting. Every time I face the fact that clothes don't fit me anymore, including pre-pregnancy, I wax nostalgic about a time when my waist was that tiny, and my hips were that slim. Sometimes I can't believe I ever fit into some of the clothes. And I am making this pile of clothes to pack away in the (delusional) hopes that I actually achieve pre-pregnancy size after the baby is born! But right now, with my belly so big and my hips so wide, that may be wishful thinking, I don't know. I've decided that if I don't fit my clothes ever again, I am going to put some stuff on eBay - a little money will make the taste of defeat a little easier to swallow.

Everything Old Is New Again...Or Not

I saw this DVD collection while working on my registry and got so excited! How cool to be able to share with my son the beauty of classic Sesame Street, the episodes that I grew up on. But then I had to ask myself if I would be doing my son a disservice, if it would be better to be progressive and just stay with what is going on now - Sesame Street stays current. Would my child be stuck in the past (and not even his past)? I was then reminded of when K and I shared DVDs of the first season of Electric Company with my stepsons. They were completely unimpressed and didn't think anything about it was funny, asking us, "Is this all you guys had?" which I have to admit was as humorous as it was humiliating. I wanted them so much to share the enjoyment I experienced as a kid watching Electric Company. I felt like a dinosaur. I guess times were just simpler then, it took a lot less to entertain us. In the end, I decided I'd take a chance - if my son doesn't enjoy these early episodes, at least I will.

Tread Lightly

So, I went back on the treadmill today, and I managed to walk for 13 minutes before I started to feel a little lightheaded, so I called it a day. But I was pretty proud. I listened to my Brazilian Language podcast (it has been months since I've listened to any language lessons) so the time went by pretty quickly. I had planned to watch one of the portable TV sets that are attached to the treadmills, but the one on the treadmill I chose happened to be broken. There was a working one on a treadmill that a guy had just finished using, but since the pregnancy, I've become such a MAJOR germaphobe (is that even a word), that I was afraid he hadn't wiped it off sufficiently and I didn't feel like possibly grabbing handles covered in his microscopic sweat particles. Yeh, the germ thing is a little out of control. Liquid handsoap lasts only about a week in our house because of my obsessive handwashing, I can't help myself. What am I going to do after the baby arrives?! I'll have to calm down on the germ thing.

My Mother asked me tonight if I've started getting Brooklyn used to less attention, as is recommended by some websites I've read regarding getting your dog baby-ready. Well, seeing as I gave Brooklyn a 15 minute doggy-massage, which I am pretty good at I might add, I'm a little behind on the dog baby-briefing. I did download a sound file of a baby crying which I can loop to play so that Brooklyn gets used to the sound of a baby crying (also recommended). I played it twice, and she only reacted the first time with a slight twist of the head to see where the heck the sound was coming from. The second time, she didn't even twitch. A good sign?

Look Ma, No Hands!

Just had to say that I have become extra adept at picking things up off the floor with my toes - anything to avoid having to bend over and stoop down. Just wanted to share. Good night!

Baby Talk

Yup, I am pregnant! I was looking at tons of press pics at the office, and I think it was the juxtaposition of pictures of me pre-pregnancy with the few they have of me pregnant that really brought it home for me that I am indeed pregnant (as if the belly didn't give it away - I AM RIDICULOUS...ahem). I can see it in my face in the pictures, where as I don't see the changes as drastically at home in the mirror from day to day. I love this picture because K looks SO HAPPY! He's really excited, he has a good chuckle when he sees my belly, keeps saying, "I can't believe you are pregnant!" Then he jokes, "I'm gonna find out who did this to you!" Funny guy!!!

Starting to feel backaches now, lower back mostly, sometimes smack in the middle, where you just can't reach. I am hungry constantly, which I think is only the power of suggestion, because it has only been since my doctor told me to watch my weight. Oh, I'm watching alright...watching it go up! No, I am trying to be mindful of what I eat when I get hungry, and you know, for the record, I HATE watching what I eat. I tried to do that no-carb diet about 5 years back - why? I don't remember - and that was just torture. I lasted about 2 months, and then I went to Japan and ate rice and ramen and okonomiyaki, and came back skinnier than I had ever been post-college. Go figure. I hate making eating a chore, food is fun. But, I don't want to gain excessive weight with this pregnancy, so I'll be better. Walking on the treadmill is really working out for me...NOT. I haven't been back since my 7 minute walk last week. I am just so tired, I am just enjoying not having to be physical, for once. Okay, I'm done with my whining. Oh wait, I forgot to add that the other night, I had a dream I grabbed this hot dog and started to bite into it, but somewhere my outer conscious got involved and in the dream I stopped myself just as my teeth grazed that crunchy outer skin...OH I MISS HOT DOGS!!!

I've continued with my registry online, although I think a trip to the store is in order, and soon. The registry process is exhausting, because there are just too many options. I mean, how can there be 30 different brands of burp cloths alone? It's overwhelming...but exciting!

Expectant Pose

22 Weeks and counting!