Sunday, January 31, 2010
28 weeks!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My first 'baby' decision
After tons of research, I THINK I have finally chosen a diaper bag. Hopefully I won't change my mind again since I have spent some time convincing Gene that we don't need one of those unisex nylon contraptions. It wasn't easy since Gene did bring up a good point: he wouldn't be able to help me carry something like this. While that might be important, it is much more vital to LOVE my diaper bag.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Cool or Useless?
The design world has been buzzing this week over Karim Rashid's latest design, a self-heating baby bottle. Danish company iiamo has created the bottle which has a heating cartridge which uses rehydrated salt and water that warms formula in approximately four minutes. The bottle has Rashid's usual blob-like silhouette which make it user-friendly for small hands. It is available in Rashid's favorite pink and white as well as several other colors. The bottle sells on the iiamo website for 249,95 Danish Kroners which works out to around $48. A package of six cartridges costs around $12.
Food!
We are back to my favorite topic - food! I can't say I have had any weird 'pickles with ice cream' type cravings, but every trimester had its own food demand.
Trimester One:
Egg and cheese on whole wheat toast
Soups, Soups, Soups
Chinese Food
Bubble Tea
Pickles and Pickled Tomatoes
Coca-Cola
Cheese Fries with Gravy
Trimester Two:
Cereals - sweet, crunchy, grains, wheats - you name it.
Bananas
Clementines
Mango - Peach Vitamin Water
Cheeeeeseeee (as the old saying goes,"cheese is good, but melted cheese is better." OK, I might have just made that up)
Hot Dogs and Burgers
Chocolate covered Almonds
Trimester Three
CAKE!
SWEETS!
CAKE!
CHOCOLATE!
CAKE!
Gene's Corner:
Setting: Gene comes home from work ready to eat dinner and finds his wife on the couch holding three menus
Anna: Tonight, we have three options for dinner: Thai, Cobble Burger and Mexican
Gene: Ok, I can tell, this is a trick. You're not really giving me options. Pregnant women don't give their husbands food options. I read about this in the pregnancy books - this is a myth.
Anna: No, really, anything you want. Pick anything. I will tell you what I would order from each place. Thai -
Basil Thai Noodles, Cobble Burger - Grilled Cheese, Mexican - Steak soft shell tacos.
Gene: What happens if I pick the wrong thing?
Anna: You can't pick the WRONG thing, you have 3 choices of ANYTHING you want.
Gene: Well, in that case, I guess Mexican sounds pretty good
Anna: Ohhh, I am sorry, Mexican is incorrect. The correct answer was: Thai! Your parting gift is a lifetime supply of Basil Thai Noodles.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Back to School
When you first announce that you're pregnant, the questions come rolling in. Some of the more common ones are:
When are you due?
Is it a boy or girl?
How are you feeling?
Are you excited?
Then there are some of the less common ones, yet I wouldn't call them rare.
Was it planned?
How much weight have you gained?
Are you going to breastfeed?
Have you thought of a name?
The last week or two, I have been asked the same question by at least 5 women and each time it throws me off guard. They have all curiously asked, "are you taking classes"? What I have come to learn is that they are actually inquiring about labor classes, birthing classes, breastfeeding classes and not my graduate degree, as I originally thought.
Put it this way, I avoided: dance classes before my wedding, yoga/pilates classes at the gym, and I even managed to avoid a good chunk of my college classes. To sum things up, I am more of a 'school of hard knocks' kinda gal. I am sure I could have learned something valuable in each of those classes, but why waste time and money on something that you will ultimately learn anyway. Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh that poor woman, she was supposed to give birth in April, but the baby just stayed in there forever. If only she took those classes." No. I don't think so. Classes or no classes, everyone figures it out. And what happens if you don't? Absolutely nothing....that's the beauty of life (and ignorant bliss).
When are you due?
Is it a boy or girl?
How are you feeling?
Are you excited?
Then there are some of the less common ones, yet I wouldn't call them rare.
Was it planned?
How much weight have you gained?
Are you going to breastfeed?
Have you thought of a name?
The last week or two, I have been asked the same question by at least 5 women and each time it throws me off guard. They have all curiously asked, "are you taking classes"? What I have come to learn is that they are actually inquiring about labor classes, birthing classes, breastfeeding classes and not my graduate degree, as I originally thought.
Put it this way, I avoided: dance classes before my wedding, yoga/pilates classes at the gym, and I even managed to avoid a good chunk of my college classes. To sum things up, I am more of a 'school of hard knocks' kinda gal. I am sure I could have learned something valuable in each of those classes, but why waste time and money on something that you will ultimately learn anyway. Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh that poor woman, she was supposed to give birth in April, but the baby just stayed in there forever. If only she took those classes." No. I don't think so. Classes or no classes, everyone figures it out. And what happens if you don't? Absolutely nothing....that's the beauty of life (and ignorant bliss).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
People are so strange...
At six o'clock each day there is a security guy that walks around the office to ensure that people who have left the office locked their laptops. Not only do you have to lock the computer with a secure password, but it also has to be nailed/bolted/chained to your desk. Besides the occasional hello, I have never actually spoken to the man - until last night. It just so happened that we ended up in the hallway at the same time and after saying hello, he looked down at my stomach and here is the conversation that followed:
Security Guard: Oh man, Congratulations!! Wow!
Me: Thanks! (smiling)
Security Guard: I hope it's a boy
Me: Umm, actually it's a girl
Security Guard: (looking upset): Awww, well there is always next time!
OK, is it me or is that the weirdest exchange you ever heard??? Who says that to a complete stranger (or to anyone for that matter)???
People are so strange...
Security Guard: Oh man, Congratulations!! Wow!
Me: Thanks! (smiling)
Security Guard: I hope it's a boy
Me: Umm, actually it's a girl
Security Guard: (looking upset): Awww, well there is always next time!
OK, is it me or is that the weirdest exchange you ever heard??? Who says that to a complete stranger (or to anyone for that matter)???
People are so strange...
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Vroom Vroom!
Our current car lease is shortly coming to an end, so Gene and I spent the last few weekends trying to figure out which car we want to drive for the next three years. The search for the perfect car really made me realize the power of marketing. Automotive companies spend more than 20 Billion dollars per year to lure the consumer into loving their brand. Sometimes their brand message is so strong that with every car, you can almost envision exactly who should be driving it. Here are my associations to some of the bigger, more known brands:
1. Honda/Toyota/Nissan - Everyone. Anyone. This is the best bang for your buck. period. The Japanese get kudos for this one. Ninety Eight percent* of cars on the roads are Accords, Altimas and Camrys.
2. Acura/Infinity - a Honda/Nissan with a few extra bells and whistles and a more luxurious name. If I had a gun to my head and was forced to get a mini-van (or as they now call them SUVs) I have to admit, I really like the Acura MDX.
3. Ford - Anyone living in the middle of the country and/or has less than 18 teeth.
4. BMW - (my personal favorite) Cool, hip, 20s or 30s. Basically...ME! If the residual value of these bad boys wasn't so shitty, this would be the winner - hands down.
5. Audi - (another top choice) Similar to BMW, possibly skews a bit younger. It says cool and hip without trying too hard.
6. Buick - Those who have not gotten a new car in 25 years or those unwilling to part with the '80s.
7. Lexus (glorified Toyota) - Chick car. Either a spoiled 16 year old girl who just received a car for Christmas from mommy and daddy or a middle aged woman who mostly drives it to her manicure appointments.
8. Mercedes - The prerequisite here is that you are male (40-50 years of age) and must enjoy a fine cigar and play golf on the weekends.
9. Saab/Volvo - Safe. Typically driven by families or hippies. The brand that always make me think, "they still make these?" Also, known as 'that car with the ugly body style'.
I know this will probably piss off some people as they will see their car on the list and disagree with my association and that is why I am adding the disclaimer** at the bottom of this blog entry.
Even though I don't know much about cars, I love the process of getting a new car. Or as Gene puts it, "you just love buying anything that is expensive." From inhaling the new car smell to negotiating with the sales people, I love it all! I was pretty open minded and was willing to consider: BMW, Audi, Infinity and Acura. Gene however, wanted to drive a 'smooth' car so his top choice was a Lexus (the one car I was pretty set against). I am sad to report, that this time around, Gene got his way and we are the quasi-proud owners of a Lexus HS250 h. The best part - it's a HYBRID. This adds to our list of 'green' things we have been doing (recycling, energy efficient light bulbs, reusable shopping bags) and getting 34 miles to the gallon isn't so bad either.
Gene's Corner:
Anna: Sometimes I forget that I have a belly and I bump it into things around me
Gene: Umm, we'll just have to make sure that I will be the one to wear the Baby Bjorn Carrier
* This is a made up statistic
**The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any auto maker. Examples within this blog are only examples. They are based on my very limited knowledge of the auto industry as well as some heavy commercial watching.
1. Honda/Toyota/Nissan - Everyone. Anyone. This is the best bang for your buck. period. The Japanese get kudos for this one. Ninety Eight percent* of cars on the roads are Accords, Altimas and Camrys.
2. Acura/Infinity - a Honda/Nissan with a few extra bells and whistles and a more luxurious name. If I had a gun to my head and was forced to get a mini-van (or as they now call them SUVs) I have to admit, I really like the Acura MDX.
3. Ford - Anyone living in the middle of the country and/or has less than 18 teeth.
4. BMW - (my personal favorite) Cool, hip, 20s or 30s. Basically...ME! If the residual value of these bad boys wasn't so shitty, this would be the winner - hands down.
5. Audi - (another top choice) Similar to BMW, possibly skews a bit younger. It says cool and hip without trying too hard.
6. Buick - Those who have not gotten a new car in 25 years or those unwilling to part with the '80s.
7. Lexus (glorified Toyota) - Chick car. Either a spoiled 16 year old girl who just received a car for Christmas from mommy and daddy or a middle aged woman who mostly drives it to her manicure appointments.
8. Mercedes - The prerequisite here is that you are male (40-50 years of age) and must enjoy a fine cigar and play golf on the weekends.
9. Saab/Volvo - Safe. Typically driven by families or hippies. The brand that always make me think, "they still make these?" Also, known as 'that car with the ugly body style'.
I know this will probably piss off some people as they will see their car on the list and disagree with my association and that is why I am adding the disclaimer** at the bottom of this blog entry.
Even though I don't know much about cars, I love the process of getting a new car. Or as Gene puts it, "you just love buying anything that is expensive." From inhaling the new car smell to negotiating with the sales people, I love it all! I was pretty open minded and was willing to consider: BMW, Audi, Infinity and Acura. Gene however, wanted to drive a 'smooth' car so his top choice was a Lexus (the one car I was pretty set against). I am sad to report, that this time around, Gene got his way and we are the quasi-proud owners of a Lexus HS250 h. The best part - it's a HYBRID. This adds to our list of 'green' things we have been doing (recycling, energy efficient light bulbs, reusable shopping bags) and getting 34 miles to the gallon isn't so bad either.
Gene's Corner:
Anna: Sometimes I forget that I have a belly and I bump it into things around me
Gene: Umm, we'll just have to make sure that I will be the one to wear the Baby Bjorn Carrier
* This is a made up statistic
**The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any auto maker. Examples within this blog are only examples. They are based on my very limited knowledge of the auto industry as well as some heavy commercial watching.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Things I miss and things I love...
I started to think about all the little pre-pregnancy things I miss...
- Sushi
- Sancerre
- Sleeping any which way I want
- High heeled shoes
- Multiple coffee refills during Sunday Brunch
Then I started to think about the things I love about pregnancy...
- Feeling the baby kick
- Eating cake for breakfast
- No longer having to suck my stomach in
- A whole new category of stuff to shop for
- Naps!
and the best part is yet to come....
Monday, January 11, 2010
Getting Dressed
It took me 30 minutes to get dressed today. Why? I have my doctor's appointment where I will get weighted and I wanted to make sure that I wear the lightest possible weather appropriate outfit I own. Sadly, I couldn't wear my tank top and shorts. The last three weeks have marked my biggest weight gain so far. It feels like I can walk by a bakery window and automatically gain 2 lbs. Every time I get on the scale, I turn around to see if anyone is standing behind me pressing on it as well, but each time I am gravely disappointed.
Who knew I was this vein? Oh wait, I did. Oh, well, If I am going to keep expanding, might as well enjoy it. I am off to eat more cake...
Who knew I was this vein? Oh wait, I did. Oh, well, If I am going to keep expanding, might as well enjoy it. I am off to eat more cake...
Friday, January 8, 2010
Fairy Tales can come true...it can happen to you....
While wobbling to work this morning with the hubby, he told me that he will tell our daughter the story of Kolobok, but it will really be a story about me. I am not sure what was more surprising, the fact that he called me a "yellow spherical being accidentally created as a bread dish" or the fact that I wasn't the slightest bit offended. Sadly, Kolobok and I do share a similar figure. This made me think about children's stories...
Most American Fairy Tales involve a princess of some sort, who inevitably gets rescued by her prince and they ultimately fall in love and live happily ever after. Sometimes the plot has a small twist and the heroine is a cleaning lady (Cinderella), incredibly pale orphan (Snow White) or even a fish (Little Mermaid). Overall, still the same premise and not overly imaginative. This got me thinking about my childhood and what I now consider as some of the best Fairy Tales of all time. After doing some research it was interesting to see howtwisted creative Europeans are with their story telling. Here are some of my favorites:
Karlsson - "a very short, very portly and overconfident man who lives on the roof". He is mostly known for being extremely good at everything and has the ability to fly by pushing a button in the middle of his stomach. Usually, he can be found flying into the windows of a little boy, where crazy antics ensue. I don't know about you, but that story would prompt me to look up flying sex offenders in my neighborhood.
Nu, Pogodi! - This cartoon follows a wolf, who is trying to catch and eat a hare. While on the surface, this appears to be similar to Tom and Jerry or Coyote and the Road Runner, in reality it is significantly more perverse. The wolf, is actually a hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, abuses minors, breaks laws, and is a heavy smoker. When he isn't busy causing havoc, he can be found figure skating, waltzing, playing guitar or riding his powerful motor bike (into the sunset). This sends another great message to your child: you can break the law as long as you are talented in some way shape or form.
Cheburashka - is male, has a bear-like body, large round ears, and is about the size of a 5-year-old child. In the tale, he hangs around with a friendly crocodile Gena, who wears a hat and a coat, walks on his hind legs and plays an accordion. He works in a zoo as a crocodile. If that's not weird enough, the antagonist of the story is an old lady (Old Lady Shapoklyak) who is known for carrying around a rat-like creature and singing a song where the chorus states "One won't ever get famous for good deeds". Now, if that isn't a great lesson to teach our youth, I don't know what is.
Writing this has actually made me feel quite nostalgic and excited about getting to watch all these cartoons again, but this time....with my little girl.
Most American Fairy Tales involve a princess of some sort, who inevitably gets rescued by her prince and they ultimately fall in love and live happily ever after. Sometimes the plot has a small twist and the heroine is a cleaning lady (Cinderella), incredibly pale orphan (Snow White) or even a fish (Little Mermaid). Overall, still the same premise and not overly imaginative. This got me thinking about my childhood and what I now consider as some of the best Fairy Tales of all time. After doing some research it was interesting to see how
Karlsson - "a very short, very portly and overconfident man who lives on the roof". He is mostly known for being extremely good at everything and has the ability to fly by pushing a button in the middle of his stomach. Usually, he can be found flying into the windows of a little boy, where crazy antics ensue. I don't know about you, but that story would prompt me to look up flying sex offenders in my neighborhood.
Nu, Pogodi! - This cartoon follows a wolf, who is trying to catch and eat a hare. While on the surface, this appears to be similar to Tom and Jerry or Coyote and the Road Runner, in reality it is significantly more perverse. The wolf, is actually a hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, abuses minors, breaks laws, and is a heavy smoker. When he isn't busy causing havoc, he can be found figure skating, waltzing, playing guitar or riding his powerful motor bike (into the sunset). This sends another great message to your child: you can break the law as long as you are talented in some way shape or form.
Cheburashka - is male, has a bear-like body, large round ears, and is about the size of a 5-year-old child. In the tale, he hangs around with a friendly crocodile Gena, who wears a hat and a coat, walks on his hind legs and plays an accordion. He works in a zoo as a crocodile. If that's not weird enough, the antagonist of the story is an old lady (Old Lady Shapoklyak) who is known for carrying around a rat-like creature and singing a song where the chorus states "One won't ever get famous for good deeds". Now, if that isn't a great lesson to teach our youth, I don't know what is.
Writing this has actually made me feel quite nostalgic and excited about getting to watch all these cartoons again, but this time....with my little girl.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Eternally Hungry
How is it possible to ALWAYS be hungry? I can go out to a restaurant, have an appetizer, a main course and dessert and walk out thinking how I can totally go for a burger right about now. I attempt to fool my body by feeding it lots of tea and fruits, but it knows better and wants nothing to do with earl grey or clementines, both of which have near zero calories.
Here is my typical (boring) day:
8:00 AM - heaping (2-3 servings) bowl of cereal (This began as a healthy grain or wheat start and has now morphed into the breakfast of Frosted Flakes champions)
10: 00 AM - Tea
10:30 AM - Kashi Bar
10:45 AM - Clementine
11:30 AM - Clementine
12:30 PM - carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes) with protein (chicken, veal, pork)
1:30 PM - Clementine
3:00 PM - persimmon
4:00 PM - Tea
4:30 PM - Clementine
7: 00 PM - salad + carbs (French fries) with protein (hot dog) + tiny bite of dessert (3 slices of cake)
7:15 PM - another tiny bite of dessert
7:30 PM - another slightly larger bite of dessert
8:00 PM - licking the plate after the dessert
8:30 PM - "Gene, don't we have any sweets in the house??"
9:00 PM - Tea (while dreaming about dessert)
10:00 PM - "I am going to bed so I can sleep instead of be hungry"
Here is my typical (boring) day:
8:00 AM - heaping (2-3 servings) bowl of cereal (This began as a healthy grain or wheat start and has now morphed into the breakfast of Frosted Flakes champions)
10: 00 AM - Tea
10:30 AM - Kashi Bar
10:45 AM - Clementine
11:30 AM - Clementine
12:30 PM - carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes) with protein (chicken, veal, pork)
1:30 PM - Clementine
3:00 PM - persimmon
4:00 PM - Tea
4:30 PM - Clementine
7: 00 PM - salad + carbs (French fries) with protein (hot dog) + tiny bite of dessert (3 slices of cake)
7:15 PM - another tiny bite of dessert
7:30 PM - another slightly larger bite of dessert
8:00 PM - licking the plate after the dessert
8:30 PM - "Gene, don't we have any sweets in the house??"
9:00 PM - Tea (while dreaming about dessert)
10:00 PM - "I am going to bed so I can sleep instead of be hungry"
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hello 2010!
It's a new year and I have to admit that things are pretty much exactly the same. Well, everything except my waist, which is now humongous. I am only six months pregos and I already question how I am going to do certain things that are slowly becoming difficult. For example, how does one put on socks and shoes? I can already tell that my stomach is getting in the way and in just a few weeks, I will really understand the expression barefoot and pregnant.
Another thing that surprised me about pregnancy is turning from side to side in the middle of the night. It used to be so simple and I would turn from my left to right (and right to left) side without any knowledge of it happening. With all the new weight in my midsection, I typically have to wake up to turn myself and the feeling is what I imagine a beached whale must go through. It doesn't bother me too much, but in order to turn easily, I usually have to push myself up against a steady object. In this case, the object is Gene and I am not sure how much he enjoys being used as a prop.
One of my favorite things about being pregnant is feeling the baby kick. She is very active and is already training me for those sleepless nights by banging her fists against my stomach while I sleep. She is also a big fan of cakes, tarts, candy, and pretty much any dessert you can think of. OK, that might be a lie because I will find any excuse I can to fill myself with sweets. Forget pickles, just hand over that triple chocolate mousse.
After being unable to come up with a great New Year's gift for Gene, I decided to take him to Atlantic City. He is a big fan of poker so I thought it would be a fun way for him to spend the day. This also marked baby Klayman's third trip (Greece and Washington DC being the other two). Unfortunately, she lost all her college fund money in craps and poker but what can you expect from a six month old fetus. I hear they aren't great gamblers.
Baby Klayman's Corner:
"Hmm, bladder, bladder. Where is that bladder?? Oh here it is! Time to stomp away!"
Another thing that surprised me about pregnancy is turning from side to side in the middle of the night. It used to be so simple and I would turn from my left to right (and right to left) side without any knowledge of it happening. With all the new weight in my midsection, I typically have to wake up to turn myself and the feeling is what I imagine a beached whale must go through. It doesn't bother me too much, but in order to turn easily, I usually have to push myself up against a steady object. In this case, the object is Gene and I am not sure how much he enjoys being used as a prop.
One of my favorite things about being pregnant is feeling the baby kick. She is very active and is already training me for those sleepless nights by banging her fists against my stomach while I sleep. She is also a big fan of cakes, tarts, candy, and pretty much any dessert you can think of. OK, that might be a lie because I will find any excuse I can to fill myself with sweets. Forget pickles, just hand over that triple chocolate mousse.
After being unable to come up with a great New Year's gift for Gene, I decided to take him to Atlantic City. He is a big fan of poker so I thought it would be a fun way for him to spend the day. This also marked baby Klayman's third trip (Greece and Washington DC being the other two). Unfortunately, she lost all her college fund money in craps and poker but what can you expect from a six month old fetus. I hear they aren't great gamblers.
Baby Klayman's Corner:
"Hmm, bladder, bladder. Where is that bladder?? Oh here it is! Time to stomp away!"
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