Since last Thursday or so I've been sick... Started off as the sore throat and now it's just congestion... Cough, stuffy nose, headache, ears hurt, etc... Yesterday I decided to call the doc because I thought that maybe I needed antibiotics. I spoke with the doctor's assistant and she recommended I spend two days on Robitussin DM, Afrin and Tylenol. If those don't work, then I can come in on Thursday and she will prescribe me something. Because I am trying to get better, I've been staying home... haven't left the apartment since Sunday. It's been amazing to me how busy I've been during these three days... Between work, planning the move and prepping for baby, I've had my plate full!
Despite not feeling very well, I've accomplished quite a bit work-wise and personally... I selected our new cable / phone / internet provider - Verizon Fios here we come. I called Time Warner and RCN for quotes as well, but I've heard great things about Fios AND they also had the best prices... No brainer. I was also able to select a moving company... This was a tough choice and one I didn't take lightly. Given that I am going to be 8 months pregnant during this move, and my husband will be at work while it's taking place, it was important to me to hire a moving company that I felt confident in. I had three movers come and meet with me to do in-home evaluations and provide me with guaranteed pricing. I met with Flat Rate, Moishes and Oz. After extensive negotiations, research and endless questions from me (one of the movers asked if I was a lawyer) I decided to go with Oz. They have an A+ rating from the better business bureau and guaranteed me a reasonable price that included packing up everything. I liked the guy that I met with and he's been very conscientious about follow-up, something I appreciate, since I am also in a client service business. I've also been able to take care of some of my forwarding address stuff and do some research when it comes to all of the stuff we need to buy - which paints are low VOC and healthier for me and the baby? what type of vacuum should we buy? (keeping a clean floor will be more important than ever, with a little explorer crawling around), I want a new camera, do I go SLR or just advanced point and shoot? I've also built to-scale floor plans of our apartment in excel and mapped out where each piece of furniture will go and now I'm moving on to the kitchen to determine where we will store our food, plates, glassware, etc...drawer by drawer... I know I'm a little bit crazy, but this stuff is keeping me busy and helps me feel in control since I'm not really going to be of much physical help during the move. Hubby and I have also worked together to pick out paint colors... So far, we have selected colors for the baby's room (Azores by Benjamin Moore) and our bedroom (Shale by Benjamin Moore) and we just need to work on the living room. I've never painted anywhere I've lived before, and selecting colors is a big commitment (at least two whole years given that that's the length of our lease ;) )
I've also tried to relax a little bit, but that's not easy for me... Though, of course, the moment I lied down to just watch TV yesterday I felt something warm drip from my chin to my chest... I look down and see blood all over my shirt and chest... My immediate reaction is... what the f*** is happening? Then I remember that nosebleeds are a common occurrence during pregnancy (especially if you're sick)... I run to the bathroom and check out my bloody nose and chest and start doing some clean up. I've never had a bloody nose before so I run to to the computer to google it and find out what to do. Then I hear the phone ring... I can't get it, because I have bloody tissues in one hand and am holding my nose to stop the bleeding with the other.. And then, hubby comes home... relief... He see's what looks like a crime scene... bloody tissues in the toilet, blood stained shirt on the bathroom floor... I'm a total mess... But just having him home makes me feel better...
Oy, this pregnancy has been quite a trip... I hate to complain about it (though, I really don't mind) because I am lucky enough to be pregnant. The baby seems unfazed by everything going on in my life... he's just happy to be doing somersaults in my belly! He is still moving quite a bit and he's definitely getting bigger... My stomach is growing from cute belly to a whopper of a tummy. According to all of the sites and books, he should be weighing in at about 3+ pounds by now and measuring at about 16-17"... that's pretty big! A little more than 8 weeks left and he will be here!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Technology Woes
As if things couldn't get more complicated, this morning I woke up with a sore throat.... Not only that ... then I puked. So, I'm now 7 months pregnant and still puking in the mornings.... I had Lucky Charms at 4am, so I don't know why I woke up and puked... AND I had a 1/2 hamburger last night at like 9pm. I don't know what else to do! I'm trying my best to keep my tummy full, but nothing is working. I'm still getting sick!
Then, I head off to work. I put a bottle of water in my bag and begin my walk. I'm in Whole Foods picking up my chocolate croissant and feel something dripping on me... It's my bag... the cap on the water was crooked and all of the water leaked out and into my bag... I figure there's nothing I can do until I get to work, so I try to checkout at Whole Foods and my credit cards won't work because they're wet. I end up giving the clerk a soggy $20 and trek on to the subway. I get to work and pull out my iPhone to discover it wont let me make calls... it doesn't work... It's soaked. Next I take out my beloved Macbook Pro... it won't work either. AWESOME! No phone, no computer.. It's gonna be a productive work day. I start pulling everything out of my bag and laying it out to dry. My computer charger is soaked, everything is just destroyed... I start freaking out. What do I do without a phone and a computer? One of our interns suggests I go and buy rice and sit my iPhone in it to absorb the moisture... I've heard that that works... I run out and buy rice... put my computer charger in one bowl of rice, my iPhone in the other... I wait... I wait... I wait... After fiddling... the computer and charger seem to be ok... Unfortunately, that doesn't hold true for my iPhone... the phone function doesn't work and it's completely dark. I wanted to get a new iPhone anyway and switch from ATT to Verizon, but still... not like this... And since my contract isn't up, I'm going to get dinged for fees... Ayiyi...
And being without a phone, SUCKS! I am so reliant on it... Luckily I was able to back it up on my computer one last time, so i didn't lose anything....
Then, I head off to work. I put a bottle of water in my bag and begin my walk. I'm in Whole Foods picking up my chocolate croissant and feel something dripping on me... It's my bag... the cap on the water was crooked and all of the water leaked out and into my bag... I figure there's nothing I can do until I get to work, so I try to checkout at Whole Foods and my credit cards won't work because they're wet. I end up giving the clerk a soggy $20 and trek on to the subway. I get to work and pull out my iPhone to discover it wont let me make calls... it doesn't work... It's soaked. Next I take out my beloved Macbook Pro... it won't work either. AWESOME! No phone, no computer.. It's gonna be a productive work day. I start pulling everything out of my bag and laying it out to dry. My computer charger is soaked, everything is just destroyed... I start freaking out. What do I do without a phone and a computer? One of our interns suggests I go and buy rice and sit my iPhone in it to absorb the moisture... I've heard that that works... I run out and buy rice... put my computer charger in one bowl of rice, my iPhone in the other... I wait... I wait... I wait... After fiddling... the computer and charger seem to be ok... Unfortunately, that doesn't hold true for my iPhone... the phone function doesn't work and it's completely dark. I wanted to get a new iPhone anyway and switch from ATT to Verizon, but still... not like this... And since my contract isn't up, I'm going to get dinged for fees... Ayiyi...
And being without a phone, SUCKS! I am so reliant on it... Luckily I was able to back it up on my computer one last time, so i didn't lose anything....
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Stressing
The funeral was sad. It was graveside and my uncle Larry was the only one in the family who could gather himself enough to speak. He recalled anecdotes that we had all shared with him... Like the time me and some of the cousins stole Aunt L's hairnet and the ruckus it caused. And also the time when Aunt L was visiting us in NYC and we took her to a comedy club. The comedian on stage loved her at first sight and started asking her questions... Like if she had ever given anyone the finger... He asked her to give him the finger and she starts playfully wagging her pointer finger in that, you were a naughty little boy, way. The crowd erupted in laughter. And she made such an impact that five years later, when we all visited the same comedy club, the comedian remembered her!! The funeral had lots of laughs but also a ton of tears. My husband was one of the pallbearers... Watching him carry that tiny casket with all of my cousins was truly sad and then we each took a turn shoveling dirt over her grave. I couldn't lift the shovel so hubby helped me.
After the funeral we all went back to Aunt B's house and I think people who came to the house were a bit shocked... They may have expected a somber house filled with people crying, but it wasn't... The music was on, the sangria was flowing and the mood was celebratory. She was a great woman, who led a great life and her dying wish was that we not mourn her. So while some family members had a harder time with that then others, it was truly what she would have wanted.
The next day we prepared to fly home... Just hubby and I stayed at Aunt L's condo the night of the funeral... The apartment had nothing in it besides her personal belongings/furniture (no food, etc...) so as soon as we woke up we headed back to Aunt B's. Unfortunately, as soon as we got into the car, that familiar feeling came back and I puked for the first time in weeks. It sucked, but since I hadn't eaten since our early dinner post-funeral, I was running on empty... Despite that I woke up in the middle of the night and ate a Luna bar, I still puked. Once we got to Aunt B's I ate two mini bagels and a yogurt and felt a bit better... Wasn't a great way to start the day we were flying home...
The flight was fine thanks to some pizza hut before we boarded... Hubby was diligent about waking me up every hour so that I could walk the plane (doctors orders to prevent blood clots) and I made sure to drink lots of water and eat the many JetBlue snacks they hand out. Even though we landed at 9pm and didn't arrive home until 10, I made myself a pasta dinner when I got home. I didn't want to puke again the next morning because I didn't eat enough.
Then yesterday morning reality set in... Holy crap, I am behind... with life, work, etc... Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop when you decide to take a few days to be with family. I had a doc appt where she told me all looked good... I gained 2 more lbs, right on track, and she wanted to make sure I was still taking the iron pills she recommended for the mild anemia I was now suffering from. I spent all day yesterday trying to do everything... Schedule my move, get caught up with work, my social life, etc...
Oh, and did I say, schedule my move... because in NYC that is no easy fete... Coordinating elevator reservations with two buildings, dealing with moving a few days before our lease starts and the costs involved, etc... Today I met with two moving companies and learned that I'm planning a move on the most expensive day of the year. Awesome. Oh, and did I tell you that I ate a banana today and then puked it up? That was awesome... I'm stressed... really, super duper stressed. And I'm trying to eat something, but I'm not hungry... I HATE eating these days.. It's such a chore, nothing tastes good... And I have to leave for work in 8 minutes for a meeting... deep breaths, deep breaths...
After the funeral we all went back to Aunt B's house and I think people who came to the house were a bit shocked... They may have expected a somber house filled with people crying, but it wasn't... The music was on, the sangria was flowing and the mood was celebratory. She was a great woman, who led a great life and her dying wish was that we not mourn her. So while some family members had a harder time with that then others, it was truly what she would have wanted.
The next day we prepared to fly home... Just hubby and I stayed at Aunt L's condo the night of the funeral... The apartment had nothing in it besides her personal belongings/furniture (no food, etc...) so as soon as we woke up we headed back to Aunt B's. Unfortunately, as soon as we got into the car, that familiar feeling came back and I puked for the first time in weeks. It sucked, but since I hadn't eaten since our early dinner post-funeral, I was running on empty... Despite that I woke up in the middle of the night and ate a Luna bar, I still puked. Once we got to Aunt B's I ate two mini bagels and a yogurt and felt a bit better... Wasn't a great way to start the day we were flying home...
The flight was fine thanks to some pizza hut before we boarded... Hubby was diligent about waking me up every hour so that I could walk the plane (doctors orders to prevent blood clots) and I made sure to drink lots of water and eat the many JetBlue snacks they hand out. Even though we landed at 9pm and didn't arrive home until 10, I made myself a pasta dinner when I got home. I didn't want to puke again the next morning because I didn't eat enough.
Then yesterday morning reality set in... Holy crap, I am behind... with life, work, etc... Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop when you decide to take a few days to be with family. I had a doc appt where she told me all looked good... I gained 2 more lbs, right on track, and she wanted to make sure I was still taking the iron pills she recommended for the mild anemia I was now suffering from. I spent all day yesterday trying to do everything... Schedule my move, get caught up with work, my social life, etc...
Oh, and did I say, schedule my move... because in NYC that is no easy fete... Coordinating elevator reservations with two buildings, dealing with moving a few days before our lease starts and the costs involved, etc... Today I met with two moving companies and learned that I'm planning a move on the most expensive day of the year. Awesome. Oh, and did I tell you that I ate a banana today and then puked it up? That was awesome... I'm stressed... really, super duper stressed. And I'm trying to eat something, but I'm not hungry... I HATE eating these days.. It's such a chore, nothing tastes good... And I have to leave for work in 8 minutes for a meeting... deep breaths, deep breaths...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Celebration of a wonderful lady
My flight to California was pretty uneventful. I followed doctor's orders and walked around the plane just about every hour and drank TONS of water. The traveling was much easier than I expected it to be. Hubby and I had a row all to ourselves and were stationed right near the bathroom, which was necessary given my water consumption. Also, because we were on Jet Blue we had TV to watch the whole time, which made the flight go much faster.
When we arrived we went straight to my Aunt B's house to see my great Aunt L who was really not doing well. She was experiencing moments of lucidity, but they were becoming few and far between. Her breathing was becoming more labored but her pulse was still pretty strong. When we arrived, we were quickly ushered down to my cousin's room where she was spending her final days. Hospice was there giving all of my Aunt's and my mom some additional instructions on caring for Aunt L. It was a bit shocking to see her. Aunt L, the matriarch of our family, was always a feisty fireball of a woman, all 4'9" of her, but here she was, lying in a hospital bed, no makeup (despite the fact that she kept asking for lipstick, even in her final days) and largely helpless. She never wanted to be a burden on ANYONE, and we all knew that she would hate the way her last few days were transpiring. I was told by my cousin's and uncle who are doctors that she knew I was in the room and it was the time to say goodbye. She may be around for a few more days, but her lucidity would become less frequent. My brother joined me in the room and we just sat there staring at her and crying... I knew it was going to be one of my last opportunities to talk to her, but I was just speechless. I literally had no idea what to say besides "I love you Aunt L." She was the only grandmother I ever had... Despite that she wasn't my real, blood grandmother, she was the only one I ever knew. My mom's parents unfortunately both died by the time she was 5 years old. So, she and her sister moved in with their mother's sister, Aunt L, and her husband and two girls (Aunt B and Aunt J). It's really sad for me when I reflect on the fact that my mom missed out on having a mother of her own and now, her mother figure from age 5 onward was quickly deteriorating in front of our eyes.
After about 20 minutes or so in the room with Aunt L, we left and joined the rest of the family. In all, there were 26 of us all at Aunt B's house. As soon as Aunt L took a turn for the worse, we all hopped on planes from assorted cities around the country to be there to honor dear L. She would have been thrilled that we were all together and I think she knew. We're very fortunate that three of my family members are in medicine... two doctors and one surgeon... so we had around the clock care for Aunt L in the home, administering the necessary drugs to ease her pain. One of my uncles is even a social worker and he deals with people in their last days all the time, so it was also nice to have someone around who could fill us in on how the final days could transpire and provide us with some insight from personal experience as to the signs of when a person is truly going to pass on.
The next two days were a little bit surreal... We couldn't all just sit around her bed all day and since we aren't all together that often, we tried to keep busy and enjoy being together... Some of us handled meal planning (cooking / preparing meals for 26 is a job in and of itself, necessitating multiple trips to Costco with lots of cars) while others rotated tending to L. It's so wonderful that Aunt B has a house that can easily accommodate our family of 26. It's literally a house built for entertaining (including everything from a movie theater room and firepit to a swimming pool and pool table). And while we were all sleeping at assorted houses/hotels, we all used Aunt B's as a home base since that was where Aunt L was spending her final days.
Watching the different personalities in my family deal with the grief of losing our matriarch was really interesting. Some of the family couldn't tend to her, do the diaper changes, washings, etc... They contributed to the effort by doing grocery shopping and providing activities for the many cousins. While others, had a hard time leaving the house... That included my mom. She's a complete nurturer and spent a ton of time with Aunt L in her final days and hours. Aunt L acted as her mother from age five on. They were extremely close... just as close as mother and daughter. They spoke daily and I think my mom was incredibly grateful for the wonderful home Aunt L gave her after the tragedy of losing her parents at such a young age.
I can't lie and say that the past couple days were completely miserable. While difficult, in the spirit of Aunt L's life and wishes that we not mourn for her, the family really took advantage of the time together to enjoy one and other. Some of the men went on a boat ride (one of my uncles has one his boats docked in San Diego), while others would go on hikes in the nearby mountains. The women in the family took frequent shopping trips to get out of the house and we all also did what Jewish families are known for... We ate. And we ate and ate and ate and ate. We cooked in the house, family friends sent trays and platters over and we even went to one restaurant that we completely took over. While the reason we all got together was incredibly sad, we all really did our best to spend quality time together and bond. One night we all huddled around the firepit on my aunt and uncle's wrap around balcony and just all told jokes... we really needed the laugh!
This week made me incredibly grateful for my wonderful family. Despite being a hoard of 26 and living all over the country, we're incredibly close. I'm really excited that little Brady is going to be born into such a big, tight knit family with so many cousins, Aunts and Uncles that he's not going to be able to keep them straight! It's also been really nice for me that hubby is such an integral part of the family. I mean, he has been around everyone for 14 years, but he just really fits in with our brood. We're loud, in each others business and our dynamic is COMPLETELY different than his own family, yet he easily gels with everyone. Of course he was there supporting me, but he was also hugging my uncles as they shed tears when their mother-in-law passed, and did whatever he could to help Aunt B, our host, with whatever she needed. Aunt L really loved my hubby and that means alot to me.
Hubby spent alot of time also contributing funny/charming Aunt L stories to our conversations this week... Like, when he went off to college, she sent him there with a tin full of her famous peanut butter blossom cookies so he could make friends. And apparently it worked, he did meet one of his really good friends early on and they enjoyed peanut butter blossoms together! After that, she sent him tins of cookies so he could maintain his friendships! Hubby also recalled a story about when Aunt L was visiting with us in NJ and the phone rang... She went to answer it and couldn't figure out why nobody was responding on the other end... We had to tell her that she was answering the remote control! The stories could go on (and I'm sure they will in future posts)...
Yesterday she passed. I'm staying at Aunt B's and have been waking up early. I went to sit with Aunt L at 7am... The whole idea was for her to never be alone... We wanted someone to be there as she took her last breath. I just sat there counting the seconds between her breaths and thinking about all of our wonderful times together. While it was hard to see her like this, I was really happy to be there. Throughout the day her breaths became further apart. We all rotated spending time in the room, some went on hikes, or out for lunch, etc... I went with Aunt B to walk her dogs in the neighborhood... She had Brownie and I had Alfie. We didn't make it very far when Brownie darts behind a bush and grabs a bunny rabbit, shaking him violently. We got Brownie to drop the bunny, but unfortunately, the bunny was dying. Brownie had NEVER done this before. Aunt B and I ran home and sent one of the men to retrieve the bunny, who was dead upon arrival. We took this occurrence as a bit of an omen... Today was going to be the day. Afterwards, I joined some of the guys and we went to an authentic mexican spot for lunch. When we got back to Aunt B's we all just kinda hung out... I wasn't feeling that great, so I took a nap at around 3pm. I woke up at about a quarter to five and was upstairs with hubby having some water, when I thought I heard a family member say something I wasn't sure I was ready to hear. I run down the stairs and learn that she just passed and took her last breath. My mom, Aunt L's daughters and all of the husband's were in the room when it happened. We all gathered around her bed and cried, said a prayer and then sprung into action... Calling the funeral home, hospice, the family members who were out running errands and the few extended family members who were not around.
The mood in the house changed a bit... it turned pretty quiet, but didn't stay that way for long. Once everyone was back at the house we all sat around telling stories and making dinner. We decided that instead of mourning, we would turn the evening into a celebration of her life. We turned the music up, busted out the cocktails (none for me) and all just reminisced and shared wonderful memories. When the funeral home came, we all gathered around her as they wrapped her up and took her out of the house. At 92 years old, Aunt L led a wonderful life. She was driving up until this past May... She was with "it" and active her whole life and that demanded a celebration. We bbq'd and just spent quality time together... everyone pitched in.
We will all be together today and tomorrow to continue the celebration of her life and mourn her death at the funeral. I think today we plan to bust out the home movies and sit around the home theater and just remember the good times we all had together. It's definitely what she would have wanted!
When we arrived we went straight to my Aunt B's house to see my great Aunt L who was really not doing well. She was experiencing moments of lucidity, but they were becoming few and far between. Her breathing was becoming more labored but her pulse was still pretty strong. When we arrived, we were quickly ushered down to my cousin's room where she was spending her final days. Hospice was there giving all of my Aunt's and my mom some additional instructions on caring for Aunt L. It was a bit shocking to see her. Aunt L, the matriarch of our family, was always a feisty fireball of a woman, all 4'9" of her, but here she was, lying in a hospital bed, no makeup (despite the fact that she kept asking for lipstick, even in her final days) and largely helpless. She never wanted to be a burden on ANYONE, and we all knew that she would hate the way her last few days were transpiring. I was told by my cousin's and uncle who are doctors that she knew I was in the room and it was the time to say goodbye. She may be around for a few more days, but her lucidity would become less frequent. My brother joined me in the room and we just sat there staring at her and crying... I knew it was going to be one of my last opportunities to talk to her, but I was just speechless. I literally had no idea what to say besides "I love you Aunt L." She was the only grandmother I ever had... Despite that she wasn't my real, blood grandmother, she was the only one I ever knew. My mom's parents unfortunately both died by the time she was 5 years old. So, she and her sister moved in with their mother's sister, Aunt L, and her husband and two girls (Aunt B and Aunt J). It's really sad for me when I reflect on the fact that my mom missed out on having a mother of her own and now, her mother figure from age 5 onward was quickly deteriorating in front of our eyes.
After about 20 minutes or so in the room with Aunt L, we left and joined the rest of the family. In all, there were 26 of us all at Aunt B's house. As soon as Aunt L took a turn for the worse, we all hopped on planes from assorted cities around the country to be there to honor dear L. She would have been thrilled that we were all together and I think she knew. We're very fortunate that three of my family members are in medicine... two doctors and one surgeon... so we had around the clock care for Aunt L in the home, administering the necessary drugs to ease her pain. One of my uncles is even a social worker and he deals with people in their last days all the time, so it was also nice to have someone around who could fill us in on how the final days could transpire and provide us with some insight from personal experience as to the signs of when a person is truly going to pass on.
The next two days were a little bit surreal... We couldn't all just sit around her bed all day and since we aren't all together that often, we tried to keep busy and enjoy being together... Some of us handled meal planning (cooking / preparing meals for 26 is a job in and of itself, necessitating multiple trips to Costco with lots of cars) while others rotated tending to L. It's so wonderful that Aunt B has a house that can easily accommodate our family of 26. It's literally a house built for entertaining (including everything from a movie theater room and firepit to a swimming pool and pool table). And while we were all sleeping at assorted houses/hotels, we all used Aunt B's as a home base since that was where Aunt L was spending her final days.
Watching the different personalities in my family deal with the grief of losing our matriarch was really interesting. Some of the family couldn't tend to her, do the diaper changes, washings, etc... They contributed to the effort by doing grocery shopping and providing activities for the many cousins. While others, had a hard time leaving the house... That included my mom. She's a complete nurturer and spent a ton of time with Aunt L in her final days and hours. Aunt L acted as her mother from age five on. They were extremely close... just as close as mother and daughter. They spoke daily and I think my mom was incredibly grateful for the wonderful home Aunt L gave her after the tragedy of losing her parents at such a young age.
I can't lie and say that the past couple days were completely miserable. While difficult, in the spirit of Aunt L's life and wishes that we not mourn for her, the family really took advantage of the time together to enjoy one and other. Some of the men went on a boat ride (one of my uncles has one his boats docked in San Diego), while others would go on hikes in the nearby mountains. The women in the family took frequent shopping trips to get out of the house and we all also did what Jewish families are known for... We ate. And we ate and ate and ate and ate. We cooked in the house, family friends sent trays and platters over and we even went to one restaurant that we completely took over. While the reason we all got together was incredibly sad, we all really did our best to spend quality time together and bond. One night we all huddled around the firepit on my aunt and uncle's wrap around balcony and just all told jokes... we really needed the laugh!
This week made me incredibly grateful for my wonderful family. Despite being a hoard of 26 and living all over the country, we're incredibly close. I'm really excited that little Brady is going to be born into such a big, tight knit family with so many cousins, Aunts and Uncles that he's not going to be able to keep them straight! It's also been really nice for me that hubby is such an integral part of the family. I mean, he has been around everyone for 14 years, but he just really fits in with our brood. We're loud, in each others business and our dynamic is COMPLETELY different than his own family, yet he easily gels with everyone. Of course he was there supporting me, but he was also hugging my uncles as they shed tears when their mother-in-law passed, and did whatever he could to help Aunt B, our host, with whatever she needed. Aunt L really loved my hubby and that means alot to me.
Hubby spent alot of time also contributing funny/charming Aunt L stories to our conversations this week... Like, when he went off to college, she sent him there with a tin full of her famous peanut butter blossom cookies so he could make friends. And apparently it worked, he did meet one of his really good friends early on and they enjoyed peanut butter blossoms together! After that, she sent him tins of cookies so he could maintain his friendships! Hubby also recalled a story about when Aunt L was visiting with us in NJ and the phone rang... She went to answer it and couldn't figure out why nobody was responding on the other end... We had to tell her that she was answering the remote control! The stories could go on (and I'm sure they will in future posts)...
Yesterday she passed. I'm staying at Aunt B's and have been waking up early. I went to sit with Aunt L at 7am... The whole idea was for her to never be alone... We wanted someone to be there as she took her last breath. I just sat there counting the seconds between her breaths and thinking about all of our wonderful times together. While it was hard to see her like this, I was really happy to be there. Throughout the day her breaths became further apart. We all rotated spending time in the room, some went on hikes, or out for lunch, etc... I went with Aunt B to walk her dogs in the neighborhood... She had Brownie and I had Alfie. We didn't make it very far when Brownie darts behind a bush and grabs a bunny rabbit, shaking him violently. We got Brownie to drop the bunny, but unfortunately, the bunny was dying. Brownie had NEVER done this before. Aunt B and I ran home and sent one of the men to retrieve the bunny, who was dead upon arrival. We took this occurrence as a bit of an omen... Today was going to be the day. Afterwards, I joined some of the guys and we went to an authentic mexican spot for lunch. When we got back to Aunt B's we all just kinda hung out... I wasn't feeling that great, so I took a nap at around 3pm. I woke up at about a quarter to five and was upstairs with hubby having some water, when I thought I heard a family member say something I wasn't sure I was ready to hear. I run down the stairs and learn that she just passed and took her last breath. My mom, Aunt L's daughters and all of the husband's were in the room when it happened. We all gathered around her bed and cried, said a prayer and then sprung into action... Calling the funeral home, hospice, the family members who were out running errands and the few extended family members who were not around.
The mood in the house changed a bit... it turned pretty quiet, but didn't stay that way for long. Once everyone was back at the house we all sat around telling stories and making dinner. We decided that instead of mourning, we would turn the evening into a celebration of her life. We turned the music up, busted out the cocktails (none for me) and all just reminisced and shared wonderful memories. When the funeral home came, we all gathered around her as they wrapped her up and took her out of the house. At 92 years old, Aunt L led a wonderful life. She was driving up until this past May... She was with "it" and active her whole life and that demanded a celebration. We bbq'd and just spent quality time together... everyone pitched in.
We will all be together today and tomorrow to continue the celebration of her life and mourn her death at the funeral. I think today we plan to bust out the home movies and sit around the home theater and just remember the good times we all had together. It's definitely what she would have wanted!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rough week
I started another post and never finished it... It was all about my weekend and what I did... It was rather light and fluffy but today I'm not feeling light and fluffy so I don't have the energy to finish writing it. This has been a really really rough week. On Monday I took a pretty bad spill... I was crossing the street and my flip flop got caught on the perimeter of a sewer cover and I tripped and fell right in the middle of the street. Luckily all the traffic was stopped at a light, but my wallet flew from my hand, I landed on my right knee and caught myself with my palms and according to my colleague S my belly never touched the ground. She said I pulled some crazy maneuver where I rolled immediately onto my side / back... I guess it's those motherly instincts to protect the belly... It was a pretty humbling moment and while I knew it wasn't my fault, I felt absolutely terrible and was on the verge of tears the rest of the day. What if I had landed on my belly? Or got hit by a car? I would never forgive myself. I was freaking out the rest of the day, but Brady made it known he was quite alright with frequent kicks, etc... He really is an active boy. And lucky for me, I escaped the situation with nothing but a nasty bruise on my knee.
This week was also my last week going into one of my client's offices. I love this client... LOVE the people I work with and the brand is a DREAM! While I'll still be consulting from home for the next few weeks, I won't be going into the office anymore and that's really sad to me. My colleagues bought me lunch, planned a nice little party for me (complete with a clothesline filled with baby booties) and a cake. They also presented a powerpoint card set to the song "Push it," that included pics of me throughout my time there and words of advice from the team on parenthood! It was very sweet and I really appreciated it. I packed up my belongings / desk, which was really sad for me...
But nowhere near as sad as today. My dear dear Great Aunt, who is really the only grandma I have ever known (she raised my mom after all) is gravely ill and will likely not make it another few days. She is suffering from liver, pancreatic and lung cancer (which were all just diagnosed a mere few weeks ago). She lived a wonderful, long life, 92 years, and isn't suffering, but she has given up and wants to pass on. The turn in her condition happened very quickly and my whole family is gathering around her right now in San Diego. Everyone is either in-flight or getting ready to go and I was faced with the decision about whether to join them... At 29.5 weeks my doctor saw no reason to restrict my flying.. She just told me to drink alot of water and walk every hour on the plane to prevent blood clots. After much consideration, I decided I wanted to go and be with everyone. My family is very close knit and it just didn't feel right to not be there. I got on the phone with hubby, who I knew would never let me go alone, and made the arrangements. We fly out tomorrow to say goodbye to one of the greatest ladies I've ever known. I really hope she waits for us to get there before she passes on. I know that's selfish, but I really want the opportunity to say goodbye. Regardless, I'm happy to be going to a place where I will be surrounded by those that love her and will miss her like I will. I am a bit nervous to be flying and to be out of town... I've become really fussy in my pregnancy with regards to my sleeping arrangements, food, etc... But since hubby is coming, I know he will make sure I'm taken care of... And I will be surrounded by family... I know everyone will do their best to make me comfortable despite the circumstances. That's all I have to really say for now.
This week was also my last week going into one of my client's offices. I love this client... LOVE the people I work with and the brand is a DREAM! While I'll still be consulting from home for the next few weeks, I won't be going into the office anymore and that's really sad to me. My colleagues bought me lunch, planned a nice little party for me (complete with a clothesline filled with baby booties) and a cake. They also presented a powerpoint card set to the song "Push it," that included pics of me throughout my time there and words of advice from the team on parenthood! It was very sweet and I really appreciated it. I packed up my belongings / desk, which was really sad for me...
But nowhere near as sad as today. My dear dear Great Aunt, who is really the only grandma I have ever known (she raised my mom after all) is gravely ill and will likely not make it another few days. She is suffering from liver, pancreatic and lung cancer (which were all just diagnosed a mere few weeks ago). She lived a wonderful, long life, 92 years, and isn't suffering, but she has given up and wants to pass on. The turn in her condition happened very quickly and my whole family is gathering around her right now in San Diego. Everyone is either in-flight or getting ready to go and I was faced with the decision about whether to join them... At 29.5 weeks my doctor saw no reason to restrict my flying.. She just told me to drink alot of water and walk every hour on the plane to prevent blood clots. After much consideration, I decided I wanted to go and be with everyone. My family is very close knit and it just didn't feel right to not be there. I got on the phone with hubby, who I knew would never let me go alone, and made the arrangements. We fly out tomorrow to say goodbye to one of the greatest ladies I've ever known. I really hope she waits for us to get there before she passes on. I know that's selfish, but I really want the opportunity to say goodbye. Regardless, I'm happy to be going to a place where I will be surrounded by those that love her and will miss her like I will. I am a bit nervous to be flying and to be out of town... I've become really fussy in my pregnancy with regards to my sleeping arrangements, food, etc... But since hubby is coming, I know he will make sure I'm taken care of... And I will be surrounded by family... I know everyone will do their best to make me comfortable despite the circumstances. That's all I have to really say for now.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wiggle Monster
My ability to sleep has gotten progressively worse... I sleep a few hours, then am up for an hour or two. The pattern usually kicks off at 9pm and goes straight until around 8, 9 or 10am. I typically go back and forth between the bed and the couch for a change of scenery... I guess this is preparing me for the constant feedings and having a newborn.... but I still have 11 weeks until baby is born and I want to enjoy them (if that's possible in this horrific NYC heat).
Something that's starting to worry me a bit is that this baby doesn't sleep very much. He is a wiggle monster! Constantly moving... It's like Cirque du Soleil in there accept I look like the freak. I was sitting with a colleague the other day and he could actually observe the bulges and movements happening in my belly through my dress.
Something that's starting to worry me a bit is that this baby doesn't sleep very much. He is a wiggle monster! Constantly moving... It's like Cirque du Soleil in there accept I look like the freak. I was sitting with a colleague the other day and he could actually observe the bulges and movements happening in my belly through my dress.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Cribgate 2011
So, we ordered baby furniture last week. It took me a long time to find furniture that I liked. I knew I didn't want anything white or super traditional... That's just not my style... it's too baby-like (I know, I know, he's a baby... I just don't like it). I wanted something a little more natural, rustic, kinda vintage. I checked out all the usual suspects including Pottery Barn, Land of Nod (Crate and Barrel's kiddie furniture), Bellini (NYC institution), etc... and finally decided that Restoration Hardware was the place for me. Their stuff is beautiful, well made and not exorbitantly expensive.
There were a few different styles that I had a hard time choosing between. Ultimately, hubby and I both decided that we liked The Emelia collection... It's a beautiful French gray color, unlike anything I had ever seen before... I had some concerns that it was a little girly for my little guy, but figured that, well, he is a baby. I also showed it to my mom, colleague S and hubby many times and we all agreed that it was great. I placed the order and was done.
The next day I was at J's office and his wife / my friend A came by with baby H and then my hubby came... Me, hubby, J, A and baby H were going to have dinner... We were all huddled around my desk and I asked A what she thought of the furniture. Always honest, she told me that she thought it was a bit girly and that the Emelia collection was what she had selected if she had a little girl. She goes on to ask us if we read the description on the website... I realized I didn't and neither did hubby... We just looked at the pictures. So, we go to the restoration baby and child website and read the description of the Emelia line. We see words like "feminine grace" and then A suggests using the zoom tool to take a closer look of the furniture (something we hadn't done before)... We uncover flowers etched in the wood and hubby starts to freak. We ordered our little boy girls furniture... OMG OMG OMG... we have to cancel it. Granted, I didn't notice the flowers or the "feminine grace" descriptor, or even that with a name like Emelia, it was more geared for a girl, I was thoroughly annoyed... Hubby had examined this furniture over and over, gave his blessing, even after I had mentioned that I thought it was a little girly. His defense... I just don't really pay attention... Typical!
We both agreed that we didn't want our boy to have girl furniture, so despite spending 45 minutes on the phone the previous night ordering everything, I picked up the phone and called Restoration Hardware and canceled the order... Luckily, it was no problem at all. And we decided to move forward with The Kenwood... a collection that we all deemed to be more masculine. And it was a bit less expensive, so it all worked out!
There were a few different styles that I had a hard time choosing between. Ultimately, hubby and I both decided that we liked The Emelia collection... It's a beautiful French gray color, unlike anything I had ever seen before... I had some concerns that it was a little girly for my little guy, but figured that, well, he is a baby. I also showed it to my mom, colleague S and hubby many times and we all agreed that it was great. I placed the order and was done.
The next day I was at J's office and his wife / my friend A came by with baby H and then my hubby came... Me, hubby, J, A and baby H were going to have dinner... We were all huddled around my desk and I asked A what she thought of the furniture. Always honest, she told me that she thought it was a bit girly and that the Emelia collection was what she had selected if she had a little girl. She goes on to ask us if we read the description on the website... I realized I didn't and neither did hubby... We just looked at the pictures. So, we go to the restoration baby and child website and read the description of the Emelia line. We see words like "feminine grace" and then A suggests using the zoom tool to take a closer look of the furniture (something we hadn't done before)... We uncover flowers etched in the wood and hubby starts to freak. We ordered our little boy girls furniture... OMG OMG OMG... we have to cancel it. Granted, I didn't notice the flowers or the "feminine grace" descriptor, or even that with a name like Emelia, it was more geared for a girl, I was thoroughly annoyed... Hubby had examined this furniture over and over, gave his blessing, even after I had mentioned that I thought it was a little girly. His defense... I just don't really pay attention... Typical!
We both agreed that we didn't want our boy to have girl furniture, so despite spending 45 minutes on the phone the previous night ordering everything, I picked up the phone and called Restoration Hardware and canceled the order... Luckily, it was no problem at all. And we decided to move forward with The Kenwood... a collection that we all deemed to be more masculine. And it was a bit less expensive, so it all worked out!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Waddle ya know
I have long known that pregnant ladies are susceptible to the waddle. I'm not talking about that jowl under your chin, but the penguin-style walk that tends to occur as a result of becoming middle-heavy and carrying that extra weight. My weight gain so far has been perfect according to my doctor (who I saw today). I'm between my 28-29th week and have gained a total of 16 lbs according to the official doctor scale.
If I gain a lb a week until the end, that will bring me to 28 lbs total, which is in the healthy range of 25-35 lb weight gain (my doc told me to aim for 30).
Anyways, the waddle... I thought I was looking pretty trim and managing my weight gain well, avoiding the waddle. Well... I was at a trade show earlier in the week and saw a Mag publisher who I hadn't seen in a month... What does he do when he sees me? He waddles (in an exaggerated way) over... Clearly poking fun at me. He's a wonderful guy who I adore (we have a monthly pizza date that I always look forward to - a new spot every time). So, I guess my time is here... I'm a waddler. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't noticed my waddling.
I've been trying to be so careful to walk with straight legs, not all turned out, but I guess it's just unavoidable. I'm officially a penguin.
If I gain a lb a week until the end, that will bring me to 28 lbs total, which is in the healthy range of 25-35 lb weight gain (my doc told me to aim for 30).
Anyways, the waddle... I thought I was looking pretty trim and managing my weight gain well, avoiding the waddle. Well... I was at a trade show earlier in the week and saw a Mag publisher who I hadn't seen in a month... What does he do when he sees me? He waddles (in an exaggerated way) over... Clearly poking fun at me. He's a wonderful guy who I adore (we have a monthly pizza date that I always look forward to - a new spot every time). So, I guess my time is here... I'm a waddler. He wouldn't have done that if he hadn't noticed my waddling.
I've been trying to be so careful to walk with straight legs, not all turned out, but I guess it's just unavoidable. I'm officially a penguin.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Catch up
It's been a while since my last post! More than a week... I've been pretty busy. Memorial Day Weekend, we hung around the city on Saturday and did lots of walking... My feet have NEVER hurt that much before. I'm used to walking alot but we basically walked across the entire city and I thought I was going to fall over when we got home. My tootsies have never been so sore and swollen...
On Sunday we packed a bag (which included my snoogle) and hopped on horrible NJ transit to go see our friends G and M in Sea Girt, NJ (the beach!!) I needed to get out of the city... It's been a while since I've gone anywhere and despite my concerns about sitting on a train when I pee every 15 minutes and being sick and not at home, G's family and house feels like a second home to me... We're very close to his parents and knew that if we were staying at their house I would be well taken care of and comfortable! It's always well stocked with food and has all of the comforts I enjoy at home! After a long train ride (where I made sure to eat constantly) we arrived in the Girt... I swear, the air is just better down there! It's so nice. My hub, G and M all decided that a day of drinking and eating at local marinas and beach restaurants was in order so I played designated driver as we just bopped from place to place enjoying the sun, seafood and beach air. We bbq'd that night (the produce down there is pretty amazing also - veggie kabobs!!) and then we all enjoyed Sunday sundae's and went to bed. I slept great (it's very nice that they have a king sized bed for us .... between my belly and my snoogle, I take up more room than ever before and there's no way hubby and i would both fit in anything less than a queen!) When we woke up, we had a great breakfast, went for some Strollos (the best italian ice ever) and then headed back to the city.
Last week was pretty busy... I felt good (no puking, though I did take some kytril). I had a ton of work to do, so that really consumed me... This week is my last full time week of work before I scale back my time and begin working fewer hours and more from home, so I'm trying to get as much done as possible... The whole "scaling back" thing is a bit tough for me... I don't want to let certain things go AND I also don't want to be bored... So, I have a few more days to figure out my game plan and luckily both of my clients have been so wonderful and flexible about my situation. They know that I won't let anything fall through the cracks....
Hubby and I really want to take a trip before Brady is born but things have been so volatile with me getting sick, that we're a bit afraid to be anywhere but home. Unfortunately, one of my nearest and dearest relatives is extremely ill and suffering from lung, pancreatic and liver cancer. She lives in California and I really want to see her before the baby is born. The doctor says I can travel but I'm worried to... Can I live without all of my creature comforts for a few days? Would I even need to? Will I be uncomfortable traveling for all of that time? Cali is far. BUT, if she passes and I don't get to see her, I will be pretty upset. And we have to decide soon because prices are going up.
On Sunday we packed a bag (which included my snoogle) and hopped on horrible NJ transit to go see our friends G and M in Sea Girt, NJ (the beach!!) I needed to get out of the city... It's been a while since I've gone anywhere and despite my concerns about sitting on a train when I pee every 15 minutes and being sick and not at home, G's family and house feels like a second home to me... We're very close to his parents and knew that if we were staying at their house I would be well taken care of and comfortable! It's always well stocked with food and has all of the comforts I enjoy at home! After a long train ride (where I made sure to eat constantly) we arrived in the Girt... I swear, the air is just better down there! It's so nice. My hub, G and M all decided that a day of drinking and eating at local marinas and beach restaurants was in order so I played designated driver as we just bopped from place to place enjoying the sun, seafood and beach air. We bbq'd that night (the produce down there is pretty amazing also - veggie kabobs!!) and then we all enjoyed Sunday sundae's and went to bed. I slept great (it's very nice that they have a king sized bed for us .... between my belly and my snoogle, I take up more room than ever before and there's no way hubby and i would both fit in anything less than a queen!) When we woke up, we had a great breakfast, went for some Strollos (the best italian ice ever) and then headed back to the city.
Last week was pretty busy... I felt good (no puking, though I did take some kytril). I had a ton of work to do, so that really consumed me... This week is my last full time week of work before I scale back my time and begin working fewer hours and more from home, so I'm trying to get as much done as possible... The whole "scaling back" thing is a bit tough for me... I don't want to let certain things go AND I also don't want to be bored... So, I have a few more days to figure out my game plan and luckily both of my clients have been so wonderful and flexible about my situation. They know that I won't let anything fall through the cracks....
Hubby and I really want to take a trip before Brady is born but things have been so volatile with me getting sick, that we're a bit afraid to be anywhere but home. Unfortunately, one of my nearest and dearest relatives is extremely ill and suffering from lung, pancreatic and liver cancer. She lives in California and I really want to see her before the baby is born. The doctor says I can travel but I'm worried to... Can I live without all of my creature comforts for a few days? Would I even need to? Will I be uncomfortable traveling for all of that time? Cali is far. BUT, if she passes and I don't get to see her, I will be pretty upset. And we have to decide soon because prices are going up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)