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.