Last night when hubby and i were at dinner he said something to me that I had also been pondering...
Will I ever be normal me again? We've both actually forgotten what I was like pre-pregnancy (PP). Before I got all needy and fussy... Back when i was self-sufficient and didn't depend on others to feed me and take care of me so much. Lucky for me, I have an incredibly nurturing husband who has really been tremendous during my pregnancy. He now cooks, does all the grocery shopping and he even greets me outside of the subway station every day after work (or picks me up from work) so that I don't need to carry my heavy backpack.
PP I didn't require so much help... I ate what I wanted (and I mean everything) and I had an active social life (to the point where during the week hubby and I were only both home max 1-2 days a week together). I had lots of dinner / drinks plans and definitely was not in the habit of coming home from work every day. Of late, my life has turned into my most reliable dinner option - butter noodles. Plain, kinda bland and boring, totally unadventurous, etc... 7 months ago those were not words I would use to describe myself. I'm now that annoying person in restaurants who I typically hate... Asking questions about what's in certain things and how they're prepared and seeing if the chef can do a more mild version of whatever it is so I don't get heartburn...
PP food and drink were the center of my universe. Whether it was planning the next big feast I would cook, making reservations at the hottest new restaurant, or having an all day boozefest with the hubby (we loooooove warm weather and bar hopping on a Saturday afternoon)... My days were filled with good food and drink. Now they are filled with pepcid, prenatals and puke bags. If I were to come up with some words to describe my pre-pregnancy self they would be fun, adventurous and independent/carefree/unrestricted. Will I ever be these things again?? Now I worry about sleeping anywhere but home (if I don't get a good night sleep I most definitely get sick and usually end up a nightmare to those around me) and I prefer eating at home (even though hubby's repertoire is rather limited). My life revolved around work too... That was a key defining element for me and alot of my sense of accomplishment/self worth was tied to success in the work place. I'm not saying that I don't still love working, but it's much much harder to care about work issues when my back is killing me, I'm being kicked/distracted by my son, trying to figure out what I can shove down my gullet to stave off the nausea, etc...
I'm now definitely a different version of me.
And once the baby is born I don't think it's possible to go back to being the me I used to be...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Bon Weekend!
This was a pretty good weekend overall! The wedding on Friday night was fun... It felt really good to put on make-up and get all dressed up. I've always been a fairly low maintenance gal but this pregnancy has taken my primping to an all time low... I've been a total scrub lately wearing my one pair of maternity jeans, leggings and cotton dresses... Since the weather has gotten warmer, I don't even dry my hair... And make-up... What's that? I had forgotten how good it can feel to put on heels, a pretty dress, etc...
On Saturday we headed downtown to look at apartments... It was a REALLY long day and we saw a few apartments before making our final decision that the first apartment we saw (the one I saw earlier in the week) was really perfect for our growing family - we weren't going to find a better space for the price. 2 br/ 2.5 ba, 1200 sq ft, washer / dryer, etc... And the apartment is brand spanking new so we don't have to move into other people's dirt! The floors are super nice... black, wide plank wood, the master bath has a double vanity (my dream - no more sharing a sink with hubby), super high ceilings, amazing appliances (Miele, Bosch), a ridiculous amount of closet and storage space AND the building is a historical landmark with a gym/yoga studio, game room, golf simulator, etc... It's located in the FiDi, an area that I had major reservations about living, but after spending the day there, walking around and experiencing it's close proximity to the parks (BATTERY PARK), all things fabulous (TRIBECA) and knowing that hubby's commute would be five minutes... it just seemed like a no-brainer. Both hubby and I felt really good about the decision, so we put in an application. Once our credit has been checked and approved we can move on to a lease signing, etc... There are still a few things we need to figure out about the area, supermarkets, etc... but in our immediate vicinity is just about everything we need, a Duane Reade, Liquor Store, our bank, a few places to eat, etc.. We also did the seamless web check and even on a Saturday (when things in the FiDi are notoriously always closed) 155 restaurants would deliver to us... you can't beat that!
Next we took a short 10 minute walk to Warren 77 (in Tribeca), a bar owned by a NY Ranger, to meet up with some friends for a beer and a water.
Then we walked a few blocks further north and met up with J and A and baby H for some dinner. H is getting so big!! It's really crazy to watch him grow up. He's over 3 months and now smiles and giggles and he's got a personality... It's my first time really witnessing a baby growing up like this (I pretty much see him once a week)... It's wild how quickly they change and even crazier to think that by the end of the year my little baby will be smiling too.
Speaking of my little guy... he's about the size of an eggplant (according to The Bump) and a Hothouse Cucumber (according to Babycenter). And my uterus is now the size of a basketball!! I can't believe that!
On Saturday we headed downtown to look at apartments... It was a REALLY long day and we saw a few apartments before making our final decision that the first apartment we saw (the one I saw earlier in the week) was really perfect for our growing family - we weren't going to find a better space for the price. 2 br/ 2.5 ba, 1200 sq ft, washer / dryer, etc... And the apartment is brand spanking new so we don't have to move into other people's dirt! The floors are super nice... black, wide plank wood, the master bath has a double vanity (my dream - no more sharing a sink with hubby), super high ceilings, amazing appliances (Miele, Bosch), a ridiculous amount of closet and storage space AND the building is a historical landmark with a gym/yoga studio, game room, golf simulator, etc... It's located in the FiDi, an area that I had major reservations about living, but after spending the day there, walking around and experiencing it's close proximity to the parks (BATTERY PARK), all things fabulous (TRIBECA) and knowing that hubby's commute would be five minutes... it just seemed like a no-brainer. Both hubby and I felt really good about the decision, so we put in an application. Once our credit has been checked and approved we can move on to a lease signing, etc... There are still a few things we need to figure out about the area, supermarkets, etc... but in our immediate vicinity is just about everything we need, a Duane Reade, Liquor Store, our bank, a few places to eat, etc.. We also did the seamless web check and even on a Saturday (when things in the FiDi are notoriously always closed) 155 restaurants would deliver to us... you can't beat that!
Next we took a short 10 minute walk to Warren 77 (in Tribeca), a bar owned by a NY Ranger, to meet up with some friends for a beer and a water.
Then we walked a few blocks further north and met up with J and A and baby H for some dinner. H is getting so big!! It's really crazy to watch him grow up. He's over 3 months and now smiles and giggles and he's got a personality... It's my first time really witnessing a baby growing up like this (I pretty much see him once a week)... It's wild how quickly they change and even crazier to think that by the end of the year my little baby will be smiling too.
Speaking of my little guy... he's about the size of an eggplant (according to The Bump) and a Hothouse Cucumber (according to Babycenter). And my uterus is now the size of a basketball!! I can't believe that!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Magically delicious puke
Today I'm working from home because my hubby and I have a wedding to attend this afternoon. Normally work from home days are good for me (meaning I don't get sick) but today that wasn't the case. I woke up, had my magically delicious breakfast of Lucky Charms (a luxury I've afforded myself during pregnancy) and promptly returned all of the charms into not 1, but 2 ziplock bags (thank goodness hubby was around to give me bag #2... was necessary). I then got back into bed for a little bit and hubby made me some french toast and I took a kytril.
I always end up getting sick when I have plans... Last week with the gala and this week with the wedding. It's so freaking annoying... And then people say things to me like, "You shouldn't be getting sick anymore." Really? Well, I am... The frequency has gone down from every day or every other day to about 1x a week, but it's still going on and tomorrow I am 26 weeks!!
Also, little Brady is more active then ever... He's very fitness-minded and he goes for a jog every morning around my uterus. Today for the first time, daddy got to experience it and he was amazed at the frequency and strength of Brady's movements... They're pretty powerful and I'm sure they will only get more powerful as space gets tighter for him!
You're probably wondering... so what's going on on the apartment front? Well, I saw a few apartments this week and I liked one... It's a beautiful, large, brand new apartment, but it's in the shadowy FiDi. I just don't know if I want to live there... I mean, it's quiet... but that's because there's nothing there. It's close to Battery Park and Tribeca (a less than 15 min walk) but I'm just not sure... The apartment is pretty awesome, though... AMAZING finishings... all modern and brand new... 2 br/ 2 ba, Washer/Dryer, etc... The other great thing about the building is that it has amenities... a huge, landmarked marble lobby (the building used to be a bank) that would be perfect for indoor strolls in the cold, a big gym, kids playroom, etc... So, hubby and I are going to check it out again tomorrow and we will also be seeing some other spots as well... I just can't decide what's more important to me... big, fancy apartment in the city in a neighborhood that's not the best OR smaller, less fancy apartment in a killer neighborhood that isn't in the city... It's a tough choice!
I always end up getting sick when I have plans... Last week with the gala and this week with the wedding. It's so freaking annoying... And then people say things to me like, "You shouldn't be getting sick anymore." Really? Well, I am... The frequency has gone down from every day or every other day to about 1x a week, but it's still going on and tomorrow I am 26 weeks!!
Also, little Brady is more active then ever... He's very fitness-minded and he goes for a jog every morning around my uterus. Today for the first time, daddy got to experience it and he was amazed at the frequency and strength of Brady's movements... They're pretty powerful and I'm sure they will only get more powerful as space gets tighter for him!
You're probably wondering... so what's going on on the apartment front? Well, I saw a few apartments this week and I liked one... It's a beautiful, large, brand new apartment, but it's in the shadowy FiDi. I just don't know if I want to live there... I mean, it's quiet... but that's because there's nothing there. It's close to Battery Park and Tribeca (a less than 15 min walk) but I'm just not sure... The apartment is pretty awesome, though... AMAZING finishings... all modern and brand new... 2 br/ 2 ba, Washer/Dryer, etc... The other great thing about the building is that it has amenities... a huge, landmarked marble lobby (the building used to be a bank) that would be perfect for indoor strolls in the cold, a big gym, kids playroom, etc... So, hubby and I are going to check it out again tomorrow and we will also be seeing some other spots as well... I just can't decide what's more important to me... big, fancy apartment in the city in a neighborhood that's not the best OR smaller, less fancy apartment in a killer neighborhood that isn't in the city... It's a tough choice!
Balls
This is a big week for my boy... Not only will he be opening his eyes for the first time, he also gets his balls!!!
This is huge!!! His little eyeballs will now be able to see his cute little hands and feet... But even more exciting... apparently he will now officially have a pair!!
They grow up so fast...
This is huge!!! His little eyeballs will now be able to see his cute little hands and feet... But even more exciting... apparently he will now officially have a pair!!
They grow up so fast...
Monday, May 16, 2011
On the fence: Brooklyn v. Manhattan
Hubby and I went back to Carroll Gardens yesterday to see if our first impression of the area still rang true and also to check out the apartment one more time. I'm glad we did it, but holy cow it didn't make the decision any easier. We also timed the subway situation again to truly test (on a Sunday - the worst subway day) just how long it took to travel in the city. It was 30 minutes from the upper west side and 8 minutes from downtown manhattan. You can't really beat that!
When we arrived we started by walking around the neighborhood. It was as we remembered. Lots of shops, restaurants and young families that looked like us. Great little markets, toy stores, etc....we had brunch at a cute little restaurant called Verde, walked smith street and then circled back on court street. It's a great little neighborhood that I think me and the little guy would enjoy strolling there every day.
Next we went back to see the apt. We noticed that the surroundings around this particular building were nowhere near as beautiful as the rest of the hood. A garden directly across the street but to the left there's an autobody shop, and next to the garden is a boarded up building (looked like a fire). But beyond that is a tree lined street filled with brownstones and behind the building is an elementary school and a park.
We went into the apartment and it's a nice apartment. About 1100 sq ft, amazing bathrooms and kitchen... But the bedroom and living room aren't as large and open as i would like them to be. We're spoiled right now with massive windows and 15ft ceilings so comparatively, the windows looked small and ceiling incredibly low (though they were just normal and not the loft style we've grown accustomed to). We took measurements and while all of our furniture will fit... It will JUST fit... Will be tight! Tighter than our current space and that's just because of the layout of this particular apartment. And since all of our furniture is less than 2 y/o we aren't looking to replace it (and I think my husband would sooner divorce me than give up his massive couch).
We left feeling completely unsure of what to do... On the one hand, it feels like the right time to move out of the city - I'm a bit over it.. But on the other hand, I'm concerned that I will feel isolated... I mean, none of my friends will come visit me in Brooklyn... maybe once or twice, but not with any regularity... And this past winter I read about how snow removal in the outerboroughs is terrible and people were trapped inside for days... What if me and little Brady can't go for our daily walk in the neighborhood? (I'm assuming we will go for daily walks, but who knows!?)
I think that's the other thing that's on my mind... I don't really know what I'm going to want once I have a baby and what's going to be important to me (in terms of priorities for selecting a place to live)... One thing I know is that I spend alot of time at home... I can be a bit of a hermit (especially in the cold) so I think having a nice sized place is a necessity... And I would imagine the neighborhood is important since I won't be nearly as mobile when I'm bogged down by baby and baby things... So where does that leave us?
Something is holding us back from signing the lease on this apartment... Is it the fear or change? Are we not ready to leave the city?
Last night we got on the internet and started doing some real research on city apartments and realistically what we can get for what we want to spend... Most 2br/2ba in Tribeca, our preferred neighborhood, are absurdly expensive... So we started looking at the FiDi... exactly where I didn't want to end up... HOWEVER, we can get an apartment that's similarly priced to the apartment in Brooklyn and with the same, or more, space... But the question is... Do I still want to be in the city? Or is Brooklyn the preferable option regardless of this particular apartment? And while the FiDi is close to beautiful Battery Park and the restaurants of Tribeca... FiDi in itself is kinda lame... dark, filled with tourists, lots of hustle and bustle, few restaurants, etc...
All day today both hubby and I did research on city apartments... This told me that maybe we just aren't ready to commit to a move to Brooklyn (or this specific apartment) just yet... something is holding us back. If one of us felt strongly about it, they would easily get the other one to jump onboard (that's how we roll)... But neither of us could really figure out why we just couldn't commit. Honestly, I think we both just want more time so that we can do some more due diligence in the city but unfortunately, time is not on our side... This apartment in Carroll Gardens will go if we don't snatch it up and I have very mixed feelings about that...
I made some appointments to see apartments in the city this week and we'll see how that goes... I hate the idea of rushing into something! This is a pretty important move... Granted it's only a rental, but I want the apartment where we raise our little boy (until he is 2) to be nice and comfortable for our family.
When we arrived we started by walking around the neighborhood. It was as we remembered. Lots of shops, restaurants and young families that looked like us. Great little markets, toy stores, etc....we had brunch at a cute little restaurant called Verde, walked smith street and then circled back on court street. It's a great little neighborhood that I think me and the little guy would enjoy strolling there every day.
Next we went back to see the apt. We noticed that the surroundings around this particular building were nowhere near as beautiful as the rest of the hood. A garden directly across the street but to the left there's an autobody shop, and next to the garden is a boarded up building (looked like a fire). But beyond that is a tree lined street filled with brownstones and behind the building is an elementary school and a park.
We went into the apartment and it's a nice apartment. About 1100 sq ft, amazing bathrooms and kitchen... But the bedroom and living room aren't as large and open as i would like them to be. We're spoiled right now with massive windows and 15ft ceilings so comparatively, the windows looked small and ceiling incredibly low (though they were just normal and not the loft style we've grown accustomed to). We took measurements and while all of our furniture will fit... It will JUST fit... Will be tight! Tighter than our current space and that's just because of the layout of this particular apartment. And since all of our furniture is less than 2 y/o we aren't looking to replace it (and I think my husband would sooner divorce me than give up his massive couch).
We left feeling completely unsure of what to do... On the one hand, it feels like the right time to move out of the city - I'm a bit over it.. But on the other hand, I'm concerned that I will feel isolated... I mean, none of my friends will come visit me in Brooklyn... maybe once or twice, but not with any regularity... And this past winter I read about how snow removal in the outerboroughs is terrible and people were trapped inside for days... What if me and little Brady can't go for our daily walk in the neighborhood? (I'm assuming we will go for daily walks, but who knows!?)
I think that's the other thing that's on my mind... I don't really know what I'm going to want once I have a baby and what's going to be important to me (in terms of priorities for selecting a place to live)... One thing I know is that I spend alot of time at home... I can be a bit of a hermit (especially in the cold) so I think having a nice sized place is a necessity... And I would imagine the neighborhood is important since I won't be nearly as mobile when I'm bogged down by baby and baby things... So where does that leave us?
Something is holding us back from signing the lease on this apartment... Is it the fear or change? Are we not ready to leave the city?
Last night we got on the internet and started doing some real research on city apartments and realistically what we can get for what we want to spend... Most 2br/2ba in Tribeca, our preferred neighborhood, are absurdly expensive... So we started looking at the FiDi... exactly where I didn't want to end up... HOWEVER, we can get an apartment that's similarly priced to the apartment in Brooklyn and with the same, or more, space... But the question is... Do I still want to be in the city? Or is Brooklyn the preferable option regardless of this particular apartment? And while the FiDi is close to beautiful Battery Park and the restaurants of Tribeca... FiDi in itself is kinda lame... dark, filled with tourists, lots of hustle and bustle, few restaurants, etc...
All day today both hubby and I did research on city apartments... This told me that maybe we just aren't ready to commit to a move to Brooklyn (or this specific apartment) just yet... something is holding us back. If one of us felt strongly about it, they would easily get the other one to jump onboard (that's how we roll)... But neither of us could really figure out why we just couldn't commit. Honestly, I think we both just want more time so that we can do some more due diligence in the city but unfortunately, time is not on our side... This apartment in Carroll Gardens will go if we don't snatch it up and I have very mixed feelings about that...
I made some appointments to see apartments in the city this week and we'll see how that goes... I hate the idea of rushing into something! This is a pretty important move... Granted it's only a rental, but I want the apartment where we raise our little boy (until he is 2) to be nice and comfortable for our family.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A Lovely Day in Brooklyn
Yesterday hubby and I went to spend the day with our friend's S and C in Brooklyn and to look at a building that I had read about.
Brooklyn has always been a bit of an enigma to me... I had visited a few times (Williamsburg and Park Slope) and was never that impressed... But everyone that lives in Brooklyn LOVES IT! So, we decided to see if we could discover what all of these others already had.
Hubby and I went into the day with low expectations (very low). Though we've never said it out loud, we're Manhattan snobs... We took the subway to Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens. From the upper west side it took us about 30 minutes (which is about the same time it takes to get from the upper west side anywhere downtown).
We step out of the subway into the NYC version of "pleasantville"... it's quiet and serene, there are parks, schools, families, wide sidewalks, neighbors saying hello to each other, restaurant lined streets, etc... We're in a bit of shock... We walk to the building and get a tour of a beautiful, brand new, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, W/D equipped apartment. It's about 250 square feet larger than our current place and is fully equipped... Stainless steel appliances, separate shower from bath tub, double vanity in the master bath, walk in closet, etc... You get the drift... It was nice. The only odd thing about it was the massive air conditioning units... They easily took up about 1-2' of space in each room... Was super weird... but on the positive side, each room has individual climate control... That's like an urban dream!! The building was also great... Has a gym and rooftop deck with the best views I've ever seen (statue of liberty, wall street, etc...) The rooftop also comes equipped with a play gym, bbqs, etc...
After the apartment viewing we met up with S and C for a beer and to get an official tour of the 'hood from folks who've lived there for the past year... We walk up and down streets filled with young families, amazing restaurants and shops (think butcher, fish shop, farmers markets, homemade ice cream, etc...) There are no chains (accept the necessary ones, Rite Aid and Chase bank)... We stop for a beer (everyone else) and a coke for me at this little outdoor grill spot... Was very cute! Then we walked all over Carroll Gardens... Honestly, as hubby described it... It's the best kept secret in NYC... How did we not know that this existed? it's a few subway stops into brooklyn and just the quaintest, cutest little neighborhood we've ever seen... And oh the restaurants... Buttermilk Channel, Prime Meats, Frankies, etc... Some of the best culinary talent in all of NYC is popping up in this hood... There are amazing bars too... Clover Club, Mini Bar, etc...
We walked all over town, stopped at S and C's adorable place to get a tour and also grabbed a bite to eat at Prime Meats (where the waitress addressed us all by first name, which was a nice touch) and did a tour of the local supermarket. It felt a bit like that movie Funny Farm. Everything was so idyllic!
After walking around for hours... we were pretty tired and thought we should head back to the city... Hubby and I were both floored... Something about Carroll Gardens just felt right. The slower pace and element were just perfect (no crazy homeless people begging on the corner or aggressive/angry walkers).
So next up it was time to do a littler pros / cons... There are clearly tons of pros...great neighborhood (I actually can't think of a neighborhood in Manhattan that I like any better), quiet / laid back, big apartment with more bang for buck (a 2br/2ba in Manhattan in a neighborhood where we would want to live would be close to $2k more per month than this place), every major convenience in walking distance but not alot of chain stores, etc... And then, of course, we also needed to consider the cons... the 2 subways in the neighborhood are the F/G... The F intersects with the A/C/R about two stops away, so that's pretty convenient... A trip to downtown Manhattan would be about 15-20 minutes, which is perfect. Other cons... Taxis... It's not like the city where there are a million taxis everywhere.... Granted, there are taxis to be hailed on Smith Street, it just isn't necessarily the same as being in manhattan... Something to consider but lets face it... finding a cab in manhattan can be a huge bitch sometimes too! How many cabs am I really going to be taking? I was also concerned about the cost of a cab from Brooklyn to downtown NYC... I was pretty psyched to learn, after doing some research that a cab from tribeca to carroll gardens, with tip should only run about $16... Well, that's the exact amount that I spend now when i go from Tribeca to the UWS! Then we started to think about getting around, in general... So, once we have this baby, how will we get to NJ where our families live? Well, we were easily able to address that... Whether we live in Manhattan or Brooklyn makes no difference... Once Brady is born our days of NJ transit travel are over (at least until he can walk and carry his own things)... There's no way in hell that hubby and I will ever be able to take a baby, car seat, stroller, all the baby things we need, our stuff, PLUS a baby on a subway/cab to Penn Station and then through Penn Station and onto a train... That's just not happening... It's hard enough now when it's just the two of us (we both end up bogged down with bags)... So with that issue ruled out, we determine that our parents will either be needing to travel to us (via train or car) or if they want us to spend the weekend with them, they will need to transport us, since having a car is not in our future. We decided to play with maps / directions and we figured out that moving to this area of Brooklyn only really adds another couple of miles and minutes to our parents commute into NYC to see us - there are options for ways to get to us (through the city or through Staten Island) and my mom should be able to get to us in about 45 min while it will take my inlaws an hour (they live further from the city). Really not bad and not enough of a consideration to make a difference in our decision... AND, from a train perspective, it makes no difference... if they take a train to Penn Station, they can just hop a subway and be delivered at our door (in the same time it would take them to get to the UWS). You may be thinking... well, why don't they consider Hoboken? Well, we have been thinking about it... But honestly, Hoboken doesn't hold a candle to Brooklyn (in terms of convenience, charm, restaurants supermarkets, etc...) and there's something about the convenience of being on the NYC subway system that makes a huge difference. The path and ferry just aren't the same (in time or money). Also, we both still have this stigma in our minds that Hoboken is a college kids town... Granted, whenever we visit my dad there we clearly see that there are lots of families... But, I think living in Hoboken we would need to get a car, etc... and I don't think we're ready for all of that yet! So, for now, jersey is out!
The only major con that remains is just the situations where me and baby are going to need to go into the city alone... When daddy is around it won't be a big deal... but for me, alone, it would be a colossal pain in the ass... I don't think I could manage a stroller, diaper bag and baby all myself on the subway, which just leaves a cab... which I could easily do, if i can find one, but I guess i could always call a car service... But, the need to go into the city solo shouldn't really arise that often... let's face it, those first few months I will be home most of the time and then it gets really cold and I become a hermit during those months anyway. When I'm ready to go back to work, I will either find child care (MOM!!) or bring the baby with me, in which case the cab cost will be offset by the money I am bringing in. I'm thinking that it's more important than ever for us to pick an apartment that we love (with all the modern amenities - W/D, etc...) in a neighborhood that has everything we need in walking distance... I'm not sure where in Manhattan we will find that... Granted, I've just started my search, but all of the buildings we've been looking at will not afford us the space / amenities we want for a price we can afford... And affording it aside... I'm ready to live in a great neighborhood. We've always chosen an apartment for amenities / size over location and I don't think we can do that anymore... I feel like it would suck to be in the FiDi in a big apartment but with nothing good in walking distance! I mean, where we live right now on the UWS is really nice, but it takes at least 10 minutes to get anywhere... A total pain when the weather isn't cooperating or I'm feeling lazy! I also kinda feel like hubby and I are ready for a change... I've increasingly become more disenchanted by the city... The fast pace, dirtiness, crazy screaming people on the street, etc... This may be the right time to make this type of move.
Now, the only major challenge is how quickly we can make this decision... This apartment that we looked at is the last 2br/2ba left in this building... I don't think we have a ton of time to mull this over... I think we're gonna do it... I think I've convinced myself that this is the right move... have I convinced you?
And if not, did I mention, two full bath??? yeah, hubby and I could shower at the exact same time (and pee for that matter)...
Brooklyn has always been a bit of an enigma to me... I had visited a few times (Williamsburg and Park Slope) and was never that impressed... But everyone that lives in Brooklyn LOVES IT! So, we decided to see if we could discover what all of these others already had.
Hubby and I went into the day with low expectations (very low). Though we've never said it out loud, we're Manhattan snobs... We took the subway to Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens. From the upper west side it took us about 30 minutes (which is about the same time it takes to get from the upper west side anywhere downtown).
We step out of the subway into the NYC version of "pleasantville"... it's quiet and serene, there are parks, schools, families, wide sidewalks, neighbors saying hello to each other, restaurant lined streets, etc... We're in a bit of shock... We walk to the building and get a tour of a beautiful, brand new, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, W/D equipped apartment. It's about 250 square feet larger than our current place and is fully equipped... Stainless steel appliances, separate shower from bath tub, double vanity in the master bath, walk in closet, etc... You get the drift... It was nice. The only odd thing about it was the massive air conditioning units... They easily took up about 1-2' of space in each room... Was super weird... but on the positive side, each room has individual climate control... That's like an urban dream!! The building was also great... Has a gym and rooftop deck with the best views I've ever seen (statue of liberty, wall street, etc...) The rooftop also comes equipped with a play gym, bbqs, etc...
After the apartment viewing we met up with S and C for a beer and to get an official tour of the 'hood from folks who've lived there for the past year... We walk up and down streets filled with young families, amazing restaurants and shops (think butcher, fish shop, farmers markets, homemade ice cream, etc...) There are no chains (accept the necessary ones, Rite Aid and Chase bank)... We stop for a beer (everyone else) and a coke for me at this little outdoor grill spot... Was very cute! Then we walked all over Carroll Gardens... Honestly, as hubby described it... It's the best kept secret in NYC... How did we not know that this existed? it's a few subway stops into brooklyn and just the quaintest, cutest little neighborhood we've ever seen... And oh the restaurants... Buttermilk Channel, Prime Meats, Frankies, etc... Some of the best culinary talent in all of NYC is popping up in this hood... There are amazing bars too... Clover Club, Mini Bar, etc...
We walked all over town, stopped at S and C's adorable place to get a tour and also grabbed a bite to eat at Prime Meats (where the waitress addressed us all by first name, which was a nice touch) and did a tour of the local supermarket. It felt a bit like that movie Funny Farm. Everything was so idyllic!
After walking around for hours... we were pretty tired and thought we should head back to the city... Hubby and I were both floored... Something about Carroll Gardens just felt right. The slower pace and element were just perfect (no crazy homeless people begging on the corner or aggressive/angry walkers).
So next up it was time to do a littler pros / cons... There are clearly tons of pros...great neighborhood (I actually can't think of a neighborhood in Manhattan that I like any better), quiet / laid back, big apartment with more bang for buck (a 2br/2ba in Manhattan in a neighborhood where we would want to live would be close to $2k more per month than this place), every major convenience in walking distance but not alot of chain stores, etc... And then, of course, we also needed to consider the cons... the 2 subways in the neighborhood are the F/G... The F intersects with the A/C/R about two stops away, so that's pretty convenient... A trip to downtown Manhattan would be about 15-20 minutes, which is perfect. Other cons... Taxis... It's not like the city where there are a million taxis everywhere.... Granted, there are taxis to be hailed on Smith Street, it just isn't necessarily the same as being in manhattan... Something to consider but lets face it... finding a cab in manhattan can be a huge bitch sometimes too! How many cabs am I really going to be taking? I was also concerned about the cost of a cab from Brooklyn to downtown NYC... I was pretty psyched to learn, after doing some research that a cab from tribeca to carroll gardens, with tip should only run about $16... Well, that's the exact amount that I spend now when i go from Tribeca to the UWS! Then we started to think about getting around, in general... So, once we have this baby, how will we get to NJ where our families live? Well, we were easily able to address that... Whether we live in Manhattan or Brooklyn makes no difference... Once Brady is born our days of NJ transit travel are over (at least until he can walk and carry his own things)... There's no way in hell that hubby and I will ever be able to take a baby, car seat, stroller, all the baby things we need, our stuff, PLUS a baby on a subway/cab to Penn Station and then through Penn Station and onto a train... That's just not happening... It's hard enough now when it's just the two of us (we both end up bogged down with bags)... So with that issue ruled out, we determine that our parents will either be needing to travel to us (via train or car) or if they want us to spend the weekend with them, they will need to transport us, since having a car is not in our future. We decided to play with maps / directions and we figured out that moving to this area of Brooklyn only really adds another couple of miles and minutes to our parents commute into NYC to see us - there are options for ways to get to us (through the city or through Staten Island) and my mom should be able to get to us in about 45 min while it will take my inlaws an hour (they live further from the city). Really not bad and not enough of a consideration to make a difference in our decision... AND, from a train perspective, it makes no difference... if they take a train to Penn Station, they can just hop a subway and be delivered at our door (in the same time it would take them to get to the UWS). You may be thinking... well, why don't they consider Hoboken? Well, we have been thinking about it... But honestly, Hoboken doesn't hold a candle to Brooklyn (in terms of convenience, charm, restaurants supermarkets, etc...) and there's something about the convenience of being on the NYC subway system that makes a huge difference. The path and ferry just aren't the same (in time or money). Also, we both still have this stigma in our minds that Hoboken is a college kids town... Granted, whenever we visit my dad there we clearly see that there are lots of families... But, I think living in Hoboken we would need to get a car, etc... and I don't think we're ready for all of that yet! So, for now, jersey is out!
The only major con that remains is just the situations where me and baby are going to need to go into the city alone... When daddy is around it won't be a big deal... but for me, alone, it would be a colossal pain in the ass... I don't think I could manage a stroller, diaper bag and baby all myself on the subway, which just leaves a cab... which I could easily do, if i can find one, but I guess i could always call a car service... But, the need to go into the city solo shouldn't really arise that often... let's face it, those first few months I will be home most of the time and then it gets really cold and I become a hermit during those months anyway. When I'm ready to go back to work, I will either find child care (MOM!!) or bring the baby with me, in which case the cab cost will be offset by the money I am bringing in. I'm thinking that it's more important than ever for us to pick an apartment that we love (with all the modern amenities - W/D, etc...) in a neighborhood that has everything we need in walking distance... I'm not sure where in Manhattan we will find that... Granted, I've just started my search, but all of the buildings we've been looking at will not afford us the space / amenities we want for a price we can afford... And affording it aside... I'm ready to live in a great neighborhood. We've always chosen an apartment for amenities / size over location and I don't think we can do that anymore... I feel like it would suck to be in the FiDi in a big apartment but with nothing good in walking distance! I mean, where we live right now on the UWS is really nice, but it takes at least 10 minutes to get anywhere... A total pain when the weather isn't cooperating or I'm feeling lazy! I also kinda feel like hubby and I are ready for a change... I've increasingly become more disenchanted by the city... The fast pace, dirtiness, crazy screaming people on the street, etc... This may be the right time to make this type of move.
Now, the only major challenge is how quickly we can make this decision... This apartment that we looked at is the last 2br/2ba left in this building... I don't think we have a ton of time to mull this over... I think we're gonna do it... I think I've convinced myself that this is the right move... have I convinced you?
And if not, did I mention, two full bath??? yeah, hubby and I could shower at the exact same time (and pee for that matter)...
Friday, May 13, 2011
Today Sucks
Today has sucked since the very moment I opened my eyes. I woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible stomach ache. I lied there and hoped it would go away, but it didn't... I decided to chug some Maalox... No dice, didn't help... At around 5 I decided to eat some cheerios thinking that maybe I was hungry. I fell back asleep at around 7 and I slept until 9. I woke up and decided to make myself a healthy breakfast... 1 egg, cheese, toast. My stomach still wasn't feeling well, but I choked it down and decided to get ready for work. I got showered and dressed and decided to get going... Oh wait, what's that? Oh yes, puke in my mouth, great! I RUN to the kitchen and puke up all my eggs and toast... I had gone almost two whole weeks without getting sick and there you have it... I start sweating and crying and then realize that I'm clogging the sink so I run to the toilet where I finish up my puke session. This was a particularly horrific puke session... Cheerios, eggs, toast, orange juice... NASTY!
I email work to tell them I will be late and begin cleaning up the mess I made... I actually had to stick my hand in the backed up sink filled with puke to clean it... SICK!
I start walking to the subway... The commute takes me longer than usual because I can't stop crying... I want to... there's nothing wrong with me, but, I just can't.
I get to work feeling like death warmed over and one of my colleagues comes by and asks if I want anything because she's running to the store. I immediately burst into tears and begin uncontrollably crying at my desk to the point where I'm heaving... did I mention that this client has an open office plan? So I am crying in front of everyone. AWESOME! That's not at all embarrassing - pregnant, hormonal, crying, look like death...
My colleague comes back with a bialy with cream cheese and apple juice and a ginger ale. I eat the bialy and begin to feel a bit better. I am on the verge of tears for about another hour, not talking to anyone for fear of crying... Finally, I start to feel ok... I take a kytril and a B6 and get to work...
Oh, and did I mention that I am supposed to go to a gala tonight at the NY Public Library. Yeah, my client paid $150 for me to attend The Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala event. One of my clients is a sponsor and while it sucks that I can't drink, I was still planning to attend to see all my industry peeps and get all dressed up. I haven't seen anyone since last year since my bar days have been few and far between.
Well, now I'm hungry again and don't know what to eat. I've already puked up eggs today... it doesn't really get more basic than that! I can't eat my staple PBJ... I'm munching on a banana but starting to get a headache...
I really want to go to this thing tonight but don't know what to do... All that crying took a toll on me and I feel really drained. This day deserves a happy ending, but I just don't know if I can make it... I may try and take a nap and then try to go since it doesn't start until 9pm...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this SUCKS!
I email work to tell them I will be late and begin cleaning up the mess I made... I actually had to stick my hand in the backed up sink filled with puke to clean it... SICK!
I start walking to the subway... The commute takes me longer than usual because I can't stop crying... I want to... there's nothing wrong with me, but, I just can't.
I get to work feeling like death warmed over and one of my colleagues comes by and asks if I want anything because she's running to the store. I immediately burst into tears and begin uncontrollably crying at my desk to the point where I'm heaving... did I mention that this client has an open office plan? So I am crying in front of everyone. AWESOME! That's not at all embarrassing - pregnant, hormonal, crying, look like death...
My colleague comes back with a bialy with cream cheese and apple juice and a ginger ale. I eat the bialy and begin to feel a bit better. I am on the verge of tears for about another hour, not talking to anyone for fear of crying... Finally, I start to feel ok... I take a kytril and a B6 and get to work...
Oh, and did I mention that I am supposed to go to a gala tonight at the NY Public Library. Yeah, my client paid $150 for me to attend The Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala event. One of my clients is a sponsor and while it sucks that I can't drink, I was still planning to attend to see all my industry peeps and get all dressed up. I haven't seen anyone since last year since my bar days have been few and far between.
Well, now I'm hungry again and don't know what to eat. I've already puked up eggs today... it doesn't really get more basic than that! I can't eat my staple PBJ... I'm munching on a banana but starting to get a headache...
I really want to go to this thing tonight but don't know what to do... All that crying took a toll on me and I feel really drained. This day deserves a happy ending, but I just don't know if I can make it... I may try and take a nap and then try to go since it doesn't start until 9pm...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this SUCKS!
Post from May 12, 2011: Oh Happy Day!
I wrote this post yesterday but the blogger site was down and I couldn't upload it... So... you get it now...
Today is not only my four year wedding anniversary, which in and of itself is a reason for me and hubby to celebrate... Today is also the day that I rocked the Dwell Studio sample sale... Since becoming pregnant I have been researching baby "stuff" and I absolutely LOVE everything that Dwell Studio makes. All of their stuff is fabulous, and pretty early on I determined that if we had a girl, I wanted their Sparrow set and if we had a boy I wanted the Gio set. Their stuff is a little pricey, but I heard that they had an amazing "sample" sale where they basically cleaned out all of their excess stock and sold things at 60-70% off. Well, earlier this week I got the invitation that it was this week and I got excited and started plotting my trip. The Gio stuff is sold out EVERYWHERE (and I learned at the sale it's because they're archiving the print - how tragic!)... It's impossible to find so I thought this sample sale may be my only chance (and I've looked everywhere else for baby bedding and nothing gets me more excited then the Gio!)
I don't frequent sample sales... I have only been to 1-2 others in my whole life... It's not my preferred way to shop AT ALL... But when I'm determined and I want something, I go after it.
The sale started this morning at 10am. So while I should have been going to work (in midtown), I went down to Soho... I arrived at 9:50am and got in the already forming lines of mommies and mommies-to-be. I met a really nice girl who was on line behind me and we chatted until they let us in. Then, it was mayhem! Alot of people congregated in the front of the store where all the bibs and onesies were and I just headed to the back to look for my Gio crib set. They had two and somebody took one before I even got back there. I got the last one... So, the 3 piece crib set, which would normally cost $360 I got for $25 (the set I bought didn't have the crib skirt... my little boy don't need no skirt! no... in all seriousness... i figured I could pick up a skirt if i want one, but I've never been a fan of them unless you need to hide things underneath). Yes, $25 for the sheet, bumper and a coordinating blanket. Once I had the set in hand, I just ran around the store picking up anything Gio I could find. I scored a cute onesie, a changing pad cover, an extra crib sheet, and a cute little bag all with the same print. Then I grabbed some washcloths, a mitt and moved on to the adult bedding where I was able to get my husband and I a new duvet set for our bed (originally priced at $280). It's super soft and gorgeous!
How much did all of this cost me? Everything??? $65. Yes, you heard right... Everything I listed above cost $65... Probably close to $900 worth of bedding and baby accoutrements for $65!!! That is like my heaven... Very little makes me happier than getting a bargain! AND, you're probably thinking... oh, this is probably all used or old or damaged merchandise... NOPE, all brand new just overstock from their office and store... I paid my small bill, hopped in a taxi and made it to work by 11am! All in all, it was a HIGHLY productive morning.
The sale is going on for the next 3 days... I'm DEFINITELY going back... I could've stayed there forever but I needed to get to work, and frankly, I couldn't carry anymore!
Oh happy day!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sugar that's not so sweet
Today was the dreaded glucose test for gestational diabetes... Ever since I heard about this test and what it entailed, I've been a little worried about it. I tried to eat a big dinner last night... but that just doesn't really work for me... I can't eat huge portions like I used to (I used to be able to put down a 1 ft sub, easy, now I could probably only finish 1/2 if I was being ambitious (and eating cold cuts)!)
I had a salad, green beans and some rotisserie chicken followed by a tuesday sundae of vanilla ice cream, cool whip, chocolate sauce and little chocolate chips. I stayed up as late as I possibly could, which turned out to be 10:30 and took a kytril right before I dozed off to stave off the expected morning nausea and prepare for my morning of fasting.
I stayed in bed as long as possible this morning to stave off the nausea... At 8:30 I decided to get dressed. I made a PBJ for after my tests, grabbed a banana and then walked to the doctors office... Maybe if I got there early they would get me started on the test early (every second counts when you're pregnant and you haven't eaten in over 10 hours!)... No such luck. They called me in at 9:10 and explained the drill to me. I was to have two vials of blood taken right away, then I needed to drink this glucose drink in under 5 minutes, then I would have to have my blood tested an hour later and then another hour later and then, finally, I could eat!
I'm in good spirits, get the first two vials of blood taken... Drink the 10 oz. orange glucose drink (that tasted like flat sunkist) in under 4 minutes and I feel like an overachiever... (I guess all those days playing flip cup came in handy - I know how to take down a drink quick!)
Then I moved to the doctors office where I had my usual 4 week appointment. I got weighed, BP taken (very good!) and then they checked my guys heartbeat, which apparently is also good. I've gained 14 pounds so far in this pregnancy, which is normal. She wants me to gain 30 pounds in total, so basically 1 pound a week for the rest of the time. We did get into a discussion about my diet... Apparently, my daily PBJ sandwiches are not a good idea... Not only are they high in fat, but they're also predisposing my little one to a peanut allergy. PBJ in moderation she said is fine, but I don't need to be eating one every day... I pleaded... but that's my best source of protein... I've been having a hard time with meat... And she told me tough... Then I told her about my shrimp habit... I've been eating shrimp 2x a week (if we order sushi, I get shrimp tempura) or when I go for my weekly vietnamese, I get summer rolls... She said that that was ok... but no more than 2x per week because I'm exposing him to the potential for a shellfish allergy... Honestly, I felt like a bad mom after our conversation... I don't want my little guy to have food allergies... That would be terrible. She also gave me a little pep talk about eating healthy and moderation... Cutting carbs, sticking to lean protein, veggies, etc... My weight gain has been fine, but I've gained more recently than I did earlier on (thanks Einstein for the newsflash... I've just stopped puking every day two weeks ago, of course I'm gonna gain more now)... But it was good that the doc made me a little more conscious of things... I'm going to cut my sundae consumption and try not to eat so much pasta... Now that I'm feeling a bit better I have introduced more veggies into my diet (though they do always give me a belly ache - I writhed for 30 minutes after my salad for dinner last night) but I will keep at it, for the baby. Then she gave me her philosophy on traveling while pregnant (she see's no issue with it as long as I'm some place where I am comfortable with the medical care I will receive), etc...
Once we finished I went to the waiting room where I texted the hubby all my updates.. then, I started to get really hot... like, really really hot... sweaty... dizzy... I felt like I was going to fall over... I walk over to the nurses and ask if I can lie down somewhere... They put me in a room, my doc comes in to see how i'm doing... tells me that this happens all the time and it will be ok... They will let me rest for a little bit. I laid on the table... the nurses kept coming in to check on me. Finally, the doc comes in and asks me if I think I can go on with the other two vials or if I need to stop... By this point, the sweat had dried and I was feeling a bit better so I told her that I would truck onward... They got me for my next blood test, took a vial of blood and then I went back to the waiting room. I sat there for a bit and then started to feel a whole lot better so I pulled out my computer and started to do a bit of work. That last 30 minutes flew by and then it was time for my final blood withdrawal. They took it and I swiftly deposited a banana in my mouth!
I walked home and have just been resting... I had some magically delicious Lucky Charms and am now just recovering from my eventful day...
So glad that I made it through the test and now I need to start planning my next few, more healthy, less PB and shrimp filled meals.
I had a salad, green beans and some rotisserie chicken followed by a tuesday sundae of vanilla ice cream, cool whip, chocolate sauce and little chocolate chips. I stayed up as late as I possibly could, which turned out to be 10:30 and took a kytril right before I dozed off to stave off the expected morning nausea and prepare for my morning of fasting.
I stayed in bed as long as possible this morning to stave off the nausea... At 8:30 I decided to get dressed. I made a PBJ for after my tests, grabbed a banana and then walked to the doctors office... Maybe if I got there early they would get me started on the test early (every second counts when you're pregnant and you haven't eaten in over 10 hours!)... No such luck. They called me in at 9:10 and explained the drill to me. I was to have two vials of blood taken right away, then I needed to drink this glucose drink in under 5 minutes, then I would have to have my blood tested an hour later and then another hour later and then, finally, I could eat!
I'm in good spirits, get the first two vials of blood taken... Drink the 10 oz. orange glucose drink (that tasted like flat sunkist) in under 4 minutes and I feel like an overachiever... (I guess all those days playing flip cup came in handy - I know how to take down a drink quick!)
Then I moved to the doctors office where I had my usual 4 week appointment. I got weighed, BP taken (very good!) and then they checked my guys heartbeat, which apparently is also good. I've gained 14 pounds so far in this pregnancy, which is normal. She wants me to gain 30 pounds in total, so basically 1 pound a week for the rest of the time. We did get into a discussion about my diet... Apparently, my daily PBJ sandwiches are not a good idea... Not only are they high in fat, but they're also predisposing my little one to a peanut allergy. PBJ in moderation she said is fine, but I don't need to be eating one every day... I pleaded... but that's my best source of protein... I've been having a hard time with meat... And she told me tough... Then I told her about my shrimp habit... I've been eating shrimp 2x a week (if we order sushi, I get shrimp tempura) or when I go for my weekly vietnamese, I get summer rolls... She said that that was ok... but no more than 2x per week because I'm exposing him to the potential for a shellfish allergy... Honestly, I felt like a bad mom after our conversation... I don't want my little guy to have food allergies... That would be terrible. She also gave me a little pep talk about eating healthy and moderation... Cutting carbs, sticking to lean protein, veggies, etc... My weight gain has been fine, but I've gained more recently than I did earlier on (thanks Einstein for the newsflash... I've just stopped puking every day two weeks ago, of course I'm gonna gain more now)... But it was good that the doc made me a little more conscious of things... I'm going to cut my sundae consumption and try not to eat so much pasta... Now that I'm feeling a bit better I have introduced more veggies into my diet (though they do always give me a belly ache - I writhed for 30 minutes after my salad for dinner last night) but I will keep at it, for the baby. Then she gave me her philosophy on traveling while pregnant (she see's no issue with it as long as I'm some place where I am comfortable with the medical care I will receive), etc...
Once we finished I went to the waiting room where I texted the hubby all my updates.. then, I started to get really hot... like, really really hot... sweaty... dizzy... I felt like I was going to fall over... I walk over to the nurses and ask if I can lie down somewhere... They put me in a room, my doc comes in to see how i'm doing... tells me that this happens all the time and it will be ok... They will let me rest for a little bit. I laid on the table... the nurses kept coming in to check on me. Finally, the doc comes in and asks me if I think I can go on with the other two vials or if I need to stop... By this point, the sweat had dried and I was feeling a bit better so I told her that I would truck onward... They got me for my next blood test, took a vial of blood and then I went back to the waiting room. I sat there for a bit and then started to feel a whole lot better so I pulled out my computer and started to do a bit of work. That last 30 minutes flew by and then it was time for my final blood withdrawal. They took it and I swiftly deposited a banana in my mouth!
I walked home and have just been resting... I had some magically delicious Lucky Charms and am now just recovering from my eventful day...
So glad that I made it through the test and now I need to start planning my next few, more healthy, less PB and shrimp filled meals.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day
So this weekend we celebrated Mother's Day! It was a great day spent with family... We went out for a big, over the top brunch and had a nice time... I know, obviously, that my little one hasn't been born yet... But, he's alive and growing... So, am I a mother?
I pondered this all weekend... Originally, because I was wondering if I would get presents (I love presents! Who doesn't?) But then it got me thinking... Am I a mom yet, or just a fetus growing vessel?
My little guy has been pretty demanding on my body throughout the entire pregnancy... he's already turned my world upside down and changed my life forever. He's 24 weeks old and his presence is felt every day - whether through morning sickness or a couple of kicks in the afternoon...
Granted, he isn't fully cooked... but he's partially cooked... I mean, he's not an embryo... He's got hair, finger nails and apparently, if he were to be born now (which I would never want to happen) and received excellent medical care, he would likely grow up to be a normal healthy little boy! So, all of this makes me think I'm a mom...
One rite of passage I have not yet experienced (that most mom's have) is labor and delivery... That is definitely a good counter-argument to everything I am saying... In order to qualify for presents on mother's day do you need to go into labor??? What about those who adopt? Or have a surgical procedure (C-Section) instead of delivery? This is a weak counter-argument for many reasons...
I'm truly examining this from every angle... Maybe the qualifying factor for being a mother's day gift recipient is having a child that is breathing air (my little guy COULD breathe air, but he isn't just yet and he certainly couldn't go to the mall to pick his mama up a card or little trinket)... Perhaps Hallmark should have better outlined the parameters for this "holiday"... Something to consider...
And now the million dollar question... Did I receive any Mother's Day gifts?
The answer is yes! My mom knows me pretty well and I think she pondered some of the same things that I did... In order to be safe and not disappoint her crazy, hormonal, pregnant daughter, she filled out a blank card, wrote in some Mother-To-Be wishes and bought me a subscription to Parents magazine. It was very thoughtful and despite my pondering, unexpected.
Next year will be my very first "official" Mother's Day... My little guy will be about 8 months old! Daddy better take notice and plan something special for his baby mama!
And yeah, you got me... I got pregnant just so that I could have another day of gifts... ;-)
I pondered this all weekend... Originally, because I was wondering if I would get presents (I love presents! Who doesn't?) But then it got me thinking... Am I a mom yet, or just a fetus growing vessel?
My little guy has been pretty demanding on my body throughout the entire pregnancy... he's already turned my world upside down and changed my life forever. He's 24 weeks old and his presence is felt every day - whether through morning sickness or a couple of kicks in the afternoon...
Granted, he isn't fully cooked... but he's partially cooked... I mean, he's not an embryo... He's got hair, finger nails and apparently, if he were to be born now (which I would never want to happen) and received excellent medical care, he would likely grow up to be a normal healthy little boy! So, all of this makes me think I'm a mom...
One rite of passage I have not yet experienced (that most mom's have) is labor and delivery... That is definitely a good counter-argument to everything I am saying... In order to qualify for presents on mother's day do you need to go into labor??? What about those who adopt? Or have a surgical procedure (C-Section) instead of delivery? This is a weak counter-argument for many reasons...
I'm truly examining this from every angle... Maybe the qualifying factor for being a mother's day gift recipient is having a child that is breathing air (my little guy COULD breathe air, but he isn't just yet and he certainly couldn't go to the mall to pick his mama up a card or little trinket)... Perhaps Hallmark should have better outlined the parameters for this "holiday"... Something to consider...
And now the million dollar question... Did I receive any Mother's Day gifts?
The answer is yes! My mom knows me pretty well and I think she pondered some of the same things that I did... In order to be safe and not disappoint her crazy, hormonal, pregnant daughter, she filled out a blank card, wrote in some Mother-To-Be wishes and bought me a subscription to Parents magazine. It was very thoughtful and despite my pondering, unexpected.
Next year will be my very first "official" Mother's Day... My little guy will be about 8 months old! Daddy better take notice and plan something special for his baby mama!
And yeah, you got me... I got pregnant just so that I could have another day of gifts... ;-)
The Power of the Snoogle
Until recently, I did not quite understand the allure or power of the snoogle. I knew that many pregnant women found relief sleeping with the snoogle so as soon as I got pregnant I bought one thinking that it was this magical pillow that would make sleep even easier. I was only about 16 weeks when my snoogle arrived and I tried sleeping with it for the first few days after opening it and ended up just kicking it to the ground. I had not yet embraced the power of the snoogle. I didn't understand it... It was so oddly shaped, so large and unwieldy (it's a 5ft body pillow, I'm a 5ft person) I just figured it wasn't for me.
About two to three weeks ago I started having more difficulty sleeping... My baby bump has now turned into a baby basketball and I started suffering from some lower back pain, numbness in my arms and hands when I slept, etc... I thought maybe it was time to revisit the massive snoogle that had taken up residence on my bedroom floor.
It truly changed my world. How did this once uncomfortable, cumbersome, weirdo pillow transform into this amazing, life changing, sleep-inducing pleasure? Frankly, I don't know and I don't care... It's just plain grand. My husband thought it was hilarious to come into bed and see my wrapped up in this massive pillow... He says he never knows where the snoogle ends and I begin... And I say, it doesn't matter... For the next few months... we are one.
Dear Snoogle,
I heart you and do not plan to leave you until after my little papaya (his size at 24 weeks) is born! Love,
Mama Byrd
About two to three weeks ago I started having more difficulty sleeping... My baby bump has now turned into a baby basketball and I started suffering from some lower back pain, numbness in my arms and hands when I slept, etc... I thought maybe it was time to revisit the massive snoogle that had taken up residence on my bedroom floor.
It truly changed my world. How did this once uncomfortable, cumbersome, weirdo pillow transform into this amazing, life changing, sleep-inducing pleasure? Frankly, I don't know and I don't care... It's just plain grand. My husband thought it was hilarious to come into bed and see my wrapped up in this massive pillow... He says he never knows where the snoogle ends and I begin... And I say, it doesn't matter... For the next few months... we are one.
Dear Snoogle,
I heart you and do not plan to leave you until after my little papaya (his size at 24 weeks) is born! Love,
Mama Byrd
Friday, May 6, 2011
Busy Boy
My little boy has been EXTREMELY busy this week. He moves so much more than he did even a week ago! I can't even believe how active he is. In the beginning it was just little flutters and kicks here and there... Now it's like he's beating me from the inside! I swear he's trying to break out!
I'm not sure if he's river dancing, practicing his soccer moves, or what.. But he's only 1.5 pounds these days so I can only imagine what these kicks are going to feel like as he gets bigger. The kicks can be really distracting too! I'll be in a meeting or trying to eat something and I will feel this little party happening in my uterus.
It's also been a bit bizarre because now I can see the kicks through my clothes. It's a little sci-fi freaky. I didn't think that it would happen so early on in the pregnancy, but this guy has got alot of energy (probably why I have so little energy... he's sucking the life out of me!!)
His dad thinks it's funny... I told him that if he doesn't watch it, I'm gonna kick him every time the baby kicks me!!
I'm not sure if he's river dancing, practicing his soccer moves, or what.. But he's only 1.5 pounds these days so I can only imagine what these kicks are going to feel like as he gets bigger. The kicks can be really distracting too! I'll be in a meeting or trying to eat something and I will feel this little party happening in my uterus.
It's also been a bit bizarre because now I can see the kicks through my clothes. It's a little sci-fi freaky. I didn't think that it would happen so early on in the pregnancy, but this guy has got alot of energy (probably why I have so little energy... he's sucking the life out of me!!)
His dad thinks it's funny... I told him that if he doesn't watch it, I'm gonna kick him every time the baby kicks me!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Hormonal as Hell
This weekend was interesting... Saturday I was incredibly moody and irritable where it became practically personality changing. Absolutely everything that happened on Saturday irritated the crap out of me (so much so, that I'm not even going to recount the days events, but there was lots of bitching by me, crying in a mall bathroom, etc...). I've noticed that my tolerance for people and my patience has hit an all time low... I've always been a bit of a people pleaser and right now I really just don't give a damn what other people want... The stress of all of these life changes is really wearing on me... Moving, new baby, career decisions, etc...
All around, Saturday was just not fun... We got pulled over and hubby got a ticket for failing to turn left in a left hand lane (stupidest ticket ever), we had to return the car that hubby was using back to the dealer (dad lent it to us, yada yada yada, hubby needed it for his 3 hour commute, now he's back to the train) and we pretty much wasted the entire day dealing with the car. The high notes for the day included getting to see my mom's pup, Max. The CUTEST dog ever... He definitely put a smile on my face. And hubby got to feel the baby kick for the first time... So now my party for two has expanded to a party for three - we're all involved.
Sunday was better... I got to catch up with some friends who I haven't seen in months. Seven of us got together for brunch at my friend K's house in Pleasantille, NY (the burbs). It was nice to see everyone, hear what's been going on in the land of the living, etc... Days like that make me feel more human and less like a wacky pregnant lady.
Sunday afternoon I spent contemplating my career and maternity plans. With the summer fast approaching, I realized that I don't have much time before this baby comes (and he reminds me of that every day as the kicks get stronger and more frequent!) This has been one of the most stressful things about having baby Brady. I have been working for just about ten years... It's all I've ever known and it's a huge part of my identity. I really enjoy what I do and I've got a great thing going with two clients who I LOVE. But once Brady comes, I know things are going to change... And frankly, even before he comes, I need some time to get my shit together! Since I'm not a full time staffer, I'm a fully booked consultant, my maternity planning is a bit more complicated than most (income ends when I stop working and no guarantee of a job when my "maternity leave" is over). I've been working with both of my clients for just about two years. They're both small, wonderful, entrepreneurial, fast-growing companies that I feel a real affinity for. When you work with smaller brands (I've found) you are able to create such a stronger emotional connection to them because you're able to make a tangible impact on their business. That's totally awesome and I've found the past two years of my life to be some of the most rewarding, career-wise. This also presents me with a predicament... I don't want to give it up, but I know I have to scale back. I'm not the type who will feel comfortable leaving my kid after a few months (at least I don't think I am, but I won't really know until the time comes). So, last night I worked on my ideal scenario for each client... What I think I can work on until he comes, who can absorb some of my responsibilities when he arrives, my availability over the next few months, etc... This is one of the hardest things I've ever done... I have a tendency to try to over extend myself in these situations but everyone in my life is telling me I just can't... Until the baby is born, I need to put myself and his well being first, and then once he's out, it turns into the baby show. My fear is losing the momentum that I've built with these two wonderful companies and damaging my career. I know that I shouldn't care, because career vs. child is a no brainer... but my career has been all I've ever known, so it's scary. Since I'm a consultant, there is no guarantee that I won't be replaced if I end up taking off alot of time... I'm also slightly concerned about the economic impact that moving to a one income family (even for a short time) will have on our lives. We have savings, but living in NYC is no joke and unfortunately we now need to move to a bigger apartment and let's be honest, me and hubby like nice, new apartments... we've always had a doorman, etc... Now that we're having a baby, I don't really want to take a step down in our living arrangement, especially since I am going to be spending more time at home than ever... That just means more money spent and less money coming in... Ayiyi... I'm rambling... but this is just a little snapshot of what's been going on in my head... I'm overwhelmed by my thoughts to say the least...
Today I'm working from home, which is nice, because I puked as soon as I woke up ... My 'large mango' (the baby) and uterus 'the size of a soccer ball' are growing bigger by the day... It's hard to believe that I'm going to get even bigger in the coming months...
All around, Saturday was just not fun... We got pulled over and hubby got a ticket for failing to turn left in a left hand lane (stupidest ticket ever), we had to return the car that hubby was using back to the dealer (dad lent it to us, yada yada yada, hubby needed it for his 3 hour commute, now he's back to the train) and we pretty much wasted the entire day dealing with the car. The high notes for the day included getting to see my mom's pup, Max. The CUTEST dog ever... He definitely put a smile on my face. And hubby got to feel the baby kick for the first time... So now my party for two has expanded to a party for three - we're all involved.
Sunday was better... I got to catch up with some friends who I haven't seen in months. Seven of us got together for brunch at my friend K's house in Pleasantille, NY (the burbs). It was nice to see everyone, hear what's been going on in the land of the living, etc... Days like that make me feel more human and less like a wacky pregnant lady.
Sunday afternoon I spent contemplating my career and maternity plans. With the summer fast approaching, I realized that I don't have much time before this baby comes (and he reminds me of that every day as the kicks get stronger and more frequent!) This has been one of the most stressful things about having baby Brady. I have been working for just about ten years... It's all I've ever known and it's a huge part of my identity. I really enjoy what I do and I've got a great thing going with two clients who I LOVE. But once Brady comes, I know things are going to change... And frankly, even before he comes, I need some time to get my shit together! Since I'm not a full time staffer, I'm a fully booked consultant, my maternity planning is a bit more complicated than most (income ends when I stop working and no guarantee of a job when my "maternity leave" is over). I've been working with both of my clients for just about two years. They're both small, wonderful, entrepreneurial, fast-growing companies that I feel a real affinity for. When you work with smaller brands (I've found) you are able to create such a stronger emotional connection to them because you're able to make a tangible impact on their business. That's totally awesome and I've found the past two years of my life to be some of the most rewarding, career-wise. This also presents me with a predicament... I don't want to give it up, but I know I have to scale back. I'm not the type who will feel comfortable leaving my kid after a few months (at least I don't think I am, but I won't really know until the time comes). So, last night I worked on my ideal scenario for each client... What I think I can work on until he comes, who can absorb some of my responsibilities when he arrives, my availability over the next few months, etc... This is one of the hardest things I've ever done... I have a tendency to try to over extend myself in these situations but everyone in my life is telling me I just can't... Until the baby is born, I need to put myself and his well being first, and then once he's out, it turns into the baby show. My fear is losing the momentum that I've built with these two wonderful companies and damaging my career. I know that I shouldn't care, because career vs. child is a no brainer... but my career has been all I've ever known, so it's scary. Since I'm a consultant, there is no guarantee that I won't be replaced if I end up taking off alot of time... I'm also slightly concerned about the economic impact that moving to a one income family (even for a short time) will have on our lives. We have savings, but living in NYC is no joke and unfortunately we now need to move to a bigger apartment and let's be honest, me and hubby like nice, new apartments... we've always had a doorman, etc... Now that we're having a baby, I don't really want to take a step down in our living arrangement, especially since I am going to be spending more time at home than ever... That just means more money spent and less money coming in... Ayiyi... I'm rambling... but this is just a little snapshot of what's been going on in my head... I'm overwhelmed by my thoughts to say the least...
Today I'm working from home, which is nice, because I puked as soon as I woke up ... My 'large mango' (the baby) and uterus 'the size of a soccer ball' are growing bigger by the day... It's hard to believe that I'm going to get even bigger in the coming months...
Friday, April 29, 2011
Baby Byrd Get's a Taste
I read something the other day that said our little boy was now drinking amniotic fluid preparing his body for the act of swallowing and digestion when he's born. Apparently, what I eat flavors the amniotic fluid... I wonder if the foods I've been eating will be ones that he will like or hate when he's born...
I thought it would be interesting to make a list of what little Brady (our name of choice as of right now) has been getting a taste of these days:
I thought it would be interesting to make a list of what little Brady (our name of choice as of right now) has been getting a taste of these days:
- PBJ
- Babybel Cheeses (the yellow wax and red wax kind)
- Cheerios
- Bananas
- Vanilla Yogurt
- Noodles with butter
- Spaghetti with sauce
- Pizza
- Egg salad
- Grapes
- Sunday Sundaes, Monday Sundaes, Tuesday Sundaes and Wednesday Sundaes (vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, cool whip and chocolate chips)
- Cereal
- Banana bread
- Lots of glasses of milk
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Ups and downs
I feel like this pregnancy has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster... The highs are so high and the lows are pretty low...
Yesterday was a GREAT day! I felt awesome all day and didn't take any meds. I was in a completely upbeat and happy mood. One of my colleagues even said to me, it's like we have the pre-pregnancy version of you back! You're smiling, joking, etc... When I have days like that, I forget how bad it is to feel sick. I think things like, I've finally turned the corner... There's no way I could go back to feeling sick after having such a good day. Needless to say, I was feeling optimistic.
Well, this morning began like many others... I woke up at about 5am feeling hungry and reached for the box of Cheerios. I munched for a bit, played on my iPhone and then went back to sleep until about 9. Since I had eaten and was feeling so good, I felt like it was safe to get up and go to the bathroom. After I did my business I realized that I had alot to do at work and instead of getting back in bed, I should get ready and go. Well, as soon as I re-entered the bedroom that familiar feeling came back. I ran for the ziplock bag and puked for a few minutes. Once I was done I zipped up the bag and went about my day... I took a kytril, b6, had a bowl of cereal and went to work. It's so much harder to get sick after feeling so good. The physical toll of puking doesn't even really bother me anymore, it's the hopeless feeling that I'll never feel good again that's tough to deal with. I went about the rest of my day feeling fine. Got alot done at work and felt pretty good overall.
Should be interesting to see what tomorrow brings!
Yesterday was a GREAT day! I felt awesome all day and didn't take any meds. I was in a completely upbeat and happy mood. One of my colleagues even said to me, it's like we have the pre-pregnancy version of you back! You're smiling, joking, etc... When I have days like that, I forget how bad it is to feel sick. I think things like, I've finally turned the corner... There's no way I could go back to feeling sick after having such a good day. Needless to say, I was feeling optimistic.
Well, this morning began like many others... I woke up at about 5am feeling hungry and reached for the box of Cheerios. I munched for a bit, played on my iPhone and then went back to sleep until about 9. Since I had eaten and was feeling so good, I felt like it was safe to get up and go to the bathroom. After I did my business I realized that I had alot to do at work and instead of getting back in bed, I should get ready and go. Well, as soon as I re-entered the bedroom that familiar feeling came back. I ran for the ziplock bag and puked for a few minutes. Once I was done I zipped up the bag and went about my day... I took a kytril, b6, had a bowl of cereal and went to work. It's so much harder to get sick after feeling so good. The physical toll of puking doesn't even really bother me anymore, it's the hopeless feeling that I'll never feel good again that's tough to deal with. I went about the rest of my day feeling fine. Got alot done at work and felt pretty good overall.
Should be interesting to see what tomorrow brings!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I had a dream...
Actually, it was more of a nightmare. I lost the baby... And not, I had a miscarriage, lost the baby... I gave birth, took the baby home (this baby was a girl, not a boy, and she was suuuuuper cute) and I fed her then fell asleep (in my dream). When I woke up (in my dream) the baby was gone. I had fallen asleep and lost her in the bed. But she wasn't in the bed or on the floor or anywhere. I was baffled... Where did this helpless newborn go? She couldn't crawl... I started ripping apart our bedroom and the baby just disappeared... I started to panic and then woke up! (for real)
What could this wackadoo dream mean?
What could this wackadoo dream mean?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
There's no way out
Last night I did something I probably shouldn't have done... I decided to watch a woman give birth on my iPhone. I have this Babycenter.com app that has videos embedded among daily tips and other news about changes happening to me and the baby...
I noticed a link to a woman giving birth after receiving an epidural and thought it may be a good idea to begin mentally preparing myself... After all, I only have four more months until it's my turn... The video started off with the woman in a lot of pain.. Then she gets the epidural and she's pretty happy, joking around, etc... Then, it's time to push... Then it gets ugly... I won't go into too much graphic detail, but it didn't look very nice and there was definitely tearing...
Typically, I'm the type of person who wants to know as much as possible before I experience anything... But all this video did was make me think about how there is no painless way out of my current situation. That's when I started to freak out a little bit... I can't wait to meet this little guy, but there's no way to do it without experiencing massive amounts of pain. If you know me well, then you know I'm a total wuss about pain... I've shed tears over paper cuts. How in the world am I going to get through this?
There's really no good way out... A c-section means they put a knife to my belly and cut the baby out and move all my organs around, etc...Longer recovery time and I've heard it can be pretty painful post-surgery (and it requires a longer hospital stay - ick). And the natural route (obviously the preferred scenario) just seems like so much work... I mean, I'm so tired just thinking about it, I can only imagine how tired I will be after hours of contractions... And anything that ends with me needing to sit on a donut to be comfortable just sounds terrible. Honestly, the whole thing just makes me want to cross my legs really tight and hold the baby in forever.
My husband keeps assuring me that it will be 24 really miserable hours but then it will be over and we'll have our little man... And I know he's right, but the whole thing freaks me out... I'm a problem solver and have been racking my brain to come up with a child birth scenario that will produce the least amount of physical pain (and damage) and I can't come up with anything... I'm really out of my scope here... I know women do this every day... But they're not me!!!
I noticed a link to a woman giving birth after receiving an epidural and thought it may be a good idea to begin mentally preparing myself... After all, I only have four more months until it's my turn... The video started off with the woman in a lot of pain.. Then she gets the epidural and she's pretty happy, joking around, etc... Then, it's time to push... Then it gets ugly... I won't go into too much graphic detail, but it didn't look very nice and there was definitely tearing...
Typically, I'm the type of person who wants to know as much as possible before I experience anything... But all this video did was make me think about how there is no painless way out of my current situation. That's when I started to freak out a little bit... I can't wait to meet this little guy, but there's no way to do it without experiencing massive amounts of pain. If you know me well, then you know I'm a total wuss about pain... I've shed tears over paper cuts. How in the world am I going to get through this?
There's really no good way out... A c-section means they put a knife to my belly and cut the baby out and move all my organs around, etc...Longer recovery time and I've heard it can be pretty painful post-surgery (and it requires a longer hospital stay - ick). And the natural route (obviously the preferred scenario) just seems like so much work... I mean, I'm so tired just thinking about it, I can only imagine how tired I will be after hours of contractions... And anything that ends with me needing to sit on a donut to be comfortable just sounds terrible. Honestly, the whole thing just makes me want to cross my legs really tight and hold the baby in forever.
My husband keeps assuring me that it will be 24 really miserable hours but then it will be over and we'll have our little man... And I know he's right, but the whole thing freaks me out... I'm a problem solver and have been racking my brain to come up with a child birth scenario that will produce the least amount of physical pain (and damage) and I can't come up with anything... I'm really out of my scope here... I know women do this every day... But they're not me!!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Just want to feel good again
Now I'm officially 22 weeks. My little boy is the size of a papaya or a spaghetti squash. He's finally reached the 1 lb mark.
I've been a little slow with the blogging this week because I've been so busy sleeping, looking for a new apartment, researching baby items / furniture and feeling sick. Some of the positive highlights for the week include:
I've been a little slow with the blogging this week because I've been so busy sleeping, looking for a new apartment, researching baby items / furniture and feeling sick. Some of the positive highlights for the week include:
- Watching a Rangers game from a luxury box at MSG (all you can eat chicken fingers!). And randomly bumping into my good friend K who ended up in the same luxury box (what are the odds?) I swear NYC is so small sometimes... Though the Rangers lost in double overtime, it wasn't a total bust... My husband did get his pic with Adam Graves, after all.
- Having dinner with our friends J and A and baby H at City Hall in Tribeca. Though the food was only mediocre, it's always nice to go out with another couple and have a relaxing dinner and just chat. And I hadn't seen H in almost 2 weeks, which is the longest I had gone since he was born. He changed so much in that short period of time, I couldn't believe it!
- Morning puke sessions (2 to be exact)
- Uncontrollable, unrelenting heartburn, bloating and gas
- Poor sleep for two nights due to 1. baby throwing party in my uterus and 2. racking my brain for a way to reconfigure our current apartment to accommodate a baby so that we don't have to move and spend gazillions of dollars on more rent, a brokers fee and movers (NOT POSSIBLE)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
On my mind...
I've got alot on my mind these days... It's mostly keeping up with work, preparing for the baby and thinking about moving in a few months when our lease is up...
Since we registered I feel a bit relieved that I got something done... I now have one place that lists everything (just about) that I need for the baby... I know I mentioned this before, but my husband is really into the baby registry... Like, he's on it every day to see if someone has bought this yellow duck robe that he's obsessed with... It's pretty hilarious... He informed me the other day via instant messenger (while I was at work and had colleagues surrounding my computer) that someone had bought my nipple shields (something that he told me not even to put on the registry - who would buy my nipple shields???) He was shocked that they were our first registry purchase (along with a ton of other boob related paraphernalia). Another new "thing" hubby has adopted is using the term "bugaboo" (as in our stroller name) as a monetary term... So, this costs 1/2 a bugaboo or we're up 2 bugaboos in the market today... It's very cute. I really like how into the baby stuff he is. It makes it even more fun for me!
The next big thing we need to do is figure out baby furniture... I've been told to order it soon so that I get it in time for my little boy's arrival - only about four months to go! The problem is that I can't decide what I like... I don't love furniture that looks very baby-ish or kiddie... The cutest furniture I've found is from Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn Kids (I only like 1 thing they have)... The only problem is that the NYC PB Kids doesn't have the one set I like on their floor and Restoration Hardware Baby and Child doesn't have any stores. I hate the idea of ordering furniture without seeing it in person (especially when it is SO expensive!!) Oh and ordering furniture when you don't know where you're going to live... that's also a bit challenging... but I gotta assume that wherever we move will have enough room for a crib and changing table.
So that brings me to my next project... Moving... We're going to be moving to a new apartment when I'm either 7 or 8 months pregnant (depending on if we can break our lease a bit early). Looking for an apartment in NYC is quite possibly one of the most painful things I can think of... Especially when my husband and I are pretty picky. We prefer a doorman, like new buildings, need a washer / dryer, etc... I've started doing some research, but the thing about moving in NYC is that inventory doesn't really become available until a month or so before you want to move, which makes things even more stressful... I've started scouted buildings so that we have some place to start, but just thinking about it completely overwhelms me... finding a place big enough for me, hubby and baby (and the many relatives we will have over at all times!)
I've also been thinking quite a bit about baby names... There are two that hubby and I like and are debating between - Brady and Zach. It's been a fun topic of conversation with friends, family and colleagues... Everyone has a story or an idea about names... One of the brilliant design agencies that I work with actually added naming our baby boy to our weekly status update calls and they had their copywriters come up with a super long list of names for me to consider! Pretty funny... I think I may need to pick up a baby naming book for some additional ideas, just to be sure we've done our due diligence.
Today was a work from home day. I usually enjoy these quite a bit, but I didn't sleep well last night (my little boy likes to party in my belly) and I puked when I woke up, which is never a good way to start the day. I'm feeling pretty grumpy... I'm hungry, but don't want anything to eat... I keep making things, eggs and toast... take a few bites, don't want it... Mac n cheese, same thing... I just want to feel good again. My only consolation these days is that I have a pretty active little guy and I love feeling him move... It's like a private party, just for two, me and him... Nobody else is invited.
Since we registered I feel a bit relieved that I got something done... I now have one place that lists everything (just about) that I need for the baby... I know I mentioned this before, but my husband is really into the baby registry... Like, he's on it every day to see if someone has bought this yellow duck robe that he's obsessed with... It's pretty hilarious... He informed me the other day via instant messenger (while I was at work and had colleagues surrounding my computer) that someone had bought my nipple shields (something that he told me not even to put on the registry - who would buy my nipple shields???) He was shocked that they were our first registry purchase (along with a ton of other boob related paraphernalia). Another new "thing" hubby has adopted is using the term "bugaboo" (as in our stroller name) as a monetary term... So, this costs 1/2 a bugaboo or we're up 2 bugaboos in the market today... It's very cute. I really like how into the baby stuff he is. It makes it even more fun for me!
The next big thing we need to do is figure out baby furniture... I've been told to order it soon so that I get it in time for my little boy's arrival - only about four months to go! The problem is that I can't decide what I like... I don't love furniture that looks very baby-ish or kiddie... The cutest furniture I've found is from Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn Kids (I only like 1 thing they have)... The only problem is that the NYC PB Kids doesn't have the one set I like on their floor and Restoration Hardware Baby and Child doesn't have any stores. I hate the idea of ordering furniture without seeing it in person (especially when it is SO expensive!!) Oh and ordering furniture when you don't know where you're going to live... that's also a bit challenging... but I gotta assume that wherever we move will have enough room for a crib and changing table.
So that brings me to my next project... Moving... We're going to be moving to a new apartment when I'm either 7 or 8 months pregnant (depending on if we can break our lease a bit early). Looking for an apartment in NYC is quite possibly one of the most painful things I can think of... Especially when my husband and I are pretty picky. We prefer a doorman, like new buildings, need a washer / dryer, etc... I've started doing some research, but the thing about moving in NYC is that inventory doesn't really become available until a month or so before you want to move, which makes things even more stressful... I've started scouted buildings so that we have some place to start, but just thinking about it completely overwhelms me... finding a place big enough for me, hubby and baby (and the many relatives we will have over at all times!)
I've also been thinking quite a bit about baby names... There are two that hubby and I like and are debating between - Brady and Zach. It's been a fun topic of conversation with friends, family and colleagues... Everyone has a story or an idea about names... One of the brilliant design agencies that I work with actually added naming our baby boy to our weekly status update calls and they had their copywriters come up with a super long list of names for me to consider! Pretty funny... I think I may need to pick up a baby naming book for some additional ideas, just to be sure we've done our due diligence.
Today was a work from home day. I usually enjoy these quite a bit, but I didn't sleep well last night (my little boy likes to party in my belly) and I puked when I woke up, which is never a good way to start the day. I'm feeling pretty grumpy... I'm hungry, but don't want anything to eat... I keep making things, eggs and toast... take a few bites, don't want it... Mac n cheese, same thing... I just want to feel good again. My only consolation these days is that I have a pretty active little guy and I love feeling him move... It's like a private party, just for two, me and him... Nobody else is invited.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Big Hopes
I had big hopes for today... I wanted to run a bunch of errands, go shopping, take care of baby furniture, etc... Well, that was before my crappy night sleep. I slept about 6 hours in total and have been pretty exhausted all day. I tried falling back asleep but nothing would work. On top of that, we pretty much ran out of groceries so I just munched on cheerios all morning. After my husband went to the gym we got ready to start our day. Despite being exhausted, I wanted to get something accomplished today, especially because it was a beautiful day outside. We set off on our errands and decided to go out for lunch first.
Man, what a windy (but nice day). As we walked across town (probably a little too quickly because we were both hungry), that familiar feeling came back... nausea... Uh oh, I'm gonna puke. We "pull over" on 57th street and I start booting... It was pretty gross with the wind... it was flying everywhere! How embarassing! My hubby ran into the Morton Williams supermarket and stole a shopping bag so that I could salvage a bit of dignity and not just puke directly on the street. People were looking at me like I was nuts and my husband was explaining... she's pregnant, she's pregnant... everything's ok... After I got the offending stomach acid out of my system we carried on to our lunch destination where I had a tuna melt and started to feel better. Our next stop was Elizabeth Arden to meet up with my dad who was going to join us on a bunch of our errands. We then moved on to Destination Maternity where I returned some too long leggings and tried to pick up some additional clothes with no luck - nothing fit... My dad and hubby were troopers... We were in the store for a while and they were patient. Luckily Destination Maternity has a section for men that includes a TV, computers, etc... It's pretty convenient for the ladies.
My ambitious plans were pretty much destroyed... After Destination Maternity we went home... I didn't get to buy baby furniture, new shoes for my now wider feet, or anything... Instead, I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up my registry, making changes to it, reading online reviews of things that looked good in the store but I knew nothing about... I also started a new registry on diapers.com... I like that they offer free shipping and I will get a 10% completion discount once the baby is born... that should come in handy when I realize all the additional things I need once the baby is actually born... Having them delivered (for free) to our apartment (with a 10% discount) will be much easier than running out with a newborn! The diapers.com registry has a lot of duplicate items from my Buy Buy Baby registry and also some additional things that Buy Buy Baby didn't have... I just figured it was good to have more than one store option to add things...
Now I'm just completely exhausted and counting the minutes until it's respectable to go to bed... 8 or 9pm should do...
Man, what a windy (but nice day). As we walked across town (probably a little too quickly because we were both hungry), that familiar feeling came back... nausea... Uh oh, I'm gonna puke. We "pull over" on 57th street and I start booting... It was pretty gross with the wind... it was flying everywhere! How embarassing! My hubby ran into the Morton Williams supermarket and stole a shopping bag so that I could salvage a bit of dignity and not just puke directly on the street. People were looking at me like I was nuts and my husband was explaining... she's pregnant, she's pregnant... everything's ok... After I got the offending stomach acid out of my system we carried on to our lunch destination where I had a tuna melt and started to feel better. Our next stop was Elizabeth Arden to meet up with my dad who was going to join us on a bunch of our errands. We then moved on to Destination Maternity where I returned some too long leggings and tried to pick up some additional clothes with no luck - nothing fit... My dad and hubby were troopers... We were in the store for a while and they were patient. Luckily Destination Maternity has a section for men that includes a TV, computers, etc... It's pretty convenient for the ladies.
My ambitious plans were pretty much destroyed... After Destination Maternity we went home... I didn't get to buy baby furniture, new shoes for my now wider feet, or anything... Instead, I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up my registry, making changes to it, reading online reviews of things that looked good in the store but I knew nothing about... I also started a new registry on diapers.com... I like that they offer free shipping and I will get a 10% completion discount once the baby is born... that should come in handy when I realize all the additional things I need once the baby is actually born... Having them delivered (for free) to our apartment (with a 10% discount) will be much easier than running out with a newborn! The diapers.com registry has a lot of duplicate items from my Buy Buy Baby registry and also some additional things that Buy Buy Baby didn't have... I just figured it was good to have more than one store option to add things...
Now I'm just completely exhausted and counting the minutes until it's respectable to go to bed... 8 or 9pm should do...
Registering for Baby
Since learning that we're having a boy I've been very focused on making plans for our little one to arrive! Yesterday the hubby and I visited Buy Buy Baby to create our registry. Getting my husband into a store is not an easy thing (unless we're shopping for clothes for him). His usual mentality is get in and get out as quickly as possible where I like to make sure I've surveyed every option available prior to making a decision.
We arrive at BBB and go directly to the registry sign up where we fill out some paperwork, are given a scanner and we begin by tackling the most important and big ticket items first (my thinking is that if that's all we get done today, then I'm happy). We head down a flight of stairs and my head begins to spin!!! Holy cow there is so much baby stuff! Since I know that the only thing you are legally bound to have is a car seat we head to those first.
We start perusing... Graco, Peg Perego, Maxi Cosi, Chicco... They all look the same besides subtle fabric differences. I begin feeling the padding and feel completely overwhelmed. I see a nice Chicco one, remember A has it and think... Perfect, done. Hubby is controlling the gun so I tell him to zap. He's looking at the Peg Perego and thinks it looks sturdier... I tell him to zap both and I will check Consumer Reports to see which is the safest. (before heading to BBB I went to Borders to check out Consumer Reports and the store only had a book from 2009! I decided not to waste my time! I was looking at 2011 merchandise after all).
Next we head to the stroller section and we're completely lost. Luckily there was a nice lady doing stroller demos in the store so we watched her for quite a while and then realized we were silly for picking a car seat first... You pick the stroller first (our baby's primary mode of transport) and then pick a compatible car seat that can snap in for cab travel... So we deleted our first scanned selections from the registry wand and watched intently as a nice girl named Katie provided details on all the different stroller functionalities. We narrowed it down to two strollers pretty quickly - the Uppa Baby Vista and the Bugaboo Cameleon. We test drove both... pretty similar, though the Bugaboos ride was definitely smoother and it had a smaller footprint. The Vista, though, had a few more bells and whistles, could handle babies for a longer period of time (greater weight limit) and was a bit cheaper. The deciding factor for us was the stroller breakdown. Given that we live in a tiny NYC apartment I was hoping to avoid buying two strollers to start (one main stroller for long walks and then a travel stroller for ease getting in and out of cabs / subway, etc...) I figured when the kid reached six months we would buy a tiny, collapsible umbrella stroller, but for now I wanted one stroller that could handle a bassinet, toddler seat AND take a car seat. Hubby and I hung around the stroller department for quite a while, snapping in all the different pieces and practicing breakdown of both the Vista and the Cameleon. We found the Cameleon much easier to break down then the Vista, so that pretty much sealed the deal for us despite the hefty price tag (but we figured, we don't have a car, so if this is the primary mode of baby transport, we may as well spring for it). We picked out our color scheme (grey / black), then headed back to the car seats to see which were compatible with the Bugaboo. Our options were Maxi Cosi, Peg Perego and Graco. We decided to go with the lightest (and apparently most popular), the Graco Snugride. We zapped it, registered for its coordinating stroller adaptor and we had finally made some headway.
Honestly, at this point we were both pretty beat, but we had to keep going. Next we registered for a baby bjorn. We went with a mesh one since I remember carrying my nephew around last summer and sweating my ass off! Apparently the mesh is more breathable and lightweight. The we moved on to crib bedding. I had pretty much already fallen in love (via the internet) with the Dwell studio Gio Aqua Crib Set and we wanted to go with that. They didn't have any of the sets available (I think it's sold out everywhere right now) so I just made a mental note to add to the registry when I returned home. I'm very confused by the bedding sets. EVERY SINGLE ONE comes with a bumper, fitted sheet, crib skirt and blanket. I've read mixed things regarding the bumper... Some sites (not many) say they are dangerous and can lead to suffocation and others say that as long as they're tied to the crib properly, it should be fine. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it and decide to talk to a pediatrician before making any decisions. I mean, I want a cute nursery, but not at the expense of my kiddies safety.
Then we moved on to bouncers / soothers and we just zapped the Mamaroo... I heard it was a good one from another friend and decided to just go with it... I could always change the registry later. It has a huge white base, which I'm not a fan of, but if it soothes the baby, aesthetics don't matter! There are more cost effective bouncers out there that are a bit smaller, I may add one of those to the registry later on once I've done more research. My patience for shopping was starting to wear thin so we just picked a Chicco high chair and moved on.
Before heading upstairs to finish up our registering, we took a seat in the Dutailer gliders. Man these things are ugly as sin, but they are so darn comfortable! We're probably going to have to get one but we decide to tackle that on our next trip (and perhaps I can find some cuter ones!)
Upstairs we hit the bottle section first... I register for a Born Free set of bottles since they're recommended by A, her sister and seem to eliminate gas / colic. I also select my Medela breast pump and assorted boob accessories... We pick some bibs and a bottle drying rack (do we even need this? can't we just use our dishwasher?? - must research this). Then we start looking at baby baths... we pick one with a sling/hammock and some adorable hooded towels. I think my hubby's favorite selection was a duck baby bathrobe (it's pretty darn cute). We picked a couple of little toys, he selected his dude diaper bag and then we moved on to activity mats... I had a tough time with these... They are all so damn cute! Do I want farm animals? Garden theme? I can't decide, so I register for two...
We are both completely exhausted at this point! 3.5 hours of registering has taken its toll. We returned our zapper and got a nice goody bag from the store (with bottles, pacifiers, etc...). I must say, hubby was extremely into this shopping trip... Much more so then when we registered for the wedding. I appreciated his dedication to finding the best options for our little boy.
Today we plan to tackle nursery furniture and I will begin to look for my diaper bag... This stuff is all tons of fun, but it will be nice once everything is registered for! I'm just so happy I'm well enough that I can actually begin to enjoy part of this pregnancy. I'm by no means at 100%, but I'm feeling much better every day. My only gripe is that I've been having a much harder time sleeping than I ever did. I wake up starving in the middle of the night and am up for a few hours. Is baby preparing me for his arrival? If so, I don't appreciate it! Now is my chance to sleep! The only consolation is that hubby is a bad sleeper and he's usually up at the same time... so we just kinda hang until we fall back asleep.
That's all for now!
We arrive at BBB and go directly to the registry sign up where we fill out some paperwork, are given a scanner and we begin by tackling the most important and big ticket items first (my thinking is that if that's all we get done today, then I'm happy). We head down a flight of stairs and my head begins to spin!!! Holy cow there is so much baby stuff! Since I know that the only thing you are legally bound to have is a car seat we head to those first.
We start perusing... Graco, Peg Perego, Maxi Cosi, Chicco... They all look the same besides subtle fabric differences. I begin feeling the padding and feel completely overwhelmed. I see a nice Chicco one, remember A has it and think... Perfect, done. Hubby is controlling the gun so I tell him to zap. He's looking at the Peg Perego and thinks it looks sturdier... I tell him to zap both and I will check Consumer Reports to see which is the safest. (before heading to BBB I went to Borders to check out Consumer Reports and the store only had a book from 2009! I decided not to waste my time! I was looking at 2011 merchandise after all).
Next we head to the stroller section and we're completely lost. Luckily there was a nice lady doing stroller demos in the store so we watched her for quite a while and then realized we were silly for picking a car seat first... You pick the stroller first (our baby's primary mode of transport) and then pick a compatible car seat that can snap in for cab travel... So we deleted our first scanned selections from the registry wand and watched intently as a nice girl named Katie provided details on all the different stroller functionalities. We narrowed it down to two strollers pretty quickly - the Uppa Baby Vista and the Bugaboo Cameleon. We test drove both... pretty similar, though the Bugaboos ride was definitely smoother and it had a smaller footprint. The Vista, though, had a few more bells and whistles, could handle babies for a longer period of time (greater weight limit) and was a bit cheaper. The deciding factor for us was the stroller breakdown. Given that we live in a tiny NYC apartment I was hoping to avoid buying two strollers to start (one main stroller for long walks and then a travel stroller for ease getting in and out of cabs / subway, etc...) I figured when the kid reached six months we would buy a tiny, collapsible umbrella stroller, but for now I wanted one stroller that could handle a bassinet, toddler seat AND take a car seat. Hubby and I hung around the stroller department for quite a while, snapping in all the different pieces and practicing breakdown of both the Vista and the Cameleon. We found the Cameleon much easier to break down then the Vista, so that pretty much sealed the deal for us despite the hefty price tag (but we figured, we don't have a car, so if this is the primary mode of baby transport, we may as well spring for it). We picked out our color scheme (grey / black), then headed back to the car seats to see which were compatible with the Bugaboo. Our options were Maxi Cosi, Peg Perego and Graco. We decided to go with the lightest (and apparently most popular), the Graco Snugride. We zapped it, registered for its coordinating stroller adaptor and we had finally made some headway.
Honestly, at this point we were both pretty beat, but we had to keep going. Next we registered for a baby bjorn. We went with a mesh one since I remember carrying my nephew around last summer and sweating my ass off! Apparently the mesh is more breathable and lightweight. The we moved on to crib bedding. I had pretty much already fallen in love (via the internet) with the Dwell studio Gio Aqua Crib Set and we wanted to go with that. They didn't have any of the sets available (I think it's sold out everywhere right now) so I just made a mental note to add to the registry when I returned home. I'm very confused by the bedding sets. EVERY SINGLE ONE comes with a bumper, fitted sheet, crib skirt and blanket. I've read mixed things regarding the bumper... Some sites (not many) say they are dangerous and can lead to suffocation and others say that as long as they're tied to the crib properly, it should be fine. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it and decide to talk to a pediatrician before making any decisions. I mean, I want a cute nursery, but not at the expense of my kiddies safety.
Then we moved on to bouncers / soothers and we just zapped the Mamaroo... I heard it was a good one from another friend and decided to just go with it... I could always change the registry later. It has a huge white base, which I'm not a fan of, but if it soothes the baby, aesthetics don't matter! There are more cost effective bouncers out there that are a bit smaller, I may add one of those to the registry later on once I've done more research. My patience for shopping was starting to wear thin so we just picked a Chicco high chair and moved on.
Before heading upstairs to finish up our registering, we took a seat in the Dutailer gliders. Man these things are ugly as sin, but they are so darn comfortable! We're probably going to have to get one but we decide to tackle that on our next trip (and perhaps I can find some cuter ones!)
Upstairs we hit the bottle section first... I register for a Born Free set of bottles since they're recommended by A, her sister and seem to eliminate gas / colic. I also select my Medela breast pump and assorted boob accessories... We pick some bibs and a bottle drying rack (do we even need this? can't we just use our dishwasher?? - must research this). Then we start looking at baby baths... we pick one with a sling/hammock and some adorable hooded towels. I think my hubby's favorite selection was a duck baby bathrobe (it's pretty darn cute). We picked a couple of little toys, he selected his dude diaper bag and then we moved on to activity mats... I had a tough time with these... They are all so damn cute! Do I want farm animals? Garden theme? I can't decide, so I register for two...
We are both completely exhausted at this point! 3.5 hours of registering has taken its toll. We returned our zapper and got a nice goody bag from the store (with bottles, pacifiers, etc...). I must say, hubby was extremely into this shopping trip... Much more so then when we registered for the wedding. I appreciated his dedication to finding the best options for our little boy.
Today we plan to tackle nursery furniture and I will begin to look for my diaper bag... This stuff is all tons of fun, but it will be nice once everything is registered for! I'm just so happy I'm well enough that I can actually begin to enjoy part of this pregnancy. I'm by no means at 100%, but I'm feeling much better every day. My only gripe is that I've been having a much harder time sleeping than I ever did. I wake up starving in the middle of the night and am up for a few hours. Is baby preparing me for his arrival? If so, I don't appreciate it! Now is my chance to sleep! The only consolation is that hubby is a bad sleeper and he's usually up at the same time... so we just kinda hang until we fall back asleep.
That's all for now!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Feeling Pretty Good
I gotta admit... On the whole, I'm feeling MUCH better than I was. It's pretty awesome actually. I'm still taking the meds sometimes (this morn) but it's amazing how much I enjoy not feeling puke sick every day, all day. It makes me really appreciate my overall good health, something I've never really done before. Being sick all the time for so many months was really isolating. I didn't see friends, wasn't very social and it just completely sucked to prefer sleeping over anything else... I've always liked staying busy and running around so it was pretty defeating to always be tired and only feel good while sleeping! Anyways, enough of that... I am thinking (hoping) that those days are behind me!
So, I'm having a little boy... I'm getting used to the idea. One thing about little boys, which is great, is how much they love their mamas! It's a special bond that mothers and daughters just don't share and I'm looking forward to experiencing it. I'm also looking forward to my weekend trip to go baby shopping!!! Now that I have the sex, it's time to plan a nursery! I'm approaching this similar to how I approach all other things... I've started with research... Looking online, reading reviews, checking consumer reports, printing out baby gear guides and highlighting the relevant parts, etc... And of course, I've started a folder (which may soon morph into a binder, we'll see...) This weekend I will visit the NYC baby mecca, Buy Buy Baby and start my registry. Registering is so much fun... I loved it when we did it for our wedding and I'm sure I will love it just as much this time (especially because baby things are just so darn cute). I've also been told that I should order my nursery furniture asap because of how long this stuff takes to come in (and I guess I will not be wanting to prep a nursery when I'm huge and uncomfortable in the heat of the summer). So much to do, so little time.
One thing I'm taking full advantage of these days is sleeping... I sleep about 10-12 hours per night AND I nap... It's like I'm storing up my zzzz's for the winter (when the baby is born). Sleeping just feels so darn good these days!!
That's really all that's happening here... Since I'm feeling so good, I'm working more, which is nice... I am feeling a bit more like myself (albeit a rounder version).
So, I'm having a little boy... I'm getting used to the idea. One thing about little boys, which is great, is how much they love their mamas! It's a special bond that mothers and daughters just don't share and I'm looking forward to experiencing it. I'm also looking forward to my weekend trip to go baby shopping!!! Now that I have the sex, it's time to plan a nursery! I'm approaching this similar to how I approach all other things... I've started with research... Looking online, reading reviews, checking consumer reports, printing out baby gear guides and highlighting the relevant parts, etc... And of course, I've started a folder (which may soon morph into a binder, we'll see...) This weekend I will visit the NYC baby mecca, Buy Buy Baby and start my registry. Registering is so much fun... I loved it when we did it for our wedding and I'm sure I will love it just as much this time (especially because baby things are just so darn cute). I've also been told that I should order my nursery furniture asap because of how long this stuff takes to come in (and I guess I will not be wanting to prep a nursery when I'm huge and uncomfortable in the heat of the summer). So much to do, so little time.
One thing I'm taking full advantage of these days is sleeping... I sleep about 10-12 hours per night AND I nap... It's like I'm storing up my zzzz's for the winter (when the baby is born). Sleeping just feels so darn good these days!!
That's really all that's happening here... Since I'm feeling so good, I'm working more, which is nice... I am feeling a bit more like myself (albeit a rounder version).
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My Little Tripod Has Taught Me My First Lesson
I gotta admit, I'm still in shock that we're having a boy! Which is crazy... I knew there was a 50/50 chance but thanks to all of the old wives tales (which I'm now convinced are TOTAL bullshit), I was really convinced it was a girl. I want it to be clear though, that I am just as happy to know it's a boy as a girl... I actually don't know any little girls (everyone around me has adorable little boys!)
You may be thinking... Well, you don't sound that happy... But to be honest, I think it's because imagining a girl was much easier for me. I know girls. I am a girl. They are quiet and contemplative, mature, love to read and play quietly, etc... (Once they hit puberty, forget it, they're a nightmare... but my mind didn't go there yet). I guess I always envisioned my kid to be a mini version of me (especially since it's growing in my belly)... What does a mini boy version of me look like? Yikes!
I think this is a good lesson for me to be learning before I can do any damage to the kid! My assumption that my kid would be a mini version of me goes against everything I already know... I'm not a mini version of either of my parents... I'm a delightful combination of their best and worst qualities... And yes, I bear a resemblance to them, but I am by no means a spitting image of either. What in the world would make me think that my little one would be this mini version of me??? It's kind of odd... My rational side knows much better than that... Also, there are some things about me that I would "prefer" not to pass on to my progeny and there are many of my husband's qualities that I would definitely want our little one to possess. So, all in all, I guess I hadn't really thought this all through... I just had this weirdo fantasy that our kids would be little versions of me and we would all live happily ever after!
I think my husband is pretty thrilled that our first born will be a boy. I could be wrong, and I know he's just happy that the baby is healthy, but I'm guessing he feels much more connected to this pregnancy now than before - it's more real... In the same way that I "get" girls... I can imagine it's much easier for him to imagine a little boy... This makes me really happy because all in all I think the fathers-to-be can feel pretty left out during pregnancy... I mean, the baby is with me at all times... I can feel the baby (he can't, for now) and he can escape to his pre-pregnancy life (going out with his friends for a night and boozing, etc...) while I can't (too tired, can't drink, etc...). Now while the fetus and I are running around living my life he can imagine his life with his little boy once he's born - going to Giant's games, buying him his first pair of hockey skates, etc... I think that's all pretty cool.
Before I bring this entry to a close I want to bring up one final point... alot of people have been saying things to me like, I knew it (about the baby being a boy)!!! BULL! You didn't know it any better than I did! You guessed right and I guessed wrong. Yeah, I said it.
You may be thinking... Well, you don't sound that happy... But to be honest, I think it's because imagining a girl was much easier for me. I know girls. I am a girl. They are quiet and contemplative, mature, love to read and play quietly, etc... (Once they hit puberty, forget it, they're a nightmare... but my mind didn't go there yet). I guess I always envisioned my kid to be a mini version of me (especially since it's growing in my belly)... What does a mini boy version of me look like? Yikes!
I think this is a good lesson for me to be learning before I can do any damage to the kid! My assumption that my kid would be a mini version of me goes against everything I already know... I'm not a mini version of either of my parents... I'm a delightful combination of their best and worst qualities... And yes, I bear a resemblance to them, but I am by no means a spitting image of either. What in the world would make me think that my little one would be this mini version of me??? It's kind of odd... My rational side knows much better than that... Also, there are some things about me that I would "prefer" not to pass on to my progeny and there are many of my husband's qualities that I would definitely want our little one to possess. So, all in all, I guess I hadn't really thought this all through... I just had this weirdo fantasy that our kids would be little versions of me and we would all live happily ever after!
I think my husband is pretty thrilled that our first born will be a boy. I could be wrong, and I know he's just happy that the baby is healthy, but I'm guessing he feels much more connected to this pregnancy now than before - it's more real... In the same way that I "get" girls... I can imagine it's much easier for him to imagine a little boy... This makes me really happy because all in all I think the fathers-to-be can feel pretty left out during pregnancy... I mean, the baby is with me at all times... I can feel the baby (he can't, for now) and he can escape to his pre-pregnancy life (going out with his friends for a night and boozing, etc...) while I can't (too tired, can't drink, etc...). Now while the fetus and I are running around living my life he can imagine his life with his little boy once he's born - going to Giant's games, buying him his first pair of hockey skates, etc... I think that's all pretty cool.
Before I bring this entry to a close I want to bring up one final point... alot of people have been saying things to me like, I knew it (about the baby being a boy)!!! BULL! You didn't know it any better than I did! You guessed right and I guessed wrong. Yeah, I said it.
Monday, April 11, 2011
It's a...
BOY!!!! And he's healthy! I really thought it was a girl!!! I'm kinda shocked but incredibly excited that I can now refer to my little one as a "he" instead of an "it."
The day started off pretty rocky... I didn't sleep well. Woke up at 1am starving and munched on cheerios for a few hours. Then I couldn't fall back to sleep until 4am!! I slept until about 8 and then got up and puked. I had a feeling it was going to happen today... Morning sickness / nerves / excitement don't mix!
After eating a pop tart, some pineapple and a babybel we were off to the hospital. I was not in good spirits... super tired and cranky.
We met up with our mom's at the hospital and sat in the waiting room until they called me in. We went into the exam room and they propped me up on the table and covered my belly with warm gel. Our ultrasound tech first asked if we wanted to know the sex, to which I said, hell yes! An image starts to come into view and I begin by asking - Is that the arm??? And she says, no, that's the penis. My mouth drops to the floor... We all start howling with laughter (to the point where nurses came by and told us to be quiet!) I'm completely shocked... I never anticipated that there was a little baby penis growing inside of me... That just sounds so sci fi! I also wasn't really expecting to learn the sex so early on in the scan.
We also quickly learned that HE is 12 oz which is totally healthy for his age. My husband quickly says, that's the size of a beer... Our technician points out ... only a can of beer. Our little Bud!
The next hour was spent literally examining our little guy from head to toe... Brain, heart, stomach, spine, arms, legs, you name it... we saw it... They took over 75 images for the doctor to examine! And during the whole exam, he was moving around, rubbing his eyes, opening his mouth, clapping his hands together. It was very cool to see him so animated. He was very shy about showing us his face and our tech was awesome and tried really really hard to make it happen for us (and because she needed some measurements). At one point she even turned the machine onto its 4-D setting (which she wasn't supposed to do) and those images were REALLY COOL... you could see everything!! By the third try she was able to get a profile pic so we could see our little man. He's very handsome... has a tiny nose and what looks like big eyes (like his mama!) His arms and legs are so cute and tiny (and now I have a visual of what's poking and kicking when it comes to all of that movement I've been feeling).
After the tech was finished, the doctor came in and examined everything one last time giving Baby Boy Byrd a clean bill of health. What a a relief! We sent our mom's back to NJ, the hubby went off to work and I went home to share the good news with our loved ones. I planned to take a nap but spent the next few hours scanning ultrasound photos and talking to assorted friends and family.
Next up, I had my monthly OB appointment... It was pretty uneventful! Pretty much the usual... I peed in a cup, had my BP taken (good) and was weighed (gained 6lbs, which is right on track). The doctor said that most of the major tests are behind me, which I can't believe... Up until now it's been like holding my breath in between tests, but I guess now I can relax a little bit! My appointment for next month is going to be a little harder than usual... I'll be doing the glucose test which means I can't eat from midnight onward... Then I have to go into her office, get blood drawn, drink something and then sit there for two hours to see what happens (or something like that)... Sounds pretty crappy given that when I don't eat I feel so sick, but hopefully in a month that won't be the case!!!
After the OB I crashed... It was alot of excitement for one day and I am completely exhausted!! I was hoping to get a little baby shopping in today but the best I could do was a little online shopping. Baby Boy Byrd Greene got his first pair of booties today!!!
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| Fetus Porn: Definitely a boy!!! |
The day started off pretty rocky... I didn't sleep well. Woke up at 1am starving and munched on cheerios for a few hours. Then I couldn't fall back to sleep until 4am!! I slept until about 8 and then got up and puked. I had a feeling it was going to happen today... Morning sickness / nerves / excitement don't mix!
After eating a pop tart, some pineapple and a babybel we were off to the hospital. I was not in good spirits... super tired and cranky.
We met up with our mom's at the hospital and sat in the waiting room until they called me in. We went into the exam room and they propped me up on the table and covered my belly with warm gel. Our ultrasound tech first asked if we wanted to know the sex, to which I said, hell yes! An image starts to come into view and I begin by asking - Is that the arm??? And she says, no, that's the penis. My mouth drops to the floor... We all start howling with laughter (to the point where nurses came by and told us to be quiet!) I'm completely shocked... I never anticipated that there was a little baby penis growing inside of me... That just sounds so sci fi! I also wasn't really expecting to learn the sex so early on in the scan.
We also quickly learned that HE is 12 oz which is totally healthy for his age. My husband quickly says, that's the size of a beer... Our technician points out ... only a can of beer. Our little Bud!
The next hour was spent literally examining our little guy from head to toe... Brain, heart, stomach, spine, arms, legs, you name it... we saw it... They took over 75 images for the doctor to examine! And during the whole exam, he was moving around, rubbing his eyes, opening his mouth, clapping his hands together. It was very cool to see him so animated. He was very shy about showing us his face and our tech was awesome and tried really really hard to make it happen for us (and because she needed some measurements). At one point she even turned the machine onto its 4-D setting (which she wasn't supposed to do) and those images were REALLY COOL... you could see everything!! By the third try she was able to get a profile pic so we could see our little man. He's very handsome... has a tiny nose and what looks like big eyes (like his mama!) His arms and legs are so cute and tiny (and now I have a visual of what's poking and kicking when it comes to all of that movement I've been feeling).
After the tech was finished, the doctor came in and examined everything one last time giving Baby Boy Byrd a clean bill of health. What a a relief! We sent our mom's back to NJ, the hubby went off to work and I went home to share the good news with our loved ones. I planned to take a nap but spent the next few hours scanning ultrasound photos and talking to assorted friends and family.
Next up, I had my monthly OB appointment... It was pretty uneventful! Pretty much the usual... I peed in a cup, had my BP taken (good) and was weighed (gained 6lbs, which is right on track). The doctor said that most of the major tests are behind me, which I can't believe... Up until now it's been like holding my breath in between tests, but I guess now I can relax a little bit! My appointment for next month is going to be a little harder than usual... I'll be doing the glucose test which means I can't eat from midnight onward... Then I have to go into her office, get blood drawn, drink something and then sit there for two hours to see what happens (or something like that)... Sounds pretty crappy given that when I don't eat I feel so sick, but hopefully in a month that won't be the case!!!
After the OB I crashed... It was alot of excitement for one day and I am completely exhausted!! I was hoping to get a little baby shopping in today but the best I could do was a little online shopping. Baby Boy Byrd Greene got his first pair of booties today!!!
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| Baby Byrd Greene's First Pair of Hockey Skates |
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Milestones
This weekend I reached two big milestones! First, the half-way point in my pregnancy! I'm officially 20 weeks!!! AND, it's been a whole week since I last puked (granted, I've taken meds three or four days this week, but still)...
It's been a pretty eventful weekend too. It feels like a treat to be able to leave the apartment after being cooped up for so many months! And it's especially nice since the NYC weather is getting much warmer. I spent yesterday walking around the city with my friend K. First, we checked out this baby store on the UWS called Giggle. I was expecting it to be much bigger and similar to a Buy Buy Baby and was disappointed to see how small it was and the limited selection. I was thinking I may want to register there, but after seeing the tiny store I decided against it. We traveled all over the city, grabbing a bite to eat, walking through central park, stopping at Destination Maternity to pick up some more staples for me and then I accompanied K to get her hair done (I really needed a rest from all the walking around, so sitting in the nice salon was a welcome break). I also realized that my cute ballet flats did not fit nearly as well as they used to - swollen feet perhaps??? I was getting blisters and desperately needed to take a load off!
After K left the salon looking fabulous, I hopped on the subway to meet my husband and two of our friends who had gathered in a bar after the NY Rangers victory over the NJ Devils. It was nice to see our friends L and J, but it's tough (yet amusing) being the only sober one sometimes... They had all been at the game and had put back quite a few by the time I arrived... Conversation was super entertaining... My hubby told me the same story five times and then this morning told it to me again as if I'd never heard it before! After chowing on some heartburn inducing bar food we went home where I chugged some Maalox and went to bed.
Today I didn't feel great in the morning so I took a kytril while I ate the french toast my hungover husband delivered to me in bed. Then we went off to Hoboken for a visit with my dad and his wife. My mother and father in law also joined us and we went for brunch at the W hotel. We had a nice meal and then headed back to the city with my mother in law in tow. She and my mom are joining us tomorrow for the anatomy scan. Given that it's at 9am both mom's decided to spend the night in the city so that they wouldn't be late to the hospital. We had a great dinner tonight at Ed's Chowder House and my little brother joined us. We all debated whether it would be a boy or girl (the waiter guessed a boy)...
My long wait is finally coming to a close... I can't wait to see my little one tomorrow morning and make sure he or she is healthy and developing on track!
Wish me luck!
It's been a pretty eventful weekend too. It feels like a treat to be able to leave the apartment after being cooped up for so many months! And it's especially nice since the NYC weather is getting much warmer. I spent yesterday walking around the city with my friend K. First, we checked out this baby store on the UWS called Giggle. I was expecting it to be much bigger and similar to a Buy Buy Baby and was disappointed to see how small it was and the limited selection. I was thinking I may want to register there, but after seeing the tiny store I decided against it. We traveled all over the city, grabbing a bite to eat, walking through central park, stopping at Destination Maternity to pick up some more staples for me and then I accompanied K to get her hair done (I really needed a rest from all the walking around, so sitting in the nice salon was a welcome break). I also realized that my cute ballet flats did not fit nearly as well as they used to - swollen feet perhaps??? I was getting blisters and desperately needed to take a load off!
After K left the salon looking fabulous, I hopped on the subway to meet my husband and two of our friends who had gathered in a bar after the NY Rangers victory over the NJ Devils. It was nice to see our friends L and J, but it's tough (yet amusing) being the only sober one sometimes... They had all been at the game and had put back quite a few by the time I arrived... Conversation was super entertaining... My hubby told me the same story five times and then this morning told it to me again as if I'd never heard it before! After chowing on some heartburn inducing bar food we went home where I chugged some Maalox and went to bed.
Today I didn't feel great in the morning so I took a kytril while I ate the french toast my hungover husband delivered to me in bed. Then we went off to Hoboken for a visit with my dad and his wife. My mother and father in law also joined us and we went for brunch at the W hotel. We had a nice meal and then headed back to the city with my mother in law in tow. She and my mom are joining us tomorrow for the anatomy scan. Given that it's at 9am both mom's decided to spend the night in the city so that they wouldn't be late to the hospital. We had a great dinner tonight at Ed's Chowder House and my little brother joined us. We all debated whether it would be a boy or girl (the waiter guessed a boy)...
My long wait is finally coming to a close... I can't wait to see my little one tomorrow morning and make sure he or she is healthy and developing on track!
Wish me luck!
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