Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Swimming = Super
we FINALLY joined the TC pool. only $100 for both of us to use it for the semester. You have to bring your own towels though. I hadn't been swimming in so long, and my arms are aching! It felt fantastic and the water was warm (86 degrees)! It felt heavenly. The best part is that it wasn't crowded at all. C and I got to share a huge lane (big enough for three people) ourselves. We're going to really try and go at least a couple of times a week. I think it'll be good for the baby. Plus I got to wear my new maternity tankini which is cute :)
Friday, January 26, 2007
Happy Birhtday Rebecca!
Today is Rebecca's (and her twin sister Sarah's) birthday! Happy birthday to you! In our life, that means today is officially Rebecca day and we'll be spending it doing fun things in NYC!
Birthday checklist:
Birthday checklist:
- Museum of the City of New York
- Peanut Butter & Co.
- Rice to Riches
- Lots of Shopping (yeah bargains!)
- Freezing Cold Weather (always on Jan. 26)
- Swimming (indoor, duh) despite frozen everything.
Monday, January 22, 2007
17 weeks now
according to baby center.com:
How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.
How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.
Ms. Cukoo Bananas
I really do think I am good at being pregnant. I certainly got pregnant easily and I haven't felt sick, and now that I'm in the 2nd trimester, I feel amazing. I have energy, feel great, no nausea or anything. For a while, I was thinking that this is my talent in life.
The hormones, however, have been hitting me hard lately. Poor C. She is being SO good and patient but my god I've been so unpredictable lately. Anything and everything makes me cry. C's being a good sport about the roller coaster of emotions but I really hope (and I KNOW she hopes) that my crazy emotions stabilize and catch up to my physical-feeling-good self.
The hormones, however, have been hitting me hard lately. Poor C. She is being SO good and patient but my god I've been so unpredictable lately. Anything and everything makes me cry. C's being a good sport about the roller coaster of emotions but I really hope (and I KNOW she hopes) that my crazy emotions stabilize and catch up to my physical-feeling-good self.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
anticlimactic
we had our 16 week ultrasound today. I was really anxious about it but it was no big deal. VERY quick ultrasound and the doctor said everything looks fine. The placenta was blocking the baby so we couldn't get a good view, disappointingly. We were hoping we'd find out the sex but she said no, we have to wait until the 20 week ultrasound in February when we go to the geneticist again with their fancy machine that can see better than her machine. So we still don't know if it's a boy or a girl.
They also took my blood pressure (normal) and weighed me. I gained 5 pounds since last month, not a huge surprise. So I've gained a total of 6 pounds which is normal for this point in my pregnancy. Next week C and I are joining a pool and starting swimming again, so hopefully some regular exercise will keep the weight gain at a healthy rate and not too rapid. They also drew blood for part 2 of the test that will tell us what risk we're at for Down's syndrome.
THEN our OB gave us news: she is quitting!!!! We won't see her again!!! She assigned us to a different OB at her practice, someone we've never met!!! I'm glad that if she's quitting at least it's not right before I'm supposed to be giving birth. This will give us time to meet and get used to a different doctor. But it was a big surprise.
Then I had to run to my Latin class at Columbia (I had to take advantage of the free tuition I get as part of C's benefits) which was fine. Then I had to run to church for a meeting that lasted for 2 and a half hours. I'm feeling pretty sick still -- just a bad cold, but I was pretty miserable in class and at the meeting.
I have a good schedule this semester:
Monday: teach French 2 at conservatory AM, then a long break until Latin class from 4-6
Tuesday: teach French Lit at Queens College then French 3 at St. John's (also in Queens -- no more Staten Island for me!)
Wednesday: same as Monday
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday: nuthin'
I watched Top Chef tonight. This season has not been good and I don't really care who wins. And tonight, Cliff got kicked off the show for assaulting Marcel. Dumb dumb dumb!!! It does make me wish I could cook though.
C made awesome chicken noodle and vegetable soup, I've been eating it all week. It's the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had in my life and it's perfect since I'm sick. I did good when I married her :)
They also took my blood pressure (normal) and weighed me. I gained 5 pounds since last month, not a huge surprise. So I've gained a total of 6 pounds which is normal for this point in my pregnancy. Next week C and I are joining a pool and starting swimming again, so hopefully some regular exercise will keep the weight gain at a healthy rate and not too rapid. They also drew blood for part 2 of the test that will tell us what risk we're at for Down's syndrome.
THEN our OB gave us news: she is quitting!!!! We won't see her again!!! She assigned us to a different OB at her practice, someone we've never met!!! I'm glad that if she's quitting at least it's not right before I'm supposed to be giving birth. This will give us time to meet and get used to a different doctor. But it was a big surprise.
Then I had to run to my Latin class at Columbia (I had to take advantage of the free tuition I get as part of C's benefits) which was fine. Then I had to run to church for a meeting that lasted for 2 and a half hours. I'm feeling pretty sick still -- just a bad cold, but I was pretty miserable in class and at the meeting.
I have a good schedule this semester:
Monday: teach French 2 at conservatory AM, then a long break until Latin class from 4-6
Tuesday: teach French Lit at Queens College then French 3 at St. John's (also in Queens -- no more Staten Island for me!)
Wednesday: same as Monday
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday: nuthin'
I watched Top Chef tonight. This season has not been good and I don't really care who wins. And tonight, Cliff got kicked off the show for assaulting Marcel. Dumb dumb dumb!!! It does make me wish I could cook though.
C made awesome chicken noodle and vegetable soup, I've been eating it all week. It's the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had in my life and it's perfect since I'm sick. I did good when I married her :)
Monday, January 08, 2007
happy new year!
I haven't posted in a while because nothing is too new, baby-wise, plus we've been busy. We spent a week in St. Louis with C's family over Xmas and this past weekend we were in Atlanta to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday. We were there less than 48 hours but managed to see lots of relatives and have fun.
Highlights from the weekend include:
- going to the Atlanta aquarium (the largest one in the world!) and seeing amazing sea creatures like this whale. C, my little sister and I also saw the 3-D show that was really fun (and interactive, like you'd see something jump in the water on the screen, and then the audience members were all squirted with water! It was fun.
-- falling in love with my uncle's poodle, Rocky. A big, kissy teddy bear. I love our little dog Ruby but that poodle was fantastic!
-- playing Cranium with my little sister and some other relatives. C and I won!
When we got back to NY yesterday, I was so exhausted I slept for a few hours, and then got up and found the strength to eat something, watch TV and then collapse in bed again.
It is now week 15 of the pregnancy. I feel fine. Nothing too interesting is happening. We have our 16 week check up and ultrasound next week. We're hoping that the doctor will be able to tell us the sex of the baby, but it might still be too early.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New York, NY
Chances are high this is going to be a New york City (not Lawn Guyland) baby! I heard from my old (and potentially new) boss and the offer at that school is not so family friendly. While it could be a good opportunity, the apartment we've been offered would not allow the dog...that leads me to believe other characteristics about that place are family unfriendly, and I am not interested in doing that again. I have asked that she go back to the drawing board to see how much additonal money they could offer for me to live off campus, but I do not anticipate it will be enough to make it worth our while.
I am doing well here, anyway, and we've built quite a support system for ourselves in the city, so this just means that we are meant to stay here a little longer. I will work with my boss to better our current situation, though (storage room!) It's kind of exciting to think about creating the new nursery in our old dining room. It's also a relief to know that we'll stick with our same doctors and that we can continue to be heavily involved with our church.
Now I need to start my real city baby research. Strollers and childcare and pediatiricans, oh my! Luckily a couple of my colleagues (and neighbors) have toddlers and are a wealth of information. I admit that I have become obsessive about the stroller issue, but I think it's just a control thing for me...I can control nothing else, so Rebecca's been good about letting me control this one insignificant thing! At this point I am most fond of the Macleren Techno XT. It seems to be the most popular stroller in the city (that and the bugaboo, which is cool but $800, which is CRAZY), is lightweight, and can be used from infant to toddler, and while still a little expensive (but nowhere near the bugaboo), seems to hold up well under urban use. I am still researching, though, and probably will be until the baby is old enough to no longer need a stroller! I know that I'm crazy, but you have to understand that this stroller will be our most used transportation! (Although I am also considering buying a car...but that's a whole new post).
I am doing well here, anyway, and we've built quite a support system for ourselves in the city, so this just means that we are meant to stay here a little longer. I will work with my boss to better our current situation, though (storage room!) It's kind of exciting to think about creating the new nursery in our old dining room. It's also a relief to know that we'll stick with our same doctors and that we can continue to be heavily involved with our church.
Now I need to start my real city baby research. Strollers and childcare and pediatiricans, oh my! Luckily a couple of my colleagues (and neighbors) have toddlers and are a wealth of information. I admit that I have become obsessive about the stroller issue, but I think it's just a control thing for me...I can control nothing else, so Rebecca's been good about letting me control this one insignificant thing! At this point I am most fond of the Macleren Techno XT. It seems to be the most popular stroller in the city (that and the bugaboo, which is cool but $800, which is CRAZY), is lightweight, and can be used from infant to toddler, and while still a little expensive (but nowhere near the bugaboo), seems to hold up well under urban use. I am still researching, though, and probably will be until the baby is old enough to no longer need a stroller! I know that I'm crazy, but you have to understand that this stroller will be our most used transportation! (Although I am also considering buying a car...but that's a whole new post).
