2010 - A year in pictures

Soup. I think she likes it.

There are babies that like to eat and then there is Violet.  Growing up, I was NOT an easy baby to feed.  My mother was so annoyed and frustrated because I wouldn't eat a single thing, that I am convinced she cursed me by saying, "your child will be a terrible eater just like you."  She was right.  It takes so many distractions to feed Violet, that I have considered hiring a marching band (Russian joke).

The routine goes like this: I put a spoonful of food into Violet's mouth. Violet puts her hand hand into her mouth and takes out the food and proceeds to bathe in it.  First the cheeks, followed by the ears, then the eyes come next, with the hair close to follow.  The end result is something like this:

A day in the life of an 8 month old...

Six months ago, I wrote a post titled, "A day in the life of a 2 month old."  After rereading it, I was compelled to write an updated version of Violet's day at 8 months.  One of the most surprising things about that post was how much my little baby slept.  It's hard to remember those days when sleeping was 80% of her day.  In general, life back then seemed so much less predictable than now.  It was easier in some sense because everywhere we went Violet was able to take naps so we never had to work around her schedule.  Life today can be broken up into two groups: pre and post naps.

6:30 AM- Our little alarm (by the name of Violet) starts off whimpering and progressively becomes louder calling for our attention.  Since this also coincides with the time Gene wakes up to go to work, he gets up to change Violet and give her the bottle.  After her morning bottle of formula, she goes back to sleep.
8:30 AM- Rise and shine mommy!  The next 30-45 minutes are spent on tidying up the house while Violet sits in her gym and plays with her toys
9:15 AM - Breakfast time.  Typically she ends up wearing 20%-25% of her oatmeal on her bib.  The rest she reluctantly chews along with her freshly pureed fruit
9: 45 AM - an hour of play time, at the end of which Violet begins to get very bored and impatient, knowing her daily stroll is just around the corner.
10: 45 AM - time for a stroll through BoCoCa.  Violet LOVES to look around and study the neighborhood, eventually dosing off for about 20-30 minutes.
1:00 PM - The dreaded lunch time!  This time, it's soup, so about 40% of it ends up on her bib.
1:30 PM - More play time in the jumperoo, exersaucer and on her play mat.  Once she gets bored, we sit together and read books.  I read, Violet tries to chew the pages.
2: 30 PM - Nap time!  If I am lucky, Violet sleeps for 2 hours and is a happy baby for the rest of the day.
4: 30 PM - Another bottle followed by more play time
5:00 PM - Snack.  This usually consists of some fruits, bread or rice crackers.  This is followed by (you guessed it) more play time.
7:00 PM - Bath Time.  This is Violet's favorite time of the day and when I run the shower over her bath, she tries to catch the rays of water.
7: 30 PM - Last bottle of formula followed by sleepy time....
8: 00 PM - Mommy is on the couch enjoying her glass of wine.

Violet is 8 months today!

Little by little Violet's personality is starting to shine through.  One of the things that distinguishes her from many of the other children her age is her sense of curiosity.  She stares at people she doesn't know and it almost appears that she is trying to analyze and memorize everything there is about them.  If she is in a room with a lot of different people, she goes from person to person and studies each and every one of them.  Once complete, she often picks a favorite (always male) and smiles, flirts, and giggles with them.  If two people are having a conversation and her back is to them, she will wiggle, twist and turn to make sure she is watching and listening to what they have to say.  God forbid she misses a juicy piece of gossip...just like her mommy!

У попа была собака

As promised here is the looping nursery rhyme about a priest and his beloved dog:

У попа была собака,
Он ее любил.
Она съела кусок мяса,
Он ее убил.
В землю закопал,
надпись написал:
(Then begin again.)

Translation:

The priest had a dog,
And he loved her.
The dog ate a piece of meat,
He killed her.
He buried her in the ground,
And he wrote an inscription...
(Then begin again.)

What's new with V.Talia?

With her eight month birthday around the corner, Violet has been absorbing the outside world at warp speed.  Here are some new things she has learned:

-She can now say 'baba' (grandma) and 'papa' (dad).  Even though she probably doesn't know what those words mean, she is excited to see us oooh and ahhh when she says them.

-When people start singing 'ladushki, ladushki' (pat-a-cake) she claps happily

-While she hasn't quite grasped waving she does open and close her hand when someone says, "bye, bye".

- Crawling also seems to be right around the corner as she has mastered rolling over to her tummy and pushing off with her legs.  Once she gets the arms down, she will be ready to go.

-She tried bread for the first time and my oh my, she ate it up (literally).  In fact, she was so excited to eat it that while holding a piece in each of her hands, she tried to stuff both pieces into her mouth at the same time.

Speaking of pat-a-cake, the Russian version is called 'Ladushki' and beyond the first line, which says, 'Ladushki, Ladushki' I had no clue how this nursery rhyme went.  This prompted me to Google: Ladushki and lo and behold was the rhyme with the full lyrics in Russian, along with the English translation.  I have to say, only the Russians can come up with something this nutty.  

Ладушки, ладушки

Где были?

У бабушки!

Что ели?

Кашку!

Что пили?

Бражку!

Кашка масленька

Бражка сладенька

Бабушка добренька!

Here is my favorite part.....the translation!

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, 

Where were you? 

At granny's! 

What did you eat? 

Porridge*! 

What did you drink? 

A little home-brewed beer** 

The porridge is buttered, 

The home-brewed beer is sweet, 

Granny is kind!

While all the American kids are singing about baking a cake as fast as they can, the Russian kids are gloating about how they got to go to their grandma's and drink some home-brewed beer.

In the next installment of funny Russian nursery rhymes I will discuss the looping rhyme about the Pope who killed his dog because it ate his meat.

Violet is 7 months!

How is this possible? She was JUST born!

Here are some recent pics of the little cookie monster.

Aruba, Jamaica...Ooo I wanna take ya!

We just came back from our first family vacation and it was fantastic - even though I didn't love Aruba itself.  Let me clarify. It's not that I disliked Aruba, because it's hard to dislike 85 degree weather, palm trees and perfect swimming conditions.  What I thought it lacked was an element of uniqueness as it was overly catered to American tourists.  At each turn was a strip mall that contained either a large supermarket or a fast food chain.

Aside, from being a somewhat generic beach destination, I thought our first trip with Violet was great.  She was on her very best behavior and handled flying like a pro.  Although my hat does go off to the three children sitting behind us.  They ranged from age 2, to about 6 or 7 and didn't make a peep the entire flight.  We later learned that their mom drugged them with Benadryl to keep them quiet.  Parenting at it's finest!

While in Aruba, Violet swam (see video below), tried new foods (strawberries, melon, and even a little chocolate) and played with her new BFF Audrey.  Violet and Audrey shared toys, laughed, high fived and demonstrated their knowledge of facial features.  Audrey was excited to show everyone where their eyes were, while Violet was just excited to try to poke people in the eye.

We stayed in a two bedroom apartment where the bedrooms were separated by a living room and kitchen.  This was PERFECT for traveling with two young kids who were often sleeping/napping.  It allowed us to continue enjoying the vacation by drinking and playing cards into the wee hours of the night.  One of my favorite parts of the apartment was having a washer/drier.  Since this has been missing in my life for the last 30 years, all I wanted to do was wash clothes.  I came home with a suitcase full of perfectly smelling and clean clothes.  Ahhh, the little things!

There were some skeptics (and I won't name any names - MOM) who felt that there was no reason to drag a 7 month old on a vacation, but I am glad we didn't listen.   It was actually the perfect age, because she isn't mobile yet, so we were able to plop her into the stroller where she often dozed off while we enjoyed 2-for-1 happy hour on the beach.

Violet is 6 months!

I know it sounds cliche, but man they grow up so fast.  Just yesterday (or rather six months ago) I gave birth to a tiny little bundle that loved to sleep curled up on top of her daddy's chest.  She didn't know much except to cry when she was hungry or sleepy or had a dirty diaper.  In just half a year, so much has changed.  She giggles, demands attention when she's bored, eats solid foods (see picture of peas below), has favorite toys and so much more.  I can't wait to see what the next six months will bring!

Apple Picking

This year we went on our 4th Annual Family Fall Day.  Every year we drive up to a little town by the name of Warwick (in NY) and walk around enjoying the countryside, while picking apples.  Last year I was probably about 3 months pregnant and as I strolled the hills of the orchard, I envisioned coming back the following year with a little boy/girl.  One year later and our little munchkin is chomping away at the apples.  Here is a peek at what went on:

Quote of the Day

Ever since I've had a baby, my use of the phrase "Oh thank God, it's just chocolate" has risen exponentially.

Please Recycle - it's the LAW

The recycling material that can be attributed to Violet has finally surpassed ours.  Let me explain.  In one week, we usually polish off about 1 bottle of creamer, several card board boxes (mostly from my shopping addiction), 2 bottles of wine, 2 six-packs of beer and other random items having to do with our various vices.  This doesn't include our friends being over, which would then up the tally to 7 bottles of wine and 5 six-packs of beer.

Up until now, Violet only contributed in the form of her powdered Similac containers.  She has now added little itty bitty jars of food (14 per week) to that collection as well as actual containers of liquid Similac (6 per week).  This is also in addition to the cardboard boxes, which hold her wipes, diapers and toy deliveries.

Gene currently handles the sorting of the recycling material mostly to fulfill the stereotype that men take out the garbage.  But once Violet is walking, I think it's only fair that the job gets delegated to her.  Sheesh. Fair is fair!

Nicknames

Gene and I jokingly call Violet cookie monster.  We have no idea where this nickname came from, especially since she is way too young to eat cookies.  It just sort of naturally slipped off the tongue one day and has stuck ever since.  This made me think about all the nicknames I have had throughout the years - and I have had many.  Here are some I can remember:

Kozel- this was one of my earlier nicknames (2-3 years old) and the original version was given to me by my grandpa who called me kozlik (kid, as in young goat) because I used to hop around like a baby goat.  My mom later changed it to kozel (full grown goat) because I was incredibly stubborn (stubborn as a goat is the Russian version of stubborn as a mule).  This nickname actually loses a lot in the translation since in the Russian language kozel is also a nice way of saying asshole.

ARoz -One of my favorite nicknames which originated at my first 'real' job out of college.  A is for Anna and Roz is for Roslovich.  Pretty straightforward.  I later tried to convert myself to AKlay, but that just wasn't working for people.

Babychka - This was actually a nickname given to me and Gene when we first started dating.  Due to our shameless public display of affection and calling each other 'baby' in public (shudder) we rightfully deserved the Russian version of the term, hence babychka.

Cleo - Probably the most obscure nickname I ever had was Cleopatra (shortened to Cleo).  When I came into my 7th grade English class one morning with crimped hair (it was the early 90's - don't judge) my teacher decided that I looked like Cleopatra and from that day forward I was referred to as Cleo.

Bilo - After obsessing over the movie Borat, my friend Sarah and I couldn't stop walking around and saying the phrase, "Bilo, my brazer, he had hair here, here, evryvere."  It was only natural to call each other Bilo, at least for most of 2006. Now it's just a bit weird.

Boo - My high school (as most high schools) was filled with young, hormonal and horny couples.  For some reason, they all felt the need to call each other Boo.  Whether you were the male or female in the relationship, it didn't matter.  Everyone was a Boo.  My friend Diana and I decided that it was hilarious if we called each other: Boo.  Ahhh, fourteen year old humor.  

Roslovich - I think at some point everyone gets called by their last name.  It's probably the least original and most common nickname out there.  When I got married and changed my name, SOME of my friends (yes, you Shprints) felt the need to re-iterate (mostly to Gene) that I am a Roslovich forever.  As it was once explained to me, "we want to mark our territory, kind of like dogs pee on trees....but classier."

Anna Banana - If your name is Anna, I guarantee that you will be teased in elementary school by the little snot nosed kids who thinks it's hilarious that your name rhymes with a fruit.  I never understood it and I was really glad that at some point most kids did outgrow rhyming as a form of teasing.  However this name did resurface again in my college years and I won't name any names, Andrey Golubev.

Bananchik - This is actually an iteration of Anna Banana that I don't mind.  It takes the word banana and adds the obligatory Russian -chik (also see: -chka) to make any word seem incredibly cute. This was given to me by my friend Vika Kazhdan, who is now known as Kazhdanchik.

Suka - This means Bitch in Russian.  It was given to me because....well....probably because I am (tee hee).  Mostly this was used in High School and originally was just used to point out Bitchy things I did. Ultimately, having been used so extensively, it just sort of became a synonym for Anna.   I was finally able to shake the name when I started to date Gene and became a total softy.  It probably also helped that I threatened bodily harm to anyone who called me that.

5 pounds until...

• my wedding weight
• I starve myself completely
• fitting into my size 2 jeans
• I can start eating dinner after 4 PM
• people stop saying, "oh wow you lost almost all the baby weight"
• I can shop again

I realize this post is likely offensive to anyone weighing more than 115 lbs, so for that I apologize.  Also, if you are under 115 pounds and are agreeing with all my bullet points, chances are that I hate you and think you need to focus on more productive things than being skinny.

2 year anniversary!

Exactly two years ago today, I married the kindest, most giving and loving man there is!

Warning! Danger Ahead!

When I am doing things around our bedroom (folding laundry, cleaning, etc.) I usually prop Violet on a bunch of pillows and she is happy just watching me go about my daily business.  This is all starting to slowly change as she is becoming more and more mobile.  Being propped up isn't much fun anymore and as she starts to shimmy and shake, she pushes herself forward and rolls over to her belly.  Luckily for me, she has no clue what to do after that point as both her arms are stuck under her body.  She has figured out how to pick up her head or her butt, but not both at the same time. This is all incredibly cute to watch, but I am no fool...I know what lies ahead!  Before I know it, she will be crawling, then walking, then running!  Then there is no stopping her!

Violet is 5 months!

I have to say that life has been incredibly hectic the last few weeks.  Between firing and hiring a nanny and buying an apartment, there wasn't much time for anything else.  It is the beginning of my favorite season (Fall) and for the first time I am starting to feel somewhat calm and at peace.  We are finally 'in contract' to purchase our new apartment and the new nanny is fantastic!  In almost one instant, some of our biggest worries were swept away and we are back to enjoying all that life has to offer.

Violet recently had her 5 months check-up and my little munchkin ain't so little anymore.  She's a whopping 14 pounds and 8 ounces.  I can't believe how fast time has flown!  I remember wobbling around with my huge belly like it was yesterday.  Each day I  am amazed at the changes and progress she has made.  She is eating solid foods (so far rice cereal and sweet potato) and she is very close to sitting up by herself.   Besides the physical changes, there are also tons of other developmental changes.  She is really aware of the world around her and when circumstances change from the usual (clothes shopping, visiting friends/family, etc.) she is so in awe of all the new things around her.  You can see her studying her surroundings, amazed at all the new things she spots.

One of the greatest changes is seeing that she recognizes her mommy and daddy and even knows our voices.  When I walk into her room in the morning, she gives me the biggest smile and puts her hands up excited to get picked up.   That alone makes waking up at 7 AM just a tad easier.  Usually between 7 AM until about 8:30 AM is our mommy and baby bonding time.  We have a pretty steady routine going and Violet is at her happiest in the mornings so we get to eat, play and I  tell her tons of stories about mommy and daddy.

Teeth!

Violet is getting her chompers! At 4.5 months of age, her little gums got very swollen and two little white caps emerged.  Apparently teeth coming in is very painful because babies tend to get very fussy.  Violet is no exception to this rule.  Putting her to sleep requires tons of rocking, dancing, singing and acrobatics.

I vaguely remember getting my 'adult' teeth and THAT was not a fun experience.  The worst part was when the baby teeth would start to move around and there was nothing but a tiny piece of skin keeping them attached to the gums.  I think every kid would use their tongue to push the tooth around until it finally broke free.   Then there were also the various ways of getting the tooth out, one of which was tying a string to the tooth and the door handle and then sharply pulling on the door.  I think this only happened in Russia though and even that little fact I am not too sure about.

Besides her brand new bottom teeth, Violet has grown in so many ways.  Each day we find her doing something new and it's so exciting to see the world through her eyes.  She finds amusement in little things like the fact that she can hit her toys and they make a squeaky noise.  When she is amused, she gives us the biggest grin you can imagine.  If she is REALLY amused, she laughs uncontrollably.   One of her favorite things is when Gene imitates young babies.  He came home from work one day and was telling me how he saw a newborn in the pharmacy and it was so tiny that all it did was flail its little arms and legs.  Then he proceeded to demonstrate what the baby did by shaking his head, arms and making a babbling noise.  Violet saw this and her laughter filled the entire room.  She laughed so much, I was expecting milk to come out of her nose.  I have to admit, Gene imitating a newborn IS pretty funny.

I am officially an adult

Many things make you an 'adult' and I use the term loosely because no matter how many of those things I check off the list, I don't quite feel like a grown up.  Married: check.  Baby: check. Turned 30: check.  This leaves: home purchase.  Last week, Gene and I made our first offer on an apartment and man is it scary!!!  Not only did we bid on an apartment, we bid on an apartment that doesn't yet exist.   Yes, we might soon be proud owners of a condo in a new development.  We will be giving up a little bit of space but in return we get something that is TRULY ours. 

One of the most exciting things about this potential purchase is that we get to stay in our neighborhood which I LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Not only that, but we are zoned for P.S. 29, which is a very big deal.  This would also be my very first time living in an apartment where everything is brand spankin' new.  

Ok fingers crossed...

Thhh thhh Thiiirty

Many of my friends have already turned the BIG 3-0 and amazingly enough, they survived!  I always thought thirty was SO old, but now that it's days away, I am one of those dumb fools proclaiming that 30 is the new 20.  No people, 30 is still 30 and most of us are pretty much old farts by the time we turn 30.  OK, so maybe not most of us, as many of my friends are still partying, drinking, smoking and enjoying the club scene well into their thirties.  However, they are few and far between.

Some of you are reading this and think I am nuts.  You are probably in your thirties.  The rest of you probably think I have a very valid reason to be afraid.  Let me clarify a few things.  It's not that you start to have less fun in your thirties but your priorities often shift and it's a completely different type of fun.  Now that I am married and with a baby, I enjoy simple things like spending time at the beach with Violet, Gene and our families. Previously my beach experience always included booze and a friendly game of chicken, where I would not only hope to win, but I would strive to get bonus points by mutilating my opponent.  Life sure has changed.  I thought it would be fun to put together a sample day of life in my (early) 20s and 30s (today).

6:00 AM 20's: come home

6:00 AM 30's: wake up and feed Violet

8:00 AM 20's: sleep

8:00 AM 30's: wake up, make coffee, change Violet, boot up work email

8:30 - 3:00 PM 20's: sleep

8:30 - 3:00 PM 30's: work, play with Violet, work, feed Violet, work, change Violet, etc.

3:00 PM 20's: wake up and contemplate between breakfast or a beer

3:00 PM 30's: work, play with Violet, work, feed Violet, work, play with Violet, etc.

3:30 PM 20's: settle on a beer and some TV

3:30 PM 30's: realize I haven't eaten yet and grab a piece of fruit from the fridge

4:00 PM 20's: watch more TV

4:00 PM 30's: go for a walk with Violet 

6:00 PM 20's: man, there sure is a lot to watch on TV.  Have another beer? Sure! 

6:00 PM 30's: come home with Violet and spend the next hour or so reading, playing and talking

7:00-8:30 PM 20's: begin calling/texting everyone I know to try to see what everyone is up to that night

7:00-8:30 PM 30's: bathe Violet, feed her and put her to bed

8:30 PM 20's: pre-game

8:30 PM 30's: start cooking dinner

9:30 PM 20's: start getting ready to go out

9:30 PM 30's: start getting ready to go to sleep

10:30 PM 20's: get picked up to go to bar, club, etc.

10:30 PM 30's: watch '24' in bed with the sound off (long story)

11:00 PM 20's: arrive at first bar and enjoy a vodka cranberry

11:00 PM 30's: sleep

1:00 AM 20's: arrive at my second or third bar and enjoy my third or fourth vodka and cranberry

1:00 AM 30's: arrive at my second or third dream

3:30 AM 20's: pound another vodka and cranberry before last call

3:30 AM 30's: wake up to give Violet her pacifier which she lost mid-sleep

4:00 AM 20's: head to a local diner for some disco fries!

4:00 AM 30's: zzzzz....

6:00 AM 20's: arrive home

6:00 AM 30's: day begins again

Now, you might be thinking that the 30s are a complete snoozefest in comparison to the lively 20's but luckily human beings are designed to enjoy each phase of their life in a different way.  Sure there a lot fewer vodka and cranberries in my 30's, but also a lot fewer hangovers.

Hardest Decision Yet

There were tons of tough times after becoming a new mom;  the sleepless nights in the first few weeks, the crying after getting her shots, the times she absolutely refused to eat for hours.  All these things were nothing in comparison to the day I realized I NEED a nanny.  After returning to work on June 30th, I thought I could be superwoman and balance it all.  My thought process was simple: the baby sleeps at least 5-6 hours during the day which is when I can do my work and whatever doesn't get done I can do late at night.  Seems simple enough.  Unfortunately, the one fatal flaw in this plan was that I have no control over when the baby sleeps and of course Violet made sure NOT to sleep during my conference calls.  Not only did she not sleep, but she also decided that she will keep me on my toes by crying for no particular reason.  So three weeks into my return, I finally caved in and started to look for a nanny.
I called an agency and the very same day they had me on the phone with four women looking for work.  After the initial conversations I set up 3 of them with in-person interviews.  They all seemed fine but one stood out a bit more than the rest.  She was a soft spoken woman probably my mother's age who is a pianist by profession and is currently continuing her education at some music school in the city.  She wanted to work 3-4 days a week and focus on her music the remainder of the time.  Her references (all three of them) were solid (not stellar) and the agency assured me she was a good choice and she has been with them for quite some time.  They didn't vouch for any of the other women, so my choice was somewhat clear: either I hire this woman or I keep looking.    I decided to hire her but immediately began to look online for nanny cams.  They have some pretty cool stuff now-a-days.  The camera we got is actually implanted in a digital photo frame and  will stream the video over the web so I can keep an eye on my little bundle when I am at work.  Does this extra security make me feel better?  Not really.  I am still very nervous and anxious to leave Violet with someone other than me.  It's a feeling only a mom can understand.

Cutest Husband Ever!

My 30th Birthday is approaching and what to get a gal that has everything?  This has been my husband's dilemma and while I keep telling him that I really don't want anything, he's determined to make my Birthday extra special.  I have been looking into getting a small, light colored clutch to use for various celebratory occasions and he has asked I go during my lunch hour and pick out something extra special.  This is how that convo went:

Gene: You should get yourself a really nice bag, you deserve it.
Me: Awww, thanks honey.  I guess I can stop by Prada tomorrow and see what I can find.
Gene: Also, make sure you go to Coach.  I know how much you like 'em.
Me: Coach? Ummm, what is at Coach?
Gene: Isn't Coach that really fancy company you like?
Me: I don't think so.  In fact, I don't own anything from Coach, nor do I like them.
Gene: Maybe I am thinking of something else....company with a C...hmm
Me: Chanel?
Gene: Ahhh,  yeah that's it!  Chanel!

Boys are sooo cute!!!!  I might have to get a pair of Louboutins to match my Chanel clutch to celebrate his cuteness!

The bugaboo is a bugin' me

This post is a warning to all future parents looking to get a stroller.  It's probably one of the biggest purchases you make when becoming a first time parent so make sure you choose wisely.  Unfortunately, I didn't factor in our second story walk up and purchased a 30lb stroller.  Once you add the baby to that, you are hauling 40+ lbs. up and down these stairs.

Strollers come in many shapes and sizes and also many different price ranges, some going up as high as $1,200.   Looking back now, I wish we didn't spend a grand on a stroller but instead went with something lighter and easier to fold.  Don't get me wrong, the Bugaboo is a beautiful stroller, if you never have to fold it or unfold it or carry it or travel with it or really anything besides wheeling it around cobblestone streets.  It's incredibly durable and has an amazing suspension BUT (and it's a big but) it is a nightmare to fold/unfold and extremely heavy.

After doing extensive research online and going to a local store for a test drive, there was not a doubt in my mind about my next purchase.  I found a stroller that is fairly light (15 lbs.), easy to fold, easy to maneuver, durable, has a big sun canopy, reclines almost all the way and if that isn't enough....it's also very affordable.  Here is my little slice of heaven!

If I had to do it all over again, I would buy a Snap N Go for my car seat ($60 -$80) for the first 3-4 months and then transition to a lightweight, easy to fold stroller like the City Mini or Maclaren (for another $200-$300).  This would ultimately save me as much as 700 dollars and I would have two great, light strollers instead of one beast.

Time to get back into shape!

OK, I said it. Does it mean I have to do it?

Update: I worked out to 3 minutes of 15 minute P90X Ab Ripper and not only does it deliver on it's promise of ripped abs, but it also ripped me a new a**hole. That work out is NO joke! There are eleven different exercises to be done in 15 minutes and I was only able to do about 2 or 3 of them. I watched the remainder of the program thinking, "How is that physically Possible?"


After my failed attempt at ripped abs, I decided to try intro to yoga. Every other position brings you into crouching dog, hidden dragon. My friend told me that this routine will be so easy that I can do it with my eyes closed. He was right, ten minutes into it, I did close my eyes....and went to sleep.


Rome wasn't built in a day people!

Violet is 3 months!!!

How time flies!!!  My little newborn is now an infant!  She smiles,  laughs, cuddles, plays in her gym and even reaches out to touch her toys.  We even let her little footsies touch the pool water.  She wasn't a fan!  See the video below!

Violet's favorite two star restaurant is closing down...

That's right, La Boobie will be closing its doors in the very near future.  My original goal was to breastfeed for three months (until I am back at work) and then transition to formula.  However, I love breastfeeding!  Not only do I get to bond with Violet and provide something healthy for her, but there is also no formula to mix, bottles to clean, milk to re-heat, etc.  It's incredibly convenient.  Sadly, I don't have enough milk, which I learned after Violet would become extremely fussy after eating.  At first, I only added a little formula but as the time progressed, my milk supply got lower and lower where it is now only about 30% of her daily diet.  I know that sooner rather than later, it will dry up and I will have to give her formula 100% of the time.

I did extensive research on how to build your milk supply and basically it requires you to sit in a room for 2 days straight with your boob stuffed in the child's mouth. Hmm, tempting.  While I would be willing to make the sacrifice, Violet is not a fan of sucking on an empty boob and shows her displeasure by kicking, screaming and trying to tear my nipple to shreds.  The other option is to pump every hour for a few days.  Another tempting alternative which is by no means painless.  After learning that both my mom and grandma had low milk supply, I think I am just going to slowly wean while continuing to feel massive amounts of guilt.  Ahhh, motherhood.  When does it get easier?

Shopping!

My new addiction this week: clothes shopping!  There are dozens of boutiques in Cobble Hill and they are all ridiculously overpriced and don't have a return policy, but a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do.

I am not sure if Gene approves of this addiction but Violet is definitely on board!

A day in the life of a 2 month old...

From Violet's perspective...

5:00 AM : Time to wake up! Lady...Sir...Helloooo!!! (The lady wakes up and holds me for an hour or so because she's trying to train me to sleep until 6 AM, like a good baby. I love this time because we get to cuddle and I get to snooze another hour in her warm arms.)

6:00 AM: I see a huge boob coming at me!! Ahhh, now I am full. Time to go back to sleep.

6:20 AM: How dare you interrupt my sleep!!!  Why are you putting me on this table and taking off my diaper? Actually, this is pretty nice, it was getting pretty heavy.  Is there a reason you're saying....foooo fooo foo?  What does this all mean??

9:00 AM: Wow, has it been 3 hours already? Time flies when you're sleeping. I guess I will eat some more before starting my day.

9:15 AM : Time to play! Usually the one that calls himself daddy leaves for the day and the lady (says she is mommy) plays with me in my gym or bouncer. Sometimes we watch the DVRed Housewives of New York or New Jersey. Man, I can't decide who is nuttier: Kelly from NY or Danielle from NJ.

10:30ish : I have been up for over an hour...this is exhausting! Time for another nap!

12:01 PM: I demand to be fed!  What is this nonsense!  It's been hours!!!  I can't tell time yet, but pretty sure it's been three hours and one minute.

12: 15 PM: I am back on what these guys call a 'changing table'.  It's not so bad here.  I like to laugh and smile while the lady makes that funny face and changes my diaper.

12: 20 PM: Lady Mommy and I play some more!  Auntie Vika gave us these cool black and white flashcards, so I have been watching them very intently as mommy explains what each thing is.  I know what a cup of coffee looks like now!  Very, very important according to this mommy person.

1:00 PM: Hey, lady...why are you strapping me into this seat?? What is happening?  Where are we going?  Ohhh, this ride is bumpy!  Makes me sleeeeepppy....

I wake up from time to time and see this mommy character using my stroller as her own personal shopping cart. How rude!  Sometimes she buys all these funky cheeses and meats and the other day she even bought something called Beef Jerky for this daddy person.  She must really love him because it looks like the stuff in my diaper.

3:00 PM:  I am still asleep but I open my eyes from time to time to give mommy a warning that she better get her ass home now and feed me!

3: 15 PM:  Finally, we eat! The supply seems to be getting low.  Maybe mom should listen to grandma and drink some tea with milk!

3:30 PM: She takes my diaper off again and this time I decided to pee on her to teach her a lesson to NEVER, EVER, EVER be late with my feedings again. 

3: 35 PM:  I am being put into this stroller contraption again, luckily this time we're just going to the patio.  Mommy reads and I look around or drift in and out of sleep. She also keeps checking this thing she calls the 'blueberry' which has some program on it called 'mybook' or 'facespace' or something of the sort.

5: 30 PM: We are inside and I sleep while mommy is on the internet talking to her buddies.

6:30 PM: Yummy, yummy in my tummy.  I can tell mommy had sushi last night....tasty!!!

6:45 PM:  This is what mommy calls my 'up' time.  We play more games and wait for daddy to come home.

7: 30 PM:  Daddy is home!!! Yippy!  Sometimes I smile when he comes home but sometimes I make him work for that smile!  Who does he think he is leaving mommy home all day alone like that!?!?! She must miss him.

8:00 PM: Bath time!  This is my favorite.  I wait for it all day long. Daddy puts lots of bubbles in the tub and sometimes I make more of my own.  There are times I eat the soap, but it doesn't taste as good as mommy's milk. 

8:20 PM: Me, daddy and mommy all hang out together and daddy tells me about this thing he calls 'work'.

9: 30 PM: Man, what a day!  I am exhausted.  I will eat this one last time before going to sleep for the night...

9: 45 PM: It's dark in here.  I am alone.  I hear those two in the other room eating (probably that disgusting beef jerky) and laughing and watching movies.  Why do I have to go to bed?!?!?!?  Maybe I will scream a few times to get them to come in and give me my binky.  Once they walk in here, I will give them a big toothless smile to show them that I MEAN BUSINESS! 

10: 00 PM: Ok, I am tired of this game.  Time to sleep...

Hobbies...

Being a stay at home mom is wonderful but once I saw how much newborns sleep during the day, I realized I needed a hobby. Since I am not one to stick to any one thing for very long, I have had a new hobby each week. At first it was blogging, then it was clothes shopping (mostly window not to acquire new things in a larger size) then it was walking the promenade, then hanging out with other new mommies, then it was Trader Joe's and this week my new 'hobby' is cheese. Not just any cheese, but the most fattening one I can find. I can't seem to pass by a store without going in and buying cheese. Our fridge is completely empty except blocks and blocks of various cheeses. Yesterday I even bought a cheese that had apricots inside of it. It was disgusting. I am like a mouse roaming the streets of Cobble Hill in the hopes of finding that perfect cheese. Sometimes to switch it up, I search for crackers. Ahhh, that's the life!

Sadly, I only have 2 weeks of maternity leave left and one of them will be spent in the Hammies with the hubby and Violet. The hobby for that week will be swimming and tanning!

Fatties "R" Us

I know they say to never ask a lady how much she weighs but I will let you in on a little secret: I gained 37 lbs during my pregnancy.  It all started out so well in the beginning and I was on track to gain 25lbs.  Then I was on track to gain 30 lbs.  At some point along the way (last few weeks of pregnancy) I began to REALLY pack on the pounds.  Violet was born weighing 6 lbs 14oz.  If you add the placenta, fluids and a few cheeseburgers, I was sure I would be down at least 20-25lbs post delivery.  After getting out of my hospital bed and looking at my beautiful newborn, I limped on down to the scale and hesitantly got on.  Guess what?  I lost about 7lbs. Now if you ask me, something doesn't add up.

It is now 2 months later and I still have a good ten pounds to go.  As much as I love wearing maternity clothes, this muffin top needs to go!  I even began to implement Plan A: stop stuffing your face with cake. It was working well and I even lost 2 lbs.  Unfortunately, it was followed by Plan B - buy and eat everything you can find at Trader Joe's. This plan helped me gain an additional 5 lbs.  There is also this silly myth out there that says you lose weight while breastfeeding.  I don't know who the hell made this up but watching Violet eat 8 meals a day just makes me more hungry.

While diet is important, I realize that I will also need to start a work-out routine.  I asked my friend Andrey to burn a DVD for me with yoga, ab exercises and some crazy routine called P90X.  He was nice enough to make the DVD for me and even drop it off at my house the very next day. The problem is that now he asks me everyday if I started to work-out.  I can't take that sort of pressure!  If he keeps this up, I might have to quit before I even start.

Lastly, I have two weddings this summer.  One of which will require me to be in a bathing suit.  Luckily there is such a thing as a 'burka suit', so I should be covered...no pun intended.  My initial goal was to fit into all my dresses by July but now my goal is to find some time to shop for bigger dresses.

Violet is 2 months!!

I can't believe how the time has flown.  My little girl can now smile, hold up her head, turn to her side and look at various objects with tons of interest.  Each week a new milestone is hit and it's amazing to watch her on this journey of growth.  Here are some fun pics from her 2nd month of life...

Whoo Hooo!!

At exactly 5 weeks of age, Violet started sleeping through the night.  This is sooooo nice!!!!  Seems like baby girl got her sleeping habits from daddy, who used to sleep until 1 PM when I first met him.  Let's hope this continues so mommy can keep getting her beauty sleep.

Violet is 1 month old!

I can't believe how time flies.  It has been 5 weeks since baby V was born.  Her grandma and grandpa threw her a beautiful first (month) birthday party.  The whole family was there and it was a blast!  It was also mother's day that Sunday, so we had quite a bit to celebrate.  Here are a few pictures from the very special day!

Parenting 102

Lesson 2: don't change your baby at the first sound of a fart.  When we first entered the wonderful world of parenthood (listen to me, I sound like I have been doing this for ages) we would change Violet's diaper the second we heard some pooping action.  As soon as we would get a new diaper on, she would continue doin' her business.  This would result in us quickly changing her again and if we were lucky this cycle would only continue for 3-4 diaper changes in the span of 5 minutes.  Now that Violet is one month old and we are wise parents who feel like pros, we no longer rush to change her like when we were young and naive.

Boobs: a mystery to us all

For the life of me, I can't quite grasp this whole breastfeeding thing.  All I know is that Violet is eating enough because she's gaining weight and apparently that's all I need to know.  I wish I had an understanding where this milk comes from and how much of it comes in and at what times.  For all I know, there is a midget somewhere in my body with a keg full of milk.  He probably pumps the milk into my boobs whenever he feels is convenient for him.
Violet is a healthy, happy baby that has even started to sleep for stretches of 7 hours at a time, which leads me to believe that not only do I have enough milk, but it's also very rich and fatty and keeps her content for long periods of time.  Sometimes I think one boob dispenses guacamole, while the other releases wine.  That combination will have anyone sleeping for hours!

What this new mom can't live without!

If you recall, a few months ago, I asked moms to write in and tell me about items they couldn't live without.  The compiled list led to this post.  Now that I am a mom, I figured I might as well add my own list of items I can't live without.

1. Boudreaux Butt Paste - after trying A&D, Desitin and the stuff the hospital gives out, I found that nothing even comes close to the healing power of this diaper rash cream.  I am about to start using this on my face!  It healed Violet's diaper rash in a matter of one or two uses.
2. Pacifier Wipes - these are meant to clean a pacifier after it gets dirty or falls to the ground, but I find it really convenient to wipe the face after her meals.
3. Hospital Blankets - This is what they wrap your newborn in after you give birth.  Technically, you aren't supposed to take these home but we had a wonderful nurse that gave us a bunch of them and now we use them ALL the time.  They are great for lining a stroller, putting on the couch for the baby to lounge or any time you need a burp cloth.
4. Sleep-n-Play PJs (with zippers) - These are great because in the middle of the night you don't have to deal with a million buttons and clips.  All you have to do is pull the zipper and changing takes minutes.  Gerbers makes a great set (of 3) for only about 15 bucks.
5. Disposable Diaper Pads - These are meant to be used on the go, but I use them on top of my changing table covers.  If I didn't have these, I would probably end up washing my changing table cover every day.  Violet loves to go poo/pee once the diaper comes of, so this disposable wonder saves a lot of laundry loads.

Who you calling grandma?

I absolutely love being a mom!  What surprised me is how much my mom loves being a grandma.  It is really great to see how much love she has for Violet.  What she doesn't love, is the B word.  That's right: Babushka.  Since my mom is cool, young and hip, she feels that the term Babushka doesn't suit her very well.  She has since asked to be called Babachka, which sounds similar to Babushka but means butterfly.  I love teasing her and calling her Baba Ira or Babka Ira, which loosely translated means old lady Ira.  She is not a fan.  That's the beauty of the Russian language, you can just change the ending of words and they have a totally different connotation.  So, Babulia Ira, if you're reading this, Violet will love you no matter what she calls you.

Parenting 101

Gene and I learned our first lesson as parents: never EVER carry your baby anywhere without a diaper.  Even if you're going from one corner of the room to the next, you should ALWAYS have a diaper on.  Newborns love peeing when the diaper comes off so let this be a warning to all future parents.  Sadly it took us two separate incidents to learn this.  After the first time, we figured that must have been a one-off and we once again carried her without her diaper and again we had some cleaning to do.

Labor and Delivery

It all started on Sunday, April 4th, which marked my 37th week of pregnancy.  I was tired of being pregnant and wanted this baby out of me so Gene and I decided to (ahem) utilize one of the more popular methods of induction.  I won't get into details, since this is a PG blog, but let's just say we were 'doing our taxes' as my friend Sereja calls it.  A few hours into the day, I started feeling something similar to menstrual cramps.  They started off pretty mild and became stronger and more consistent throughout the day.   In the evening they were 5-10 minutes apart, so I decided to call my doctor to see what his thoughts were.  He felt that it was false labor and I should drink a glass of red wine to relax and try to get some sleep since it seems that real labor might be around the corner.  The wine idea sounded terrific, so that is what I did, before dozing off for the night.

I woke up the next morning feeling back to my usual, heavy pregnant self with no labor in sight.  Being a bit paranoid, I told Gene that he should work from home since our baby might be making an appearance.  We walked, or rather, Gene walked and I wobbled, to the park and back (over a mile) and that seemed to bring on more contractions.  Once again, came night time and contractions were weaker, more sparse and labor seemed far, far away.

This brings us to Tuesday morning.  I told Gene that he should go to work since I won't be having this baby anytime soon.   Around two o'clock I took a nap, which was rudely interrupted with more contractions.  This was really getting ridiculous!   They continued and kept getting stronger and stronger.  Once Gene was home, the contractions were five minutes apart and pretty darn painful.  I called my doctor and he said, "you can go to the hospital but I don't think this is the real thing yet."  At this point I was still able to function and talk through my contractions so I decided to wait it out a bit more.  Around midnight the pain was really bad and the contractions were 2-4 minutes apart.  I was no longer able to talk through them and the pain was absolutely unbearable.  This was it!  I had no doubt!  In my head I was 10 cm dilated and all I had to do was get to the hospital, and 'BAM' the baby would be here in minutes.  After a grueling 20 min drive to Lenox Hill, I was finally upstairs in L&D and about to be checked out by the doctor.   They wrapped a belt around my enormous belly and hooked me up to a monitor that showed the baby's heart rate as well as the contractions.  The scale for the contractions went to 100 but mine seemed to jump off the scale each time and went as high as 220.  I told Gene that surely this must be some sort of pain indicator and I am probably the first woman in history to reach numbers that high.  He found this amusing and we later learned that those numbers don't really mean anything.  The doctor on call finally came in to check me and you couldn't imagine my disappointment in learning that I was only 1.5 cm dilated.  In order to be admitted, they typically require you to be 3 cm or having had your water broken.  Since I was neither, the doctor recommended I go back home. Once again I was told to have a glass of wine and try to go to sleep and only come back to the hospital once my water has broken or if I experience nausea, vomiting or fever.   I couldn't understand how I can be in so much pain yet not be in labor.  This was beyond frustrating, but we got back into the car and somehow managed to make it home.

We arrived home around 3 or 4 in the morning and Gene was barely able to keep his eyes open.  I was pacing around the apartment in agony while my loving husband was drifting off into sleep.  With each contraction, I remembered my moms words, "it will feel like someone is taking each one of your legs and pulling them in opposite directions until your whole body feels like it's being ripped apart."  Even that horrid description didn't do the pain justice.  It was worse.  I would say it felt like a full body seizure and for about 10 seconds it would feel like you died and went to the hottest corner in hell.  Somewhere between 4 am and 5 am, I remembered the doctors orders...drink a glass of wine.  I can't argue with medical professionals so I poured myself a glass of wine, took 3 sips and puked it all out.  This reminded me that vomiting was one of the symptoms which would require me to go back to the hospital so after laboring for another hour or so, I told Gene that we are going back.  At this point, he was incredibly cranky from the lack of sleep and kept telling me things like, "you're not breathing properly" and "are you sure you want to go back?"  Since we never took Lamaze classes I am not sure where he got this 'breathing properly' idea but all I knew is that I wanted to club him over the head with the half empty bottle of red wine standing on the counter.

It was 6 am on Wednesday, April 7th when we once again made the drive to Lexington and 77th to see how far I have progressed.  The traffic was still light so we made it there in under 20 minutes, although the contractions made it feel like a lifetime.  The security guard came out as we pulled up to the front asking if I needed a wheelchair, to which I probably replied, "no buddy, I need DRUGS!"  We made the walk through the corridors of the hospital where several of the staff recognized me from earlier in the night and called out things like, "you're back!" or "you should have stayed before!" as I huffed and puffed passed them.  I was again in bed and hooked up to monitors getting ready to be checked.  At this point, I KNEW I was not going anywhere.  I didn't care if I regressed and was back to 0 centimeters, I was getting drugged if it was the last thing I did.  The doctor checked me and guess what?  That's right, I was STILL 1.5 cm.

I was admitted into the hospital at 7 am and given demerol.  This is a drug very similar to morphine and doesn't actually take any pain away but puts you in a state where pain doesn't really matter.  I felt VERY warm and fuzzy inside.  For the next two hours I was in and out of sleep, waking up at the peak of my contractions and thinking, "F*ck this hurts, but I really don't care...ahhh....demerol I love you".  Someone came to check me around 9:30 and I was 3 cm and minutes later my water broke.  OK, we are now in business!

It was at this point that I was offered an epidural. Now, let me back up for a minute and remind everyone that while I was very open to the idea of an epidural, I was hoping to go natural.  This is laughable and I will warn anyone that if you are open to the idea, you WILL get an epidural.  There is just no reason to 'be a hero' or suffer the pain of contractions when you can instead suffer through the side effects of an epidural.  I did have terrible chills, fever and itchiness all over my body but that was WAY better than contractions.  Once the epidural was even an option, I was ALL over that!  The anesthesiologist came in and began to prepare me for some much needed pain relief.  Gene was asked to leave the room as I sat there hunched over waiting for a big, long needle to be pushed into my spine.  The doctor was about to administer the shot, when she stops and says, "You have scoliosis and a very bad case of it. Not only is your spine crooked but it is also inverted in a way that will make this very difficult and potentially impossible. You should have had this treated with surgery, this is very bad."   To this I thought, "Umm, lady enough with the small talk...get this needle in me...NOW".  I told her that this is a matter of life and death and she HAS to get this bloody thing to work.  She said she will do her best.  After using some local anesthesia, she began to stab my spine over and over in multiple failed attempts to administer the epidural.  Now I know that sounds painful, and it was, but once again, nothing will even come close to the pain of those freaking contractions.  So I welcomed the continuous stabbing in my back as a distraction from labor.  At this point the anesthesiologist told the nurse that she is running out of local anesthetic and will need more to keep trying, so the nurse ran out to get more meds while the doctor decided to take just one last stab (no pun intended) at it.   By some miracle, it worked!  Within minutes the pain was gone and I sat there itching my entire body, shivering, and running a fever while sucking on a Popsicle.  Ahhh, this was the life!

Two hours later, I learned that I was 4 cm and another two hours later, I was up to 5.5 cm.  Things were going in the right direction and I was excited knowing that I will likely be holding my baby girl in just a few hours.   After averaging 1-2 cm in 2 hours, I quickly moved from 5.5 cm to 9 cm in under an hour.  The hospital called my doctor who left all his patients and quickly drove up to Lenox.  I was holding back the urge to push for about an hour when he came in ready to deliver.  At this point my contractions did a 180 and instead of becoming more frequent (every 30 seconds) they decided to spread out to every 5-7 minutes.  This  was frustrating because that was the amount of time I would have to wait each time I pushed.  This 'down' time was filled with conversation between my mom and the doctor discussing current events, politics and the weather.  Here I am, pushing my brains out and in between I had to listen (for the 100th time) to our immigration story.  Once that story was wrapped up, my mom decided to tell the doctor all about her experience of labor and delivery and how the lovely doctors at Maimonedes hospital are brainless idiots.  Luckily when the head was almost out, I was able to get the attention of the doctor who was kind enough to deliver my baby.  It was 4:54 PM on April 7th, 2010 when Violet Talia Klayman (6 lbs, 14 ounces and 20 inches long) came into this world.  She came out and was placed on my belly and after wrapping my arms around her, I cried tears of joy, unable to believe I held this little person in my womb for nine months and now I finally get to see her and hold her.  Our meeting was brief and I didn't even notice that Gene cut the umbilical cord while we were bonding.  He later told me that he was freaked out because it took him two attempts.  For some odd reason that made me think of Jewish weddings where it takes the groom several attempts to break the glass.  While completely harmless, somehow worrisome. She was quickly whisked away to be cleaned and receieved her first test, the APGAR, which she nailed with a 9/9.    Only a few minutes old and already our little genius.  The remainder of the day was fuzzy but I remember an hour worth of stitches and the slow disappearance of the epidural and the appearance of a dull, throbbing pain.

I was finally put into a room around 9 PM and Gene and I had some time alone, which we spent cuddling (on the luxurious hospital bed) and watching American Idol. Sadly, visiting hours for significant others were over at midnight so he had to go home and I finally got some much needed rest after a very exciting 48 hours.

I guess this is where the story of my pregnancy comes to an end...and....a new story begins...

Stay tuned and read about our adventures in parenthood and laugh at the mistakes we make as we try our very best to be great parents.

False Labor...

Had contractions (not very painful) all day yesterday that started ten minutes apart and eventulaly went to five minutes apart.  I called my doctor and he recommended to have a glass of wine and go to bed.  That is exactly what I did.  Woke up this morning with no contractions.  We wait...

37 week appointment

Unless you are a mom and have read dozens of baby books and more internet articles than you can count, this probably won't mean anything to you...

My Stats:
Station: -3 or -2
Effacement: 80%
Cervix: Closed (i.e no dilation)

This was a very special doctor's appointment because Gene had a day off (Good Friday) so we were able to go together and see our little Klayman on the sonogram.  As you can imagine, I am getting pretty uncomfortable so I am very anxious to see any signs of progression and get this baby out of me.

Here is a convo I had with my doctor:

Me: OK, so when do you think she will come?
Him: When is your due date again?
Me: April 24th
Him: Yeah, probably around then.
Me: OK, let me rephrase that.  Let's say I had a gun to your head and I said, "you have to predict when this baby will arrive and you have to be accurate or at least within two days." What would you say?
Him: I'd say, "Pull the trigger!"
Me: Sigh
Him: You have weeks....

The other thing I learned during this visit was that at 37 weeks, he is estimating the baby to be 7.5 pounds.  Now, I know that this is possibly inaccurate but if it IS accurate, that is one BIG baby.  Since babies gain about a half a pound per week at this stage, if I carry her for another few weeks, she will come out walking.

Lastly, I am working from home full time now which was pretty boring at first but the DVR has become my best friend and so has Rachel, Martha, Ellen and Oprah.

The Zodiac Poll is Closed

Results: Aries!!! (9 vs. 4)

Wow, I can't believe 13 people read this blog.  That's 12 more than I thought.

April Fools!

I feel pretty ready to pop but today would be the one day that I need baby Klayman to just sit tight.  Can you imagine the teasing a kid goes through if they were born on April Fools?  Also, I have a feeling Gene would not believe me if I called him today and told him I was in labor and I would end up giving birth on the couch while watching The View.

I go through days when I feel that labor can happen any minute and then there are days when I am pretty sure I will be the unlucky soul that goes way past my due date.  In two days, I will be considered 'full term' and then the 'waiting game' can officially begin.  Right now, I am still cool, calm and collected as I feel it is pretty unlikely I will give birth this early.  Although, my mom had me three weeks early and my brother was about two weeks early, so you never know.  While the discomfort level is pretty high at this point, I have to say that I am REALLY enjoying my final weeks of pregnancy. I work from home, get manicures, pedicures, take long walks on the beach, walk around the block sometimes and go out regularly for fancy brunches, lunches and dinners with the hubby.  Life is good!

36 Weeks!

and 33 pounds later...

This made me smile...

One more month?!?!

If you scroll up, you will notice that the little baby on the top of the page is in its last month.  Hard to believe that I have been preggos for almost nine months now.  Most women will tell you that it is the longest nine months of their lives but I felt that the time has flown.  I think keeping myself busy is what made this time seem so quick. We found out I was pregnant right before Greece and that trip was followed by a few frantic months of moving and apartment decorating.  During this time we took some mini trips (Washington DC & Skiing) and celebrated a ton of Birthdays.  Before I knew it, we were sitting in 50 inches of snow in what was one of the worst winters in a long long time.  Now it's officially Spring and we spent the last month or so getting ready for the arrival of our baby girl. I have always been a planner by nature (when life permits), so I was able to get almost everything done in the past few weeks.  The crib, bassinet, infant car seat and baby swing is put together and patiently waiting in the nursery.  I have washed, ironed, and folded all the baby clothes size newborn - 3 months.  This leaves: waiting.  While the baby will be full term in about a week, my actual due date is a month away which is basically an eternity since there are no errands left to run.   Everyone has been telling me to take this time to relax and enjoy the last few moments of peace and quiet because once the baby comes, I will be pretty busy for the next 18 years.  I definitely feel ready and... excited and ...anxious for the next chapter in our lives!

34 Weeks!

Thanks to the most amazing friends in the whole wide world, I got to experience a wonderful and truly memorable baby shower.  I can't even express how lucky I am to have people around me who are kind, generous and really care about making me happy.  It has been a tough year and when I was in no mood to celebrate my birthday...you guys were there.  When I didn't feel like having a baby shower...you guys were there.   When baby Klayman will be born...you guys will be in Japan...you guys will be there! So I guess what I want to say is....THANK YOU for always being there.  I love you guys!

Baby Elephant

Here are some updates for my avid readers:

Last doctor visit: March 15th
Weeks Pregnant: 34.5
Size of Baby: nearly 6 lbs!!! (average size at this stage: just under 5 lbs)
Original Due Date: April 24th
Possible 'new' due date: April 11th
Next appointment: March 24, 2010

While I am not sure I buy the accuracy of the sonogram or the 'new' due date, I am slightly scared of giving birth to a baby elephant.

Pregnancy Discomfort-O-Meter

Here is my week by week break down of how I felt throughout this pregnancy...

Week 5-6
Thoughts: "Wow, this is pregnancy! This is NOTHING!  I feel exactly the same.  This is great!"
Discomfort Level: 0 (0 being: no discomfort and 10 being: I want to kill myself)

Week 7-11
Thoughts: "Wow this is pregnancy!?!? I feel so nauseous and bloated and sleepy and bleh"
Discomfort Level: 5ish

Week 12-25
Thoughts: "Wow this is pregnancy!!! I feel energized and happy and awesome all around.  It's like I am not even pregnant but instead on a constant caffeine buzz"
Discomfort Level: 0-1 (1 when I am on my feet shopping for more than 3 hours)

Week 26-28
Thoughts: "Wow this stomach thing is really starting to grow now.  It's sort of getting in my way of putting on socks.  Man, sleeping is getting interesting since it isn't so easy to turn from side-to-side anymore.  Is this what it's going to feel like for the rest of the time?"
Discomfort Level: 6ish

Week 29-32
Thoughts: "Wow, I guess you can really get used to anything.  New position for putting on socks: check. New position for sleeping: check.  Less walking and in smaller heels: check.  I think it's actually getting easier!"
Discomfort Level: 5ish

Week 33-34
Thoughts: "OK, I spoke too soon.  This isn't all that easy and getting ppppretttyyy heavy.  I feel like I am lugging around a bowling ball in my uterus.  It sort of reminds me when you're hiking and your whole body starts to get sore after hours and hours of uphill climbing but you know the end is near so it almost feels natural"
Discomfort Level: 6.5-7ish


I have yet to reach week 35, but based on what I hear from others:  you basically want to kill yourself once you reach month nine.

If my calculations are correct, you pretty much spend about half of your pregnancy feeling great and the other half feeling like sh*t.  So in reality, pregnancy isn't REALLY nine (or like some claim, ten) months but more like 4-5.  You know what I say: suck it up! It will all be worth it in the end because you will soon have a kid to do all those chores you hate to do yourself.

Epidural

I have somewhat mixed feelings on the topic.

On the one hand, it almost seems ridiculous to NOT have pain relief if it is offered.  That's the beauty of modern western medicine - we no longer have to suffer through childbirth like in the good 'ol days.  My thoughts about it can be summed up in a quote I heard recently, "I don't get a root canal without novocaine, so why deliver without an epidural."

On the other hand, is the sadomasochist in me who is curious to see just how much pain I can handle.  I don't think I have ever had to endure terrible physical pain but judging by the fact that I scream in agony when I get a leg cramp, I doubt I will get too far without some drugs.  The other beauty of going natural is not having to worry about all the side effects of the epidural.  While they are likely minimal, people love sharing their epidural horror stories making it appear much worse than it is.

I asked my mom what the level of pain is (during childbirth) and she said, "first it's like really bad cramps and then towards the end it feels like someone is ripping off all your limbs one by one."  I don't think I've lost any limbs recently, but I would imagine that it's pretty painful.   A friend of mine wanted to comfort me recently so she compared giving birth to getting a bikini wax.  She said, "How bad can it be?  If we can handle waxing, we can definitely handle this!"  It's cute how she thinks that having a 7 or 8 pound person come out of you is equivalent to getting a few hairs pulled.

For those of you staying on top of my weight gain, I am now +28 lbs at 33 weeks.  Looks like I will end up at the high end of the recommended 25-35 lb weight gain but at this point I could care less and I am enjoying my cake - and eating it too!

32 Weeks!

How is it possible that I am going to get bigger??!?! 8 more weeks to go!  That's like a lifetime.