2008 - The Highlights

What a year! We were both really busy with work and school, but we had some fun, too. It's a looong post, but here are some highlights:


Killington, VT

Spring and life returned to the city

Megan and Lars' visit

Trip to DC to see Andrea and Pete

Meeting Molly when Rach, Nate and Molly visited Boston during their move to Maine

Climbing Mt. Monadnock in NH for my birthday

Trip to Washington in July

Celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary at Martha's Vineyard

Camping trip to Acadia, ME - this shot after climbing the scary Precipice trail

Trip to San Diego for Megan and Lars' wedding

Roadtrip to Durham for Andrea's 3oth

Those precious feet

Regrets? Only that I never seem to take the camera when hanging out with our friends here and no pix from Ashely's visit! I'll try to do better in 2009!

We're off to celebrate 2009 (and Christmas) with fam and friends in Washington (as long as the current snow storm doesn't close the airport - cross your fingers for us). Happy New Year!

22 Weeks

Here are the latest belly shots:



Maternity pants are pretty much the only way to go these days. I feel like I look seriously pregnant, but I think strangers wouldn't guess it unless I'm wearing something that really accentuates my tummy. Guess I'll have to wait a while longer till people give up their seats on the subway!

Mostly I've been feeling really good lately except for heartburn, which I had never experienced before, but now get why people complain about it. My doc told me not to exercise (specifically me - no secrets or anything to worry about, just details that maybe aren't suited to blogworld; this is of course not her general philosophy), but I'm trying to make sure I get in something of a walk every day or I start to feel stiff and uncomfortable. It'll be easier to make sure I'm getting a little exercise when school starts and I have to climb the giant hill from the train every day. No more fun shoes for a while, just sturdy boots for the ice and snow. Amazing to think I'm just six weeks from the daunting third trimester! Highlight continues to be baby girl kicking and punching and rolling, especially now that Steve can feel it too. Apparently, she should be 7.5 inches head to rump and weight one pound.

Tagtastic

Thanks, Erika. If Emma wasn't so cute... but six random questions without any prompts? Yikes... you get what you ask for.

Rules:
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write 6 random things about yourself.
Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
Let each person know he/she has been tagged (or let them get tagged by reading your blog).
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1. The big excitement in my life lately has been discovering an outlet in the bedroom LINKED TO THE SWITCH! We have lived here 18 months and even though I had my alarm clock plugged into the other plug in the same double outlet, I didn't realize the second one was connected to the switch! I am so pathetic. This apartment is seriously lacking in lights that work from switches and I've been tripping around the bedroom for a year and a half. I have moments of great glee now when flipping on the bedroom switch. I also have renewed enthusiasm to test all the outlets in the place.

2. In keeping with Erika's and Megan's themes of weird animal phobias (and vouching wholeheartedly for Erika's mountain lion fear)... I'm terrified of rattlesnakes. I was nearly bitten by one when I was 14 (really, it was coiled and rattling when Rachel's dad chopped it's head off and saved our lives) and have been petrified of them since. It's partly from the visual of the snake hanging off my leg once it has bitten me and not letting go. Not such a problem now in downtown Boston, but in San Diego it was not that uncommon to hear them in the grasses while walking in the canyons. Megan, how is it that your tagged post didn't mention the time we saw one in Rose Canyon and you plugged your ears in response? We were both greatly relieved to notice it was already dead...

3. The other animal thing - I have been pooped on by birds at least twice, I think three times but I can't remember the circumstances of the third right now. The first I was sitting at Roma Cafe at UCSD and it hit me on the head, all over my hair, etc. Second time I was sunbathing at the beach (much easier to deal with by running into the ocean). Oh, I think the third was while picnicking with Jess, Emm and Nat here in Boston. Missed us, but nailed the picnic mat. Seriously, this is the sort of random thing that should only happen to you once in your life, and then only if you're unlucky. Definitely not two or three times.

4. I love the new 90210. Yes, I know it is terrible. We watch or Stivo it every week. And every week we are disappointed that they cut the song short. You all now have the song in your head.

5. I recently committed arboreal fraud. I aided/abetted and filmed the planting of a tree in a place we had no right to be planting trees. I am too smart to post the video. Although it was a tree of hope for Obama.

6. I used to lie to my parents and sneak to Canada. I also accidentally went to Canada once with Andrea. We didn't have to lie about that, but try convincing a couple of border agents that two teenage girls should be allowed back into the States because they went to Canada when they meant to take the last exit in the U.S. but were probably too busy singing the breakfast at tiffany's song to read the signs. Even though they had successfully taken the proper exit approximately a dozen times before.

I tag:
Rachel (Punkin' Bean)
Valerie (G is for Gathright)
Jeff (for Marc's site) if you still haven't found something better to do than read and mock my blog
Everybody else via comments (good call, Megan - I don't have many friends that blog either)

Baby's first Christmas

We didn't expect it, but were delighted that Smalda received a number of gifts this year! Everything is SO cute and we are touched by the generosity and love already being shown to our baby girl. Just a few pix of the cuteness -


Most of her haul.


This second one bears some explaining... about half my life ago (shocking) my mom was making my best ballet friend Rachel a costume for the Nutcracker. We had great fun picking out the material and embellishments, and Rachel's motto was basically to put as many sequins on the costume as possible. We have photos of her draped in sequins wearing the partially finished tutu and hiking boots for fittings. We have giggled over "sequins sequins" ever since, and so she made Smaldita a onesie in that spirit. I LOVE IT!

Merry Christmas!

Snow, snow, and more snow...

A snow emergency was declared on Friday and the city shut down early. There had been such a fuss in the lead up to the storm that I kept wondering, 'Folks, isn't this New England? Aren't you supposed to be prepared for snowstorms?' Nevertheless, there was a wonderful sense of cheer with all the offices closing early right before the holiday week. The T was running, and we went out Friday night to the Christmas Revels in Harvard Square. It was beautiful and quiet with snow falling on all the old buildings. The show was terrific too!

Saturday we decided to brave the South Shore, which got the worst of the storm, and we hit the Baby Furniture Warehouse and Ikea. The stores were empty - a perfect time to shop. I have never seen so few people in an Ikea or a Costco. On the Saturday before Christmas, no less! We got some ideas on how to rearrange the apartment for Smaldita and we bought a rug. We test drove a few strollers and checked out other items. Still, there is so much baby stuff out there that it's completely overwhelming! Especially with very little closet space and one bedroom. It was still snowing when we headed back to the city, though it stopped enough to go out for burritos from the Mexican lady that sells them from the gas station. Go to Villa Mexico, not the Anna's Taqueria down the street. Trust me!

Sunday it was still snowing so I tried to get some pictures, but it was really windy and warming up so the snow was wet and we got soaked quickly! It was a lovely holiday scene, though, and all the better when we went home to watch it out the window, make fudge, read, and watch the Chargers and the Seahawks win!


Snowy streets on Beacon Hill.

Tree on Boston Common.

Can you tell which way the wind was blowing?

Another joy of pregnancy? He doesn't throw the snowballs at me for a change!

Holiday Reading

With my last paper turned in and only grading left, which must be done this week anyway, my immediate thought is what to read and how many books I can get through in the next almost four weeks of holiday break. So, here's my list:

- Breaking Dawn, of course (this has been waiting for me at the library for a week and I haven't allowed to myself to pick it up until my work was done)
- The End, by Anthony Scibona, 2008 NBR finalist
- I See You Everywhere, the new Julia Glass
- Growing Up in Boston's Gilded Age, by Alice Stone Blackwell
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth
- Charismatic Organizations, by Shirley Sagawa and Deborah Jospin, if I can possibly locate a copy; no luck so far
- Black Ants and Buddhists, by Mary Cowhey
- All Souls: A Family Story From Southie, by Michael Patrick MacDonald
- Prairie City, Iowa : three seasons at home, by Douglas Bauer
- Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin

I have countless unread books on Goodreads and on my actual bookshelves so who knows if I will read any of these (other than Breaking Dawn). I tend to follow whims when it comes to reading... Whatever happens, hosting book club tomorrow night seems a great way to start!

Terrified much?

I read this post about having a 3 week old baby (http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/any-advice-for-laneyjane/) and then I read all the comments. And I cried and I realized just why Steve's attending was asking him the other day if we have plans for help when baby girl arrives. I have heard the early months are intense, but I think this made me appreciate it more. At the same time, I am glad to read such frank comments so I don't go into it expecting anything but reality. I think I will ask Steve to read it and then we will discuss. Then I'll probably cry again.

Back to writing papers... more cheerful posts to come, probably after the 17th (when my last paper is due). Oh, just as I was about to publish this post, she started wiggling and poking me. Something to smile about for sure.

First Snow

The first snow was Sunday! After a yummy breakfast of waffles (with the excellent and indulgent recipe from the Joy that Andrea, Pete and I discovered last summer) with Grandma Nan and Aunt Mary's blackberry jam from the berries from Grandpop's farm, we headed out to lightly falling snow. Walked over Beacon Hill, which is so picturesque during the holiday season, to church and then wandered around the Common and the Public Garden enjoying the giant snowflakes. Boston at its best!







Monday it was 18 degrees and the thrill of winter was gone. And today, it's in the 60s. Snow in the forecast for tomorrow... what's this nonsense all about?

18 wks, 3 days pix

Here's an image from Thursday's ultrasound. She's a bit blurry... maybe because she was doing laps or something.










Smalda, or Smaldita as her father calls her, was wiggling like crazy and the technician kept having to change transducers to try to get clear measurements. At one point she just held the transducer completely still and said "See all that movement? None of it is me moving the transducer." This seems pretty consistent with stories I have heard about myself as a baby, and matches with tales I have heard about Steve. I believe he climbed out of his crib and fell down the stairs on occasion. Yikes, keeping this girl out of the ER could be a trick!

It's a...

GIRL! All of you with your vibes and feelings were right! Now that the idea has settled in, I'm thrilled. I wasn't not thrilled, it just takes a bit to realize "baby" has become "girl" or "daughter." Wow wow wow. Steve said he immediately thought "she's going to date!" He's already terrified of the day. A girl! Whee!

Music is good for development, right? Any music?

If you know me well, you know that I secretly want to be a rock star. It's a common affliction for us split personality Geminis. And poor Smaldo is probably going to have a lifetime, or childhood at least, of listening to me sing in the car, while doing chores, while writing papers (except that I won't be writing papers much, but she'll have some in utero treats while i write my thesis), and pretty much any other time music is on.

As it turns out, Smaldo won't be alone when I sing Madonna, Britney, Christina and Carrie (come on they're good for singing along even if you question their artistic merit. you know you love them) as lullabies. We'll just see if he prefers my pop songs to Steve's country. http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/lullaby-and-good-night/

Belly pictures. Finally!

Here they are:

5 weeks












10 weeks












18 weeks












Now that there is something to see, maybe I'll be better about taking pictures more often. Eighteen weeks - hard to believe I'm almost halfway there!

We have the big 18 week ultrasound on Thursday. I'm excited. I'm starting to think Smaldo may be a girl, though I'm not quite sure why. Maybe I feel like I'm gaining weight everywhere? Maybe it's a few people who have said they have that have a distinct girl feeling? Who knows. A really neat thing is that a lovely woman in another program at school is 17 weeks pregnant and she is finding out the sex on Thursday too. Can't wait to compare notes over the coming months - especially because it's her second child and she's a doctor. I hope I don't drive her crazy.

Happy December. Can you believe 2008 is almost over?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for this year - wonderful family and friends, meaningful work, education, a full pantry and a warm place to sleep each night. And, of course, Smaldo!

I'm off to Connecticut to spend the holiday with family. Cross your fingers that the pie will be intact when I arrive (why do I never remember that I need a pie carrier until right before I have to leave?!). Steve has to work all day, all weekend, unfortunately. I'll miss him.

Today is the day

I have given up and am wearing maternity jeans. I have six hours of class on Wednesdays, which is a lot of sitting and I get pretty uncomfortable, so I figured today was a good day to finally take the tags off and wear them. They are so much more comfortable! I can still wear my regular jeans with the bella band, so I'll keep them in rotation for a while, at least until I have time to buy more maternity pants. Big step.

Musings and wanderings...

Not much new to report on the baby front. I thought the morning sickness was gone. I was wrong. My belly seems to be growing a bit, and I think I'm at the point where I look sort of thick and chubby, but you wouldn't guess I was preggers if you didn't know. It seems kind of an awkward stage because most of my clothes are just not flattering, but I'm not really big enough for maternity clothes. All in good time, I'm sure. I have been meaning to take belly pictures, but keep forgetting to ask Steve to do when he is home and awake (a moving target lately since he's working nights). Soon!

More on strollers... have gotten several pro-Bob comments so we'll need to investigate that a bit more. We thought they didn't collapse to go in the car, but maybe that's okay? It should be since our car is half a mile away and we almost never use it. However, it seems like the stroller should at least be able to go in the car in theory. I also had an epiphany about the red Bugaboos - they stand out when crossing the terrifying streets. A-ha!

Had a good weekend - a long overdue haircut and then Burdicks with June and Viesia in Harvard Square. It was great to catch up with them and have some super yummy cocoa. Then a technology meltdown that led to a FREEZING cold walk to get a new router. Good excuse to make pumpkin bread while technical support came to the rescue. Back online and back to homework. It is so much easier to study on a sunny day when it's below freezing, and unbearable with the wind chill. Thank goodness for down coats. I swore I wouldn't wear mine till after Thanksgiving and while I failed at that, I have been a smidge warmer in this ridiculous weather.

Happy Birthday, Mom! You are the best.

Boy or girl...?

Early on we started to think that the baby would be a boy. I'm not really sure why - just gut feeling I guess, but it's also hard to know how much we've been influenced by the not so gender neutral name Smaldo. I have used the ancient Chinese fertility calculator, which predicts a boy, and checked out the old wives tales online (http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/pbabyprep/0,,j012,00.html, among others).

I think my morning sickness was relatively mild (I felt awful, but luckily it stopped there) and the baby's heart rate has been higher than 140bpm. Hard to say where the weight is yet, but I have been craving protein. My pillow faces northeast, I think (but really, if we moved the bed, would the baby turn into a girl?), Dad-to-be doesn't have time to eat, so he can't gain weight with me. People have been telling me that my hair looks better than normal, and I've had headaches. When I add my age to the month of conception, it's an odd number. My wedding ring swings in back and forth and then in circles (I refuse to think about the implications of this). I always crave fruit, especially citrus. Although yesterday I did buy a big box of satsumas (hurray for the holiday season!) and I've made a dent in eating them already. All this suggests that maybe Smaldo is a girl, or maybe a boy.

What do you think? Did any of you moms out there just know it? Were you right?

We're supposed to find out in two and a half weeks, as long as the baby shows us "the goods" as the nurse put it.

Stroller-gawking

Apparently, I'm not a good blogger after all. I promised a post on strollers, but then went all political, and never got back to the strollers. But don't worry, with another week of walking around Boston I can just add to my n.

A few weeks ago while my mom was visiting we went to Cape Ann. It's too bad I didn't take any photos because it was a beautiful fall day. We took a lovely walk at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester and then had lunch in Rockport overlooking the harbor. After lunch we wandered around Bear Skin Neck (no idea where that name came from, but it's charming), and apparently we were not so subtly ogling a stroller coming toward us. The young man stopped and said to Steve, "one day you're checking out bikes and the next it's strollers. And it doesn't get any better." He stopped to chat and showed off his 2 month old son and groovy wheels. This was actually the second time in three days that someone had stopped to chat strollers because they could tell we were examining theirs.

15 weeks ago, I had no idea about stroller brands, but Steve has done a bit of research and we have learned about the whole Bugaboo for city vs. strollers more suitable for the suburbs debate. Actually, around here there doesn't seem to be any debate - Bugaboos are EVERYWHERE. And they're almost all red (something to do with the BoSox?). Every once in a while, there's an Uppity Baby or a Bob, but 9 out of 10 strollers in our part of the city are Bugaboos. We haven't made up our minds yet, but given that there are cobblestones between us and almost anyplace we want to go, we're looking for good suspension.

Who knew I could write almost three hundred words about strollers? What's next?! Tomorrow I go to the doctor and since Steve is working nights now, he will get to join me. I'm hoping he'll get to hear the heartbeat. Perhaps the most beautiful sound in the world.

To the future!

Just after 11pm last night, I got a text from Emily in San Francisco saying "Here's to change and the audacity to hope that we could make it happen!"

I think that sums it up pretty well. Then my brother called and as we celebrated, I told him how happy I am about the outcome as it affects Smaldo's future. He said he had just been thinking the same thing when he called. Yay for Change and Hope and for our baby having an uncle that cares!

I am so excited as I read about the millions people all over the country and the world who are overwhelmed with joy about the outcome of this election. And I am inspired and reminded why I'm working toward a career in public service. Yes we can make a difference. Yes we can raise Smaldo to do the same.

For some fun reading, check out the comments on the Times election blog at http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/reactions-from-around-the-world/ (scroll down to see comments from Taiwan, Sweden, South Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.).

The best part so far...

about being pregnant is telling people! Well, having a baby in my tummy is probably the most wonderful part, but a close second is how happy everyone seems to be for us. I had no idea how emotional peoples' reactions would be and now that I know, I'm really glad I have tried to tell as many people in person or on the phone as possible. My mother's voice went up approximately five octaves, my father-in-law stopped dead in his tracks and stared at us and then his voice went up five octaves also, Lindee (reportedly) leaped around the apartment saying baby, my brother couldn't stop saying how cool it is, Rachel and her mom were together so it was super cool to talk to both of them, and Megan already had Michigan onesies ready to go (Go Blue, that is). And this doesn't count the people who for various reasons said they knew it! It's interesting to hear how they had guessed (Andrea, Sarah, Erica) - since none of them had seen me almost busting out of my bridesmaid's dress last month!

Next up... stroller gawking! A preview - Boston is decidedly a Bugaboo city, red ones at that.

Big News

We are happy to be sharing the news! The baby is expected on may 5, and we couldn't be more excited.

Here are some photos!


10 weeks


12 weeks


Have you ever seen such cute feet?