23 Weeks!

and getting BIGGER!

Maternity Clothes

The Gap was having such a ridiculous sale yesterday that I think I walked out with 7 shirts and 4 pairs of pants for $13.45.  OK, I am exaggerating but it was a mad house because all their sale items were another 25% off, so of course with 3 days until Christmas, everyone and their mama was out shopping.  I figured it's now or never...I will buy some....(gasp)...maternity clothes.  Well, let me tell you, I don't know what I was doing messing around with that Bella band business. Turns out there is  nothing better than wearing all your clothing with wide rubber bands sewn into them.  Why haven't this trend caught on?  I don't know about other women but my plan is to never go back to regular clothes again.  Why button, zip, tug and shove yourself into your clothes when you can just buy everything with rubber bands attached.  Brilliant!

In other related news, 'the girls' also got some new attire and I am D(lighted) to say that they are very comfy in their new spacious home.

Gene's Corner:
"Wow, they are huge"

Finally Saw my Doctor!

After six weeks without seeing my doctor I was excited to spend two hours of my life in his waiting room.  Last week alone I had two of my appointments canceled due to someone going into labor.   This morning the madness continued and as I was mere hours from being seen, a woman waddles in that is in labor.  Her husband and mother are both with her and apparently her contractions are eight minutes apart.  You would think that this would be reason enough to go to the hospital or at least skip the line at the doctor's office, but nope the poor barely breathing woman had to wait with the rest of us.  She only had to wait about 30 minutes before seeing the doctor -- something that is unheard of  for the rest of us suckers.


Here is what I learned during my appointment:


-My weight at 22 weeks and 3 days is.... drum-roll.....+14 lbs.  I am not sure if this is a lot or not but the doctor didn't seem too concerned.  I even asked him to make a prediction of what he thinks my final tally will be at 40 weeks and just like any smart man he low-balled it and said...umm  plus 20? plus 25?
-Turns out I have an anterior placenta which doesn't mean much except that the placenta is between my stomach wall and the baby instead of behind the baby (towards my back).  Essentially this 'mutes' the baby movement as she kicks the placenta instead of me.  Again, my doctor didn't seem to be concerned and said this is fairly common.
-My little munchkin has decided to sprawl herself horizontally across my stomach instead of head down.  Of course, there is still plenty of time for her to turn into the proper head down position but if this baby takes after her mom or dad, she will always do the opposite of what is expected (or asked) of her.
-Based on the baby's measurement, the due date is now April 14th (April 24th originally) but the doctor told me to pay no attention to due dates as they are all relative.


Take our new quiz: Will the baby be an Aries or Taurus?

Everybody was Kung Foo Fighting...

I started feeling the baby around week 17 or 18 but it was so subtle that each time I would say to myself, " I wonder if that was it?"  Week 22 is right around the corner and there is no mistaking these little jabs and punches.   She is usually very active right before lunch time and right after dinner time.  I think it might be her way of complaining about my inconsistent eating habits. Personally, I find nothing strange about eating a pickled tomato after a handful of chocolate covered almonds.  


The other new development is being able to talk to her as she can now hear both our voices.  My conversations with her are mostly about what I should wear to work that day and what witty things I can post on Facebook.  Gene  meanwhile is already lecturing the poor girl on when she can date (after 18) and when she can get married (after 25).  He has also mentioned to her that he doesn't approve of premarital sex (oh, the irony).


In food related news, I am officially bored of everything and I miss my dear dear friend sushi.  Just thinking about fresh salmon, tuna and other raw goodies is making my mouth water as we speak.  As far as alcohol goes, I can't say I miss it too much but when we have friends over I do feel the need to consume an equal amount of liquid as them. So while they polish off two bottles of wine, I fill myself with 5 cups of tea and 7 glasses of seltzer.  That was a fun sleepless night.


This Friday is my 22 week appointment and I haven't been to the doctor in six weeks, so I am really looking forward to finding out my 'official' weight gain.  I am pretty sure that our home scale is rigged (probably by Gene) so if the one at the doctor's office doesn't show less, we are in big trouble.  Based on my current calculation and an extensive regression analysis performed while I had some free time, my final weight gain should be 27.8 lbs. 

Honesty is our policy

As you might have noticed, my family is not one to sugar coat anything.  The grandma posts alone should give a you a pretty good idea of the brutal honesty.  My mom and brother are no different. When they came over this weekend they made sure to notify me of some of the (ahem) changes in my body. 

Setting: Our apartment on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Mom and Peter (10 year old brother) came over to keep me company while Gene was in school.  I am wearing a fitted dress with tights.

Mom: Wow.  

Me: What? I grew?

Mom: Your butt!  It's HUGE!

Peter: Let me see.  Oh man, Anya, she's right, it's enormous.

Mom: Holy cow, it's REALLY big

Peter: Yea, yeah it's big Anya. 

Me: (trying to turn around and see myself in the mirror)  What do you mean it's big?  When did it get big???

Mom: I don't know, but it sure is HUGE

Peter: Yeah, mom is right, it just got big really fast!

Me: How can I not know about this?  Man Gene is going to hear from me!

(several hours later when Gene gets home)

Me: Gene, is my butt bigger?

Gene: (walking around me in circles evaluating) Hmm...

Me: It is, isn't it?

Gene: Well there is this part right here (points) that I suppose wasn't there before.

Me: Oh my god, I have been walking around with a huge ass, and no one shared this with me.  Do you know that I could have made some real money in a rap video by now or maybe sir mix-a-lot is looking to make a remix.

Gene:  Umm....well....I don't...ahh...hmmm

Anna: I can't believe my own husband failed to mention that my behind now has its own zip code

Gene: Look at the bright side....(cricket sounds)

Anna: What bright side? 

Gene: Umm....well....I....ehhh.....hmmm....

Anna: Sigh. 

 

21 weeks (and change)!

Gene thought I should stay consistent and upload a picture every two weeks, so here goes.

Babychka (just for fun)

OK, I know there is zero validity to this but I still thought it would be fun to take a picture of me and Gene and use one of those morphing sites to see what our baby might look like.  The result is pretty funny because the kid is blond, blue eyed and reminds me a bit of the E*TRADE baby.  However, even the morphing site was smart enough to figure out that Gene's eyebrows have to make their appearance :)  I don't see myself or Gene in this picture, but cute kid nonetheless. 

I will be 21 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I haven't changed much since my 19 week picture, so you will have to wait another week for an upload. 

Happy Weekend!

What's in a name?

Now that we know that we are expecting a girl, the name game can begin.  Gene and I promised each other that until we find out the sex, we won't think about names and I am not sure how, but I was actually able to stick to my word.  However, the minute I was back from the ultrasound appointment the first thing I did was start looking up names.  It seems pretty easy.  All you have to do is find a name you like and that's your baby's name, right? Wrong.  There are a million things to think about.  What will the name look like on a college application or a resume? Is it is easily misspelled? mispronounced? Will kids make fun of it? The list goes on and on.  I have four months to decide and torture Gene about it, who by the way is totally calm and probably just figures we can pick the name once the baby is born.  I wish I can be that collected and levelheaded but I am a hormonal mess and definitely over thinking this name thing.

In unrelated news, my weight is slowly creeping up to the same levels it was back in my Cali days - when I thought it was a good idea to have Mexican food on a daily basis.  In another 4-5 pounds, I will officially be at the highest weight of all my life.

Girls all around!

Last week, my friend Yelena had a baby girl (Samantha) and Gene and I went to visit her in the hospital.   She is absolutely adorable! Her skin felt like velvet and she had that light baby powder smell that only a baby can pull off.  I was holding her the entire visit and marveling at how amazing life is and how in the blink of an eye a human being is brought into this world.  In between all the wonder and amazement I was also thinking, "Oh my god, she's so tiny and breakable".  I have to admit, I began to freak out a bit about parenthood and being completely responsible for this frail little life that I will bring into the world.  Of course, before I completely went into a panic mode, my wonderful husband said some reassuring words along the lines of, "Oh man, how does something so big come out of something so little?"  At this point, my panic of care-giving was morphed into my panic of childbirth.  It's true: babies are big.  It is also true that where they come out of, isn't.  My seventh grade science teacher once decided to tell the whole class that childbirth is like pushing a watermelon through a quarter.  That (along with the birthing video) was one of the few things that I remembered from junior high.  Every girl in the class swore to adopt after that graphic video, but sure enough, many of them have endured childbirth and are now some of the proudest mamas I have ever seen.  The one thing that calms me down is that billions of women (and even one man) have done this and most do live to tell the story.

Gene's Corner (a.k.a. Knocked Up part II):
(setting: I am nagging Gene for ignoring me while playing video games)
Gene: I know that this isn't you talking, it's the hormones.  I would just like to say, "screw you hormones. not Anna. hormones."

It's a GIRL!

Thanks to those of you who voted, but the majority of you were wrong :)

We are very excited to announce that come April, Gene and I will be proud parents of a baby girl!!!

Anna for Elite Yelper '10

You know the famous saying, "Those who can't do, teach"?  Well, I think it should be changed to, "Those who can't write, yelp".   Since my blogging career hasn't exactly taken off,  (shout out to the few people that read this blog) I figured I need another outlet.  One where I can write freely about my likes and dislikes and dissect the good, the bad and the ugly. Here is what I do in my spare time.

Please don't judge me for judging others, but it's more fun than it looks!  Finally my voice can be heard and New Yorkers everywhere can finally stop flocking to El Greco and Di Fara's.  I understand that avenue J is one of the most authentic blocks in Brooklyn, but really people you CAN find better pizza in NY.

If you read this blog and have been with me to a restaurant, bar, library, etc. and would like me to yelp about it, please leave the name(s) of the establishment(s) in the comments section and I promise a review will soon be written.

Some side effects may include...

We have all seen those pharmaceutical commercials and had a chuckle or two upon hearing the side effects of a certain medication.  One that comes to mind is the Zoloft commercial which promises to help you with depression but warns you that some very common side effects are: abdominal pain, agitation, anxiety, constipation, decreased sex drive, diarrhea or loose stools, difficulty with ejaculation, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, gas, headache, and decreased appetite. Also...they may include increased sweating, indigestion, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, rash, pain, sleepiness, sore throat, tingling or pins and needles, tremor, vision problems and vomiting.  How can you NOT be depressed while suffering those symptoms?


This brings me to the weekly newsletter I receive about how my pregnancy is progressing.  It's typically broken out into three sections: baby (gives you the details of how your baby is growing), your life (tells you about how your life might be changing) and tip for the week.  The 'baby' piece usually starts of like this:
Your baby measures about 5.2 (13.2cm) to 6 inches (15.2cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces (198g) and then goes on to tell you a bit more about the latest developments.  The next section (your life) usually tells you about the changes in your body and often talks about those exciting 'first' moments.  From starting to show to feeling your baby kick, it's always fun to see the changes taking place inside your body.  This week wasn't any different, until I got to the 'your life' section which reminded me more of a Zoloft commercial rather than a weekly pregnancy bulletin.  Here's what I read:
As your baby continues to grow, you may be feeling some mid-pregnancy aches and pains by now -- lower abdominal achiness, dizziness, heartburn, constipation, leg cramps, mild swelling of ankles and feet, and a backache. Dilated blood vessels might cause tiny, temporary red marks (called spider nevi) on your face, shoulders and arms.
There was no mention of pregnancy glow or strangers smiling at you kindly or any of the mushy stuff I have come to expect.  To add insult to injury, the 'tip of the week' was: Take care not to get overtired since rapid growth of the baby can compound the burden on your heart, lungs and kidneys.
Something tells me that with my growing belly there will be a growing list of side effects (that may include)...

Attack of the Pregnant Women

One of the perks of being pregnant is getting a seat on the bus/train, right? WRONG!  If you live in the wonderful city of New York, no one gives a damn about your fat ass pregnancy.  My mother was the first to tell me that even into her 8th month, no one gave up their seat on the train.  More recently, one of my friends was pregnant and she also confirmed that very rarely is someone nice enough to actually offer their seat to a pregnant woman.  If you are one of the lucky ones that gets a seat, it is typically from other women who likely experienced pregnancy and know how difficult it can get to stand in those later months.  What I admired about my friend was that she used to march right up to the section in the front of the train car labeled "priority seating" and say, "Ahem, move it!"
Today I had an interesting commute because within two feet of me, there were 3 other pregnant women (I was the only idiot fashionista wearing heels).   At first it was just me and another pregnant woman, who was probably about 5/6 months along.  An elderly lady sitting down was the only one to get up and offer her seat to this woman.  After a few stops, 2 more pregnant women get on (one about 6/7 months along and another probably 8 or even 9).  Of course no one offers them a seat, but one frees up and the less pregnant of the two (who was closer to the seat) was kind enough to give up the seat to the lady that was probably about to give birth in a few hours.
What is the world is coming to when pregnant women are giving up seats to one another based on who is further along?  What a sad city we live in!  Meanwhile, the train cars are filled with young wall street types averting their eyes and pretending not too see the poor pregnant souls who lost their center of gravity along with their hourglass figure.


Gene's Corner:
The Freedom Theory:

The Freedom Theory states that when your wife gets pregnant you will technically be more in control over your actions than during your marriage stage. 

To better understand the Freedom Theory we must first understand the chain of command:

Chain of Command for married couple:  Wife - 85%, Husband - 15%

Chain of Command for married couple with pregnant wife: Fetus - 85%, Wife - 15%, Husband - a smidge greater than 0, but nowhere close to 1

So how is it that a husband is more free when his wife is pregnant?  Simple, the fetus is 50% husband, 50% wife. Therefore, 85% / 2 = 42.5% which is greater than 15% (by a lot).   So now when my wife tells me to vacuum, 42.5% of that decision was made by me.

19 weeks!

Gotta Love Grandma (Part 2)

As I mentioned in my earlier post, my grandma was an OB/GYN in Russia, so she has been my go-to person for all pregnancy related questions.  I recently started to pack on the pounds, so I was slightly concerned because of the strong views my grandma holds regarding weight gain during pregnancy.  Since she has such strong opinions, I assumed it is bad to gain too much weight due to health concerns.  When I asked her to confirm that statement, she just said, "No, fat women just don't look so good. Why would anyone want to be fat!"
This brings me to a recent conversation we had over the phone:

Me: Hi, Grandma! How are you?
Grandma: Good, you?  How are you feeling?
Me: I feel great!  Getting bigger...
Grandma: Oh yeah?
Me: Well, I am 18 weeks and so far I have put on 10 lbs.
Grandma: Hmm, 10 lbs?  Wow
Me: Oh you must be thinking in kilograms.  Ten pounds is only 5 kilograms!!!
Grandma: No, I understood.
Me: Well, that's not a lot!
Grandma: Well, that's not little!
Me: Maybe you don't understand.  Hold on, let me get the exact unit.
(Mom!!!!! 1 kg is 2.2 lbs???)
Me: Ok, grandma, so it's actually only 4.5 kg.  That's all!
Grandma: Ha! Yeah, that's not so little considering the weight gain should only be starting at this point in pregnancy

Crystal Ball

Two weeks left until our big 20 week ultrasound.  I am so excited to find out if we will be having a son or daughter.  According to all my Nostradamus friends, they say, "100% it's a boy."  Where were they when I was playing the lotto?  One friend went as far as to predict the sex of the future children we will be having.  In fact, he said, "You will keep having boys, but the more children you will have, the more likely you will get a girl.  Possibly 3rd child will be a girl.". Sounds like he wants me to compete with Jon and Kate plus 8.  I can see the show now: "Anna and Gene and their Football Team".  All the media outlets will pick it up and their headlines will read, "Woman keeps giving birth to baby boys, final tally: 26".   I will obviously have to write a book about what it is like to raise more than two dozen boys and have to travel in buses everywhere we go.  Gene will be propositioned by young, hot college bimbos, but he will always refuse and the media will crown him as father of the year.  After doing the Oprah show, we will decide that we are now done with all the attention and quietly disappear with the millions we earned from all the appearances (and retire in the south of France).

What Size?

Setting: Furniture shopping  for the new apartment


Saleslady: Are you expecting a baby?
Me: Yes, we are.
Saleslady: Oh, how nice.  When are you due?
Me: Late April.
Saleslady: Oh wow, quite the size you got there!!
Me: (to Gene) Is this *censored* for real? I am going to *censored* punch her in her old lady *censored*.

Train Traffic

One my biggest pet peeves is having someone in my personal space.  Living in NY and having to take the subway during rush hour each day, you can't really avoid someone rubbing up against your thigh, reading their newspaper inches from your face or my personal favorite, the purse/backpack on the head while sitting.   Prior to my pregnancy I was somewhat able to tolerate these small nuisances but lately, my patience has run dry.  Unfortunately, I was never tactful when dealing with these situations and the rage that fills me during these moments perhaps causes me to react somewhat irrationally.  I didn't really give this much thought until the other day when I ran into my friend Lana on the train.  We were both sitting down and chatting about how proud we are to be elite Yelpers when some guy walks in and without looking decides to rest his backpack millimeters (yes, it was so close that I have to use the metric system for emphasis) away from my head.  Like any normal person, I then proceeded to push (with both hands) his backpack as far away from me as possible.  I didn't realize I did anything unusual until I looked over and saw Lana's terrified face.  She scolded me and was visibly frustrated that I didn't learn anything from her Grand Jury stories (apparently some chick got her whole face cut up during a similar train altercation).   In my case, I was pretty sure the gentleman in question couldn't possibly do anything to me since both his hands were busy trying to hold up his pants.  Either way, I think I learned my lesson.   Well, I thought I did, until I had to jam my elbow into the rib cage of the lady sitting next to me trying to nap on my shoulder. 

Gene's corner: 

Gene has been reassigned and he is currently the top contributing editor to ihavebettershittodo.com

17 weeks!

Don't mind the boxes in the back - we're still unpacking.  Here is the first shot of 'the bump'.

Running on Empty

Have you ever seen that Seinfeld episode where Kramer takes a car for a test drive just to see how far he can drive with the gas gauge on empty?  If not, you won't really get this metaphor.  Well, for some strange reason, I am really against buying maternity clothing and my goal is to get away with wearing my long sweaters and the Bella Band for the entire duration of my pregnancy.  Essentially, I want to see how far I can get before I am forced to walk around looking obscene.  At first this wasn't much of a challenge.  I had to wear my pants unbuttoned, but the BBand worked just fine.  Recently, however, I began to notice that I am now unable to zip up my zipper.  This is becoming somewhat of a problem and has caused me to only wear my super long sweaters.  My big concern is that eventually I will be wearing my pants around my knees with a new and improved ultra large BBand (which has yet to be invented).  

Gene's Corner:

"It appears that my body has become accustomed to the high fat content that is in KFC and my weight gain has curbed.  Time to shock it again by eating homemade food and put on another 5 pounds!"

Staying Active!

I had my doctor's appointment this morning and it turned out I barely gained any weight since the last visit (official tally is : +8).  This didn't surprise me too much since our big move (5 and a half blocks) has really kept me moving around 24/7.
For those that know me, (who are we kidding, two people read this blog and clearly they know me) know that I am NOT a big fan of exercise.  So of course, I find it incredibly annoying that being a pregnant woman all you see everywhere is how important it is for us fatties to work out and keep in shape.  You see sites and magazines devoted to healthy and fit pregnant chicks, but the more they try to brainwash me, the more burgers I will be forced to consume.
So you might be wondering, how is it that I haven't ballooned yet?  The answer is simple, my quest for food has me walking around for miles.  Take today for example, I walked for 15 minutes in one direction because I wanted taro bubble tea.  After fulfilling my craving I remembered that a few days ago I passed by a store that said 'Grocery and Deli' that appeared like it was more of a burger joint.  My curiosity forced me to walk another 10 minutes in a different direction only to find out that as always -I was right.  The place just opened up (didn't have time to change their sign) and was actually called Ultimate Burgers and Dogs.  Now that I had hot dogs on my mind, I walked another several blocks to the supermarket to pick up some hot dogs, buns, ketchup and mustard.  The idea that I can now have hot dogs any time I wanted made me so excited that I had to walk home immediately to cook my dog!  Paired with a pickled tomato - delicioso!  Speaking of pickled tomatoes, I had an entire jar in about 24 hours which surely can't be good.

Gene's Corner:
"you suck (pointing at my head), but you cool (pointing at my belly)"

Finally Moved!

OK, so I know it has been a while since I posted, but I have a very legitimate excuse.  We finally moved!  After moving I remembered a piece of advice that I stored in my long term memory after our last move. The advice was: don't ever move again!  Unfortunately, I only remembered this after the fact.  The packing up part wasn't too bad and we took it nice and slow and packed an hour or two each day for about a week.  This was pretty efficient. The actual day of the move was pretty easy for me since I didn't have to carry anything heavy, but walking up and down 4 flights of stairs multiple times did take a toll on my calves.

The part that really sucks is getting to the new place.  Before you actually get to unpack you have to clean the place top to bottom.  Since I am what some call 'anal retentive', this is the toughest part.  Two different cleaning services, $50 of cleaning supplies and 4 used surgical masks later, I still don't think the place is up to par.   Once the place is FINALLY clean enough, I will still have to figure out where all the new stuff will go.  I have started to drop subtle hints that I will be taking the larger master bedroom closet while Gene will be lucky if I keep his stuff in boxes get the slightly smaller but equally valuable second bedroom closet. Since we're on the topic of Gene and closets, I have to vent.  My dear husband has a love of the wire hangers you get after you dry clean your clothes. All of his clothes hang on these nasty, anorexic looking hangers.  He says he likes them because they are very practical but I think this goes back to his compulsive hoarding.  Not only are they hideous but our house is full of beautiful thick wood hangers that are laying around not being utilized.  My project this week will be to throw out every wire hanger and secretly replace them with quality hangers.  Luckily he does not read this blog, but if he did, I guarantee you that he would not let me get away with this.  Will keep everyone posted on the outcome...

In pregnancy news: I am almost 16 weeks, which is 4 months in pregnancy lingo, but actually 3 months based on the more widely accepted Gregorian Calendar. I feel GREAT!  In fact, I feel exactly like my old self - sarcastic with a hint of bitter.  My stomach has been slowly making its debut, leaving me with only two shirts I can wear to work.  While I did tell my boss, I will be waiting another few weeks to tell the rest of the marketing team.  Speaking of 'breaking the news', what does that conversation go like?  With most of my friends I was just able to say, "Guess what? I am knocked up."  I am not sure this would work with co-workers.  Maybe I won't say anything and just let them notice on their own.

Gene's Corner:
"Arguing with your pregnant wife is like playing the lotto.  There's a one in a million chance you're going to win"

Yes, another food post

Since becoming pregnant, I have been eating less and less meat.  In the first trimester, I couldn't even look at the stuff, much less eat it.  Now I do eat meat on occasion, but a lot less than before.  I never realized how hard vegetarians have it!  There really aren't that many options and the ones out there don't leave you feeling very satisfied.  Today for lunch I ordered mashed potatoes with creamed spinach and roasted veggies.  If that doesn't sound boring, I don't know what does. The worst part is that I was hungry 15 minutes later.   


A few nights ago Gene and I decided to order Mexican food. Here is how that order went:


Me: Hi, I would like to place an order.
Them: What would you like?
Me: Umm, I would like the steak burrito.
Them: Ok, anything else?
Me: Umm, yeah can I have it without the beans?
Them: Sure, what else?
Me: Well, also I would like it without the steak.
Them: OK (stupid gringa is basically going to pay nine bucks for some rice)
Me: Thank You!


Gene's Corner:
Under Construction
(Translation: I have writers block) 

I learned so much!

This weekend was productive for two reasons:

1. We got to catch up with several friends we haven't seen in a while

and 

2. We started to pack all of our things in preparation for the big move next weekend.

The best part about packing is getting to throw away all your old stuff.  Gene and I are very different when it comes to tossing our belongings.  Translation: Gene is a hoarder!  I will gladly take the clothes off my back and throw them out so I have less stuff to move and an excuse to buy new things.  Gene on the other hand has A/X muscle shirts from 1996 that he isn't willing to part with.  I told him that we need to follow one basic rule: if you haven't worn it in 3 years - it goes.  I thought this was very clever of me, until the following evening when Gene dressed as if he was heading to Webster Hall. 

On Friday we met up with our friends Vika, Sereja and baby Audrey.  We ate, we laughed, we talked pregnancy and baby and ultimately I left their home with a new addiction.  Vika told me that when she was pregnant she had this crazy craving for Bubble Tea.  She talked about this tea with such excitement and vigor that it made my mouth water.  Not only did she pick it up each day after work, but when it got too tough to walk the extra distance, she made sure Sereja would buy it on his way home.  I remembered trying bubble tea back when I lived in California, but couldn't quite remember the flavor.  Of course being a crazy pregnant woman on a mission, I made it my goal to find bubble tea if it was the last thing I did.


Saturday morning we met up with our friends Lana and Jon for some brunch.  It was by far the most educational meal I have ever had.  Lana is serving on the grand jury so here is what I learned:
1.  People that reside in Bushwick tend to carry disassembled machine guns in their backpacks
2. If you walk through Bed Sty on any given day, you will pass 'the corner guys' who will easily sell you drugs, guns and anything else that your heart desires
3. If you live in Crown Heights and have a legitimate job, be prepared to get beat up and robbed at least once a week
4. Hookers in Canarsie can be (and will be) very tricky if they want to get more money out of you


While all of this was highly informative, the biggest (and most important) lesson that day was:


5. There is a new bubble tea place (Eton Too) that opened on Smith street and Sackett


I finally got my tea fix and boy was it good.  The place has about 20 different flavors and since discovering it on Saturday, I have already tried: taro, green tea, mango and pumpkin.  Favorite so far: Taro!


Gene's Corner:
Setting: Gene is getting dressed for work this morning and unable to button his pants. After several attempts he says,
"Can I borrow your Bella Band"?

Cartoon Friday

Second Trimester Bliss

The second trimester has just begun and already I am LOVING it!  The nausea is gone, the energy is back and I am feeling better than ever.   The early (first trimester) symptoms reminded me every waking moment that I am pregnant, but now I can rejoin the rest of society and even stand within ten feet of NYC hobos without puking on my shoes.   


The other great thing is that I am now finally starting to look pregnant. This gave me a valid reason to buy an entirely new wardrobe.   Fatigue? What's that?  I spent 3 hours walking from store to store trying on every sweater dress I could get my hands on. What are the odds that the year I am pregnant is the year that sweater dresses and tights come back into style.  It's fate I tell you!


Last night, the hubby and I were invited to a Halloween/Birthday party and here is my original idea for our costume...

Sadly, the female version of this costume is sold out and Gene thinks the 'Bun Maker' costume is hideous.  My next idea was to involve my friend Diana (a.k.a Boo) and the three of us can go as Three Blind Mice.  I thought this was genius, but her reply was,  "Ok, just because you got a rodent infestation in your apartment doesn't mean we gotta play the whole thing out in public. You've made enough announcements via Facebook and your blog already."  Honestly, how can anyone not find this awesome?

 I even promised her that she won't have to be the one to go topless, but she still refused.  I guess the search for the perfect costume continues...


Stay Tuned....

Baby's Second Trip

Our baby is a jet setter already and this weekend marked his/her second trip.  The family packed our bags and headed to our nation's capital.   We got there on Friday night, after 4.5 hours of driving and 2 rest stops.  If rest stops are a good representation of our country's general population, then we are in BIG trouble.  I hate to sound judgmental, but man did I see some scary looking people at those stops. 

We woke up bright and early on Saturday only to look outside our window and see a downpour.   I had a hearty breakfast (eggs, home fries, sausage, toast, fruits and pastry) and we bundled up and headed to the heart of DC.  We started the day with the Air and Space museum, followed by a brisk walk along Independence Avenue.  After about 15 minutes of walking, we were all pretty cranky and not enjoying the feel of wet feet.  We decided to drive around for a bit before heading to  Georgia Brown's (a Southern Restaurant) for some country cook'n.   After lunch, it was nearly 4:30 PM and still raining, so we had no choice but to go to another museum (Spy Museum). It was really interesting and each exhibit taught you all about the different spies (Russians, police, women, etc.). We stayed there until closing time (7 PM) and then headed back to the hotel so we can relax and grab a small bite to eat.  Besides my brother, no one was really hungry so we decided to meet at the hotel restaurant for some tea and desert.  Peter, who never eats anything, decided to order two dishes (shrimp cocktail and a cheeseburger with fries).  I knew there was no way he was finishing his food, so I was prepared to enjoy a nice juicy burger.  He impressed me and ate all the shrimp and even half of the burger.  The remainder went to me, and after four bites, was passed down to Gene.  The day was rainy but a success nonetheless. 

After sleeping-in on Sunday (9 AM) I ran to the window and after opening the shades, I saw: (you guessed it) rain.  We went down to have breakfast in the hopes that the rain will taper off by the time we were done.  Luck was on our side, because for the remainder of the day it didn't rain.  Sadly, it was still only 35 degrees outside, but we weren't complaining.  First on our list was the White House.  We heard that this was the one (of two) weekend during the year that the White House has garden tours, where anyone can come in and tour the property.  When we got there the line wasn't too bad, so we were able to get inside in less than 15 minutes.  The security was insane.  If you think it's bad at the airport, that's nothing.  My poor husband was groped and touched in places that even made ME blush.  It was pretty cool to stand right outside the door of the house, peek at the tennis courts and walk through the children's garden.  Since it was still dry out, we decided to take advantage and head over to see all the memorials (Jefferson, Lincoln, Korean War, Washington, Veteran's and the reflecting pool).  Within hours, we got to see all the things on our list, so we were very excited.  There was only one thing left: The National Zoo.  For some strange reason, the number one thing on my brother's list of things to do in Washington, was the Zoo.  When I asked him why, his response was, "It's not just any zoo, it's NATIONAL."  He was also excited to see the only giant panda on the east coast.  I couldn't deny the little guy, even though I had zero interest in the zoo.   The grounds were pretty and we were lucky to get there when the panda was eating lunch.  Apparently they eat bamboo in quantities that are hard to imagine and with the enjoyment you only see when pregnant women eat pickles.  We were pretty much done with DC, and the plan was to have a nice lunch before heading back up to NY.   There was only one place we still had left to see: Georgetown.  We found a fun family place (Clyde's) where we wrapped up our trip and had a tasty lunch.  My 10 year old brother once again amazed the waitress by ordering the Maine Lobster.  Despite the weather, we had a great family trip!

I didn't forget that this is a baby blog, so here are some updates:
1. I am out of my first trimester! Whooo! 14 weeks this weekend!
2. The official weight in is......drum roll....+5 lbs (I am pretty sure I will stop reporting on this once I am in the double digits)
3. When I asked my doctor about getting the H1N1 flu shot (due to high media coverage), he responded with, "Those goons will also tell you that the sky is falling."

Peter's (my brother) Corner:
"Excuse me, but the students were just expelled from Gas University"

Cartoon Friday

Back by popular demand: Cartoon Friday!  Ok, so no one actually requested (much less demanded) this but I thought these were pretty cute.

Happy Hour

No, not that magical hour around 3 PM 5 PM when you can start drinking your worries away.  I can forget about that hour for the next several months.

Happy Hour has a whole new meaning now. Actually, multiple meanings:

1. The one hour in the day when I am not hungry.  This does happen, but usually not on a daily basis

2. The blissful hour after work when I can finally put on pants with a stretchy waistband

3. The one hour at night when I am sound asleep 

Let me explain number 3.  If I am not waking up to go to the bathroom, then I am laying in bed with eyes wide open listening for the sound of mice in the house.  Since our apartment has many other wonderful noises, (ex: radiator) I tend to jump up every few minutes looking around for the culprit.  This really annoys Gene who wouldn't get out of bed if he had 20 mice crawling on top of him.  Some people fear spiders (arachnophobia), some fear dogs (cynophobia) and then there is me with my fear of mice (musophobia/murophobia). I am not sure that what I have can really be
called a phobia, but I really really hate those little critters.

Gene's Corner:
"I gained 4 lbs. That's more than you. What the hell!"

What a weekend!

Where do I start?


Today is the first day of the blog going public, so if you have some time on your hands, check the Blog Archive (left-hand side) and read some of the earlier entries to become better acquainted with what has been happening the last few weeks.

In other big news, we finally found an apartment and it's only a few blocks away from our current place.  The neighborhood, while close, is a bit more urban and closer to all the shops, parks and train.  The place itself is in a two story building, with our apartment being on the first floor (only a handful of steps to climb).  There are two bedrooms and two baths, with a nice size living room.  The closet space isn't as abundant as in our current place, but we do have a decent amount of storage space.  We are very excited for our big move on November 1st- only a few weeks away!

We are also trying to help our current landlord find a tenant, so if you or anyone you know is interested in a 1.5 bedroom apartment in prime Carroll Gardens, please let me know.  The second (half) room is technically a bedroom, with a window and closet, but it is very small, so it's best fit for an office or a very large walk-in closet. The main bedroom is very large and the whole apartment has 10ft. ceilings.  There is also a pretty large, separate, eat-in kitchen with fairly new appliances.  I am not sure what the landlord will charge for rent, but guessing around the $2k range.

In latest baby news - we had our 12 week ultrasound today.  The baby was so cute and was moving around a ton.  It might have something to do with the fact that the technician kept poking my stomach trying to get him to turn.  This baby is already a little in utero soccer player.

Gene's Corner:
Setting: on the train after our ultrasound
Gene: Did you see the brain on him/her?  If we're lucky, that baby is going to be smart just like me!

Random Updates

I am happy to report that my morning sickness is now pretty much limited to mornings and I am only eating Chinese food 4 days a week.  Forget breast milk, this baby will come out begging for some shrimp and broccoli. Also, the official weigh-in is at +4 lbs. By official, I mean my bathroom scale. Please note that I was wearing my jewelry so feel free to subtract a few pounds.  My Mr T. chain was feeling exceptionally heavy that day.

On the clothing front, I am still fitting into all my old stuff so enjoying that while I still can.  Buttoning the jeans has gotten a bit tough so I use two methods:

•  BellaBand
•  Rubber band looped around the hole and the button of my jeans

Also, this Saturday will mark 12 weeks of pregnancy.  I was a bit unsure of when to start telling people, because officially the first trimester ends for me on October 24th (more than 2 weeks away). While gestationally, the trimester ends at almost 14 weeks, developmentally it actually ends at 12 weeks.  So to make a boring story more boring, I will be making THE big announcement this Monday after my NT scan.  Gene and I are very excited because the NT scan is done via a 3D ultrasound so we get to see the little guy/girl up close and personal.

As for the apartment update, it looks like we are still undecided.  After going back to Avenue U, we came up with the conclusion that it is very yucky and began to look closer to the city again (LIC, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Park Slope).  This weekend we are hoping to check out a few apartments and finally make our decision.  Finding a place to live shouldn't' be this complicated and brokers really have no reason to NOT call back.  Do they not want to make money? I don't get it.

Last but never least, is the husband update.  Everyone who used to read my cooking blog would tell me that their favorite part was Gene's comments.  I found that funny because they were typically about 4 words and mostly made up by me.  So back by popular demand we are going to be adding 'Gene's Corner' to the end of each post.  It will have either his comments, thoughts or a short story (probably made up by me).

Gene's Corner:
Setting: Gene comes home from work on the day I had my 9 week ultrasound to find the sono pictures on the table
Gene: Awww, wow this is sooo cute.  I can't believe how much you can see already. This is GREAT.
Me: (walking over and turning the picture he was holding upside down the right way)
Gene: Oh.  Wow, this is even better! Now I REALLY see it!  I can't believe this - this is GREAT.

Gotta Love Grandma

My grandma was an OB/GYN in Russia for over 40 years.  In fact, she was the one that delivered me 29 23 years ago.  She was always very proud of the fact that she was the very first person to hold me.  Back then they didn't have all this fancy testing and equipment so everything was done 'old school' style.  Since there were no ultrasounds, my grandma would feel her way around the stomach to see where the baby was and whether or not that was the right location based on the duration of the pregnancy.  She was also known for being quite strict and yelling at her patients if they gained too much weight.  That worked so well with my mom that she only gained 17 lbs when she was pregnant with me (22 with my brother).


I came to visit her recently and what ensued was pretty funny.


Me: Hi Grandma!
Grandma: Oh my god!  What is that? (pointing at the bulge in my midsection)
Me: Umm, what do you mean?  I am showing!
Grandma: Hahahahahahahaha. Hahahahahaha. Hahahahaha.  You're not showing!
Me: Ummm, well my stomach is bigger and I am pregnant, so I think I am.
Gradma: Let's go examine you.
Me: OK
She starts by pressing around my bellybutton area with quite a bit of force.  After a few seconds she locates the baby just above the pelvic bone.
Grandma: Aha, there it is!  
Me: Wow, that's so low.
Grandma: Around 4.5 months, the baby should be at the same level as your belly button.
Me: So what's all this weight in my midsection?
Grandma proceeds to grab two handfuls of my midsection and looks at me while grinning.
Me: Fat?
Grandma: What else!

Cartoon Friday

The weekend is right around the corner so here are some cartoons that might make you giggle and start the weekend off right.

BellaBand

My jeans have been feeling quite snug lately, so I went online about a week ago to order the BellaBand.  I have to say, it is THE greatest thing since sliced bread.  Before the BB (BellaBand) I was barely able to button my super tight jeans and when I would eventually close those suckers, I wound up with a case of the muffin top.

Pregnant or not, the muffin top is one of the most unsightly things one can encounter.  With my new BB, I can now wear my pants unbuttoned and no one can tell.  It's comfortable, it's soft and relieves the constraint of too tight pants/jeans.  If you are pregnant or just packing a few extra pounds, I highly recommend this apparatus.

The other big plus is that it comes in many colors, so it can easily blend with any top you are wearing. The BB can be purchased at almost any maternity store as well as Amazon and Target and retails for around $20-$30.

Moving on U(p)?

Gene and I have lived in Carroll Gardens for over two years now and while we adore our neighborhood, we both agreed that we have outgrown our apartment. Now that there will be three of us, we will definitely want more space, more bedrooms, more bathrooms and most importantly more walk-in closets. There is one problem: we can't have our cake and eat it too. This puts us in a tough place where we have to decide between location, location, location and a large, new apartment. We are leaning towards something new since our current residence is pretty decrepit.

We went to check out an apartment yesterday in a deeper part of Brooklyn. In fact, so far from the city that they still haven't made paved roads down yonder. Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating but still, Avenue U might as well be in Uganda. It's not ALL bad. The apartment itself is nice and most importantly, extremely functional. The layout is very convenient as is the size and we would finally have our very own washer and dryer. Not only will we be able to wash our clothes via a handy dandy machine, but get this...we can also wash our dishes in a similar looking contraption. Currently this is a full time position being filled by my wonderful husband. The big downside of the apartment is that it will take our commute from forty minutes to an hour and ten minutes.

What to do? What to do? This is the beginning of many, many decisions. Before you know it we have to pick a stroller, a nanny, a pre-school, a college. I guess that one is easy - Yale if we end up living in Connecticut and Princeton if in Jersey. At least we got one decision down, but many many more to go.

Harder to Hide

I am only 10 weeks (and a few days) and already I am HUGE. My mom saw me wearing a fitted shirt the other day and she laughed, pointed at my belly and said, "That's EXACTLY what I looked like at 6 months." This would be funny if it wasn't so sad since the baby is the size of a grape.

My weight has also been fluctuating. On a good day, I am up about 1.5 lbs, but on a bad day probably about 18. Ok, so not that big of a difference, but easily three pounds. Normally, I wouldn't care about showing so early, but since I haven't told anyone (outside the fams) yet, it's pretty weird to walk around with a huge stomach pretending like nothing out of the ordinary is going on.

When I first found out, I wanted to run and tell everyone but I was convinced to wait until towards the end of the first trimester. Now that the time is slowly approaching, I decided to use the 'wave approach' of telling people. What is it you ask? Well, I just made it up but essentially I will tell a small group of people each week. I may start with one person one week, two people the next, and so forth. Why? The answer is simple. After about one week, the first person will be sick and tired of listening to me incessantly chat about my pregnancy, and it will be time to move on and tell the next person/people. This will ensure that for at least several weeks it can be all about me, me, me. Ahhh, pure genius!

Placentophagia

I was very hesitant about writing this post because reading it will require a strong stomach. You have been warned, so continue at your own risk.

Ok, you’re reading on so I guess you think you can handle this topic. What is it you ask? Placentophagia. You’re not going to have to Google it, because I am about to divulge all the details you’ll ever need to hear.

“Placentophagia -- the practice of eating the placenta -- has been observed throughout history in many parts of the world. In Western cultures, eating the placenta is often viewed as barbaric, but there has been a recent push among young mothers to carry out this practice after giving birth, due to the observance of multiple benefits to the mother's health.”

People actually do this?!?! Who was the first person that saw their placenta and said, “Hmm, that would go well with my chicken noodle soup.” There are a multitude of things we as humans can eat, but we don’t because some things are better left uneaten. I will leave it at that.

It gets worse...

“The most common (and, many claim, the most beneficial) method of placentophagia is to consume it raw in the moments immediately following childbirth.“

Most women I spoke to said they craved sushi, wine or brie immediately after birth. I don’t recall anyone saying they couldn’t wait to take a bite of their placenta.

And my favorite part...

“Odd as it may sound, there are literally hundreds of recipes available online and in folklore for cooking your placenta. When cooking the placenta, the meat must first be cut away from the membranes before preparation. Some of the most popular recipes for preparing the placenta include roast placenta (roasted in the oven as you would a pork roast), placenta cocktail (a drink blended with vegetable juices and ice), stew, and lasagna, and spaghetti, among others.”

Really? Placenta cocktail? What would that order sound like? Hey bartender, bloody Mary please. Make it with an extra shot of vodka, a dash of hot sauce, oh and don’t forget the placenta.

What has all this taught me? Mostly, that I should stay away from message boards on BabyCenter.

Quote of the day: There are many disturbing qualities about the show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant". For me, the most frightening part is the general consensus among these women, regarding their unknown start of labor: "I thought I was dying".

UPDATE:
I wanted to clarify a few things:
1. I am not judging anyone who chose to eat their placenta or is planning to in the near or distant future.
2. Gene really discouraged me from posting this entry. In fact, he said, "I don't get it. What's the point of this? Are you just being gross?" Since I feel that I am a cutting edge blogger, I have no choice but to post this piece of atrocity masterpiece.

Round Ligament Pain

There are certain things about pregnancy that no one really talks about. Possibly because they are uneventful or maybe because not all women experience them. One of those things is round ligament pain. What is it you ask?

Here is the definition from BabyCenter:

Round ligament pain generally refers to a brief, sharp, stabbing pain or a longer-lasting dull ache that pregnant women commonly feel in the lower abdomen or groin. You may feel round ligament pain as a short jabbing sensation if you suddenly change position, such as when you're getting out of bed or out of a chair or when you cough, roll over in bed, or get out of the bathtub.

For some strange reason I tend to get the sharp pain when I sneeze in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, this is bad news for Gene. Because the pain wakes me up and is so unexpected, my reaction is to jump up and scream as loud as I can. Are you picturing this? Go on, picture it. Middle of the night, sneeze, followed by screaming as if you're being brutally tortured. The pain is incredibly sharp but also passes very quickly. I guess I would compare it to pulling a muscle. Nah, make that tearing a muscle.

In unrelated news, I almost tossed my cookies on the train today. I ended up having an internal conversation with God which went something like this:

Me: Please, please, please don't make me throw up on this train.
God: ...
Me: I swear just one more stop. Let me just make this one more stop without hurling.
God: ....
Me: Ok, 63rd street is just a few seconds away - we almost made it. You don't know how thankful I will be if you spare me this humiliation.
God: ...
Me: Phew, thank you so much. We did it!!!

Once I was off the train, the motion morning sickness subsided. If you're wondering why I am having conversations with God, it's because of: The Shack. I am about 2/3 of the way done - terrible book so far.

Mood: reticent (it's my word of the day)
craving: kosher dill pickle

Showing Already?

While laughing at something this weekend, I noticed a strange change in me. At first, I couldn't quite figure out what it was. The next time something funny happened, I noticed it again. It almost appeared like a mini earthquake. Something was shaking and it turned out that that something was ME! My stomach was actually shaking as I laughed.

I can't possibly be showing at 9 weeks! It simply can not be! I told Gene about my new discovery to which he replied, "Umm, isn't it a bit too early to show?" When you say that to a pregnant woman, what she actually hears is, "You are fat already?" I proceeded to stand in front of the mirror for the next 20 minutes and stare at my belly which pretty much looks as if I swallowed a grapefruit but forgot to chew it first. I wish there was a way to go from flat belly to looking pregnant and skipping that whole in-between sort of fat phase.

On the food front: ALL food is now disgusting. I began to loathe eating because nothing seems to interest me. Last night I had French Fries followed by a pickle. My diet is currently a rotation of frozen pizza, French fries or hot pockets. I need ideas that do not require cooking or looking at un-cooked food. HELP!

Mood: Itching to tell more people about the pregnancy

Chinese Baby?

I used to love Chinese food when I was in High School. In college, the craze died down and I had it occasionally. By the time I was out of school and working, I barely touched the stuff. It's not that I disliked it; I just never actually craved for it. What I did LOVE (especially when I lived in LA) the last few years was Mexican food. Chipotle was my best friend. I always thought that when I got pregnant I will be absolutely addicted to the stuff. Well here I am pregnant and what have I been eating the past few days?

Wednesday 8:23 PM EST - Shrimp and Broccoli with white rice
Thursday 7:48 AM EST - Eggroll with Ducky sauce
Thursday 7:09 PM EST - Sweet and Sour Soup
Thursday 9:21 PM EST - Wonton Soup
Thursday 11:43 PM EST - Fortune Cookie (which 5 minutes later met my best friend Mr. Toilet Bowl)
Friday 10:48 AM EST - Shrimp Lo Mein
Friday 1:15 PM EST - Orange Chicken

You get the idea....I like Chinese food. At first I thought that maybe my baby was a big fan of MSG, but turned out the place we ordered from did not add MSG.

If these cravings continue, I can kiss my dreams of being a petite cute pregnant woman goodbye.

Mood: Happy to be working from home
Craving: Sesame Beef and Vinegret
Milestone: 9 weeks tomorrow

Leave a comment and let me know what you craved (or hated) during your pregnancy

Sleepy...

Embarrassing things are already starting to happen to me and I am only 2 months pregnant.

Today we had a few gentlemen come in from the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) to present the benefits of their organization to our marketing department. Bill, the presenter, was incredibly engaging and had some funny and witty comments. He began the presentation by handing out his business cards, requesting that no one check the back of the card. What is the first thing I do? Of course, check the back of the card. Finding nothing unusual I continued to listen to his speech, only dozing off occasionally. The meeting was also accompanied by pizza, which further increased my sleepiness. Bill soon mentioned that some of the business cards were marked with an X, which meant that the person will receive a FREE conference pass valued at $1K. Luckily, my card was blank. As the meeting progressed, my narcolepsy kicked into high gear. Next thing I know, Bill stops speaking, pulls out another business card, marks it with an X and requests a co-worker to pass it 'to that young lady over there'. Unfortunately, I was the young lady and he explained to the marketing team that he had to give me that card because if one of their exciting conferences can't keep me awake, nothing can.

Upon getting back to my desk, utterly embarrassed I see an email from my boss asking about an Ad on the Yahoo! News site. It appeared to be infringing on our copyrights so I immediately sent an angry email to my rep. Only problem is ... I sent it to my GOOGLE rep! DOH!

Today is not my day!

The cat is out of the bag

Keeping the pregnancy a secret for weeks has been VERY hard. At eight weeks, I couldn't take it much longer and Gene and I decided it was time to tell the family. We invited Gene's parents to E.Hampton (which we do all the time) so nothing seemed suspicious. Since I was too excited/nervous I told Gene to break the big news which he did via a toast during our first meal there. We all raised our glasses and Gene said some beautiful things about family and how much we treasure ours and how we will now look forward to a new adventure in our life - an expansion of our family. Gene's mom was the first to figure out what that meant and then it appeared like a domino effect as each family member figured out what is to come. As expected there were lots of hugs, kisses, questions, and pregnancy and birth stories to follow. It was fun to listen to the two moms reminisce about their own experience and offer advice and support.

At the time of our big announcement, my brother was running around the yard with his friend Mitchell so he didn't even notice all the commotion. I later called him over and said, "Guess what? You're going to be an uncle." He looked at me, thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, right" and went back to playing. I later showed him the ultra sound picture which he needed to run by his friend Mitchell (who recently had a baby sister - so he was the expert) to confirm that this was not in fact a hoax. He came back grinning, saying, "Wow, Mitchell said you are pregnant because that's exactly what his sister looked like."

The next day we went for a hike and then to the beach and upon returning to the house, I was absolutely exhausted - pregnancy hormones seem to do that to you. It felt great to have an excuse to get out of dinner preparations and go take a nap. I think I am going to enjoy the next 7 months!

There was another big event recently - our one year wedding anniversary. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was saying, "I do". Last night we had a romantic dinner at Daniel and Gene surprised me with a beautiful pair of earrings that I was eyeing recently. By the time we got home from diner, I was dreading the 4 flight walk up the stairs but as I entered the foyer, I saw a beautiful bouquet of roses and cala lilies waiting for me. What can I say, "I am one lucky gal."

Mood: Feeling on top of the world
Annoyance: possible case of narcolepsy

More Food? Seriously?

This is starting to look like a cooking blog, but I can't help it. Ever since I figured out that nausea can be curbed by massive amounts of food, I have been on a rampage. This morning, at approximately 8:26 AM EST I had General Tso's Chicken. In my defense, it was Gene's idea. He has no problem having random dinner food for breakfast. So there we sat, watching Top Chef as we gorged on chicken and ginger ale in the wee hours of the morning.

Speaking of food...

I used to be able to pack a lunch and throw it into my purse before I got pregnant. Now, I bring so much food that it looks like I am back packing through Europe instead of going to work.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but obviously Gene and I are INCREDIBLY excited for this baby. My due date is somewhere around April 24th, which is very close to my grandma's birthday as well as Gene's brother's birthday. I think every parent-to-be wants to be well informed and one of the first things many do is go out and get a book.

My pick: The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy
Gene's pick: The Dudes' Guide to Pregnancy: Dealing with Your Expecting Wife, Coming Baby, and the End of Life as You Knew It

I found the title to Gene's pick pretty funny. End of Life as You Knew It? Really? Pretty sure that happens when you get married :)

When we found out that I am pregnant, I immediately had this gut feeling that it will be a boy. To contradict me, Gene said it will be a girl. Actually, there are more females than males in this world, so statistically speaking he does have better odds. Although, I read somewhere that 71% of the time, a mother's intuition about the sex of her baby is correct. Too bad this sounds like a made up statistic. I hate to say it, but Gene is usually right so I might have to change my opinion. (Anyone who reads this, please do not tell Gene that I admitted that he's usually right - that will be the end of me).

Hungry!

In a matter of hours, I have entered a new stage in my pregnancy. I will call it, “the bottomless pit stage”. It happened around 3 AM last night, when I woke up feeling hungry. I considered my options and decided that eating at 3 in the morning is absurd and forced myself back to sleep. Just a few hours later, the hunger wakes me up again. This time, I cave in. I go into the kitchen and begin to look around. Gene did our shopping the night before and bought every ginger flavored thing imaginable (ginger ale, ginger candy, ginger ice cream and even ginger dressing) but I needed more. I opened the container that had the teriyaki chicken wings and inhaled deeply, nearly sending myself to the bathroom – again. OK, this will have to be light. I started with crackers, which I washed down with peach yogurt, which I washed down with lime seltzer. I got back into bed and curled up next to Gene hoping he doesn’t smell the food on my breath and think his wife completely lost it. I woke up an hour later and had a big breakfast; followed by a hearty brunch and a sensible early lunch (chicken wings). What did this teach me? I can somewhat curb my nausea if I eat every 20 minutes. While that is the positive side, the negative is that I might give birth to a baby elephant.

Mood: Happy since morning sickness is at bay today

Morning Sickness

Morning Sickness - nausea early in the day; a characteristic symptom in the early months of pregnancy. This is the definition I found on the web, which is really sugar coating the real meaning.

Morning Sickness (a much more descriptive definition) – imagine you just downed your 14th shot of Sambuca and realized you have to be up and at work in 3 hours. You wake up (reluctantly) just a few hours later, to find yourself wanting to puke your guts out, and get on the bus to work. As it turns out, the road to work is unpaved and on your right hand side is a man who has forgotten to shower (in the last 3 years) while on your left hand side is a woman carrying a bag of fish, which rotted about a week ago. This is morning sickness on a good day.

When morning sickness first hit (around week 5) I thought, “wow, this isn’t so bad and it really comes and goes and totally tolerable.” It is approaching week 8, and each day seems to get progressively worse. Eating has become a chore and meat products are plain disgusting. Yesterday I ordered every pre-cooked sushi roll imaginable to man, only to eat about 2 pieces.

On the husband front, Gene is being wonderful and even runs after me to the bathroom as I gag and hurl my meals. He even tries to hide his look of disgust. He is also very kind and offers me all sorts of different foods in order to see what I can finally find appealing. Unfortunately his timing is terrible. On the flight back from Greece, he stuck a fork full of roast beef in my face as I was eating a cupcake. NOT a good combination.

Mood: cranky
Developing: something similar to a bipolar disorder