Katie's bathtime revenge

Mike looked happy until he heard the large poop go into the towel! She showed us.

Follies 3

So we came home, and the house was 62 degrees. That is the temp we like to keep the house, but apparently babies prefer something alittle closer to room temp. We turned up the thermostat, and next thing you know it was 75. She was overheating, but it took us a while to figure it out (discovered her beet red body under her clothes!). So the temperature thing was making her cranky. Then Mike noticed that she turned herself on her side in the crib, and he was afraid to let her sleep like that. The whole "Back to Sleep" thing was emphasized over and over. Baby K also wanted to be held, so that did not lend itself well to sleeping. So the first night was rather sleepless.
The next couple of nights were better (for me). I went to bed early and got 7 hours of sleep. We talked to the doctors about her rolling over, and they were not too concerned. Mike was up a lot since she really likes to eat all night. When I was pregnant I was always telling Mike that the baby was a Caraher. I used to get a nightly kick-a-thon at about 5 AM, and I am the early one in the family. This morning he told me he thinks I am right. She tends to be super active at 5 ish with flailing arms and legs.
Otherwise she behaves. We gave her a sponge bath last night, and she got even with us by pooping in the towel when we were done.

Follies 2

While I was recovering, the house was still getting set up. The plumber was over and we got our crib and a dresser delivered. My mother and father in law came over to let the plumber in, and they built the furniture for us. That was incredibly helpful to know it was done before Katie came home (although we are not using the crib yet since I have been staying downstairs). If it was not for Mike's family and friends, we would have taken her home to a house full of boxes! Things are started to look relatively civilized now, but we still have some little things to do. Later in the week, the nurses would let her out of the NICU to our room. I got to have her pretty much all day and take care of her. That helped my confidence a lot since Mike had to go to work on Friday and wrap things up. Mike started taking care of her at night in the hospital. He told the nurses to let him do her care and coach him. The nurses were really great and really took their time with us newbies. We really felt pretty comfortable taking her home since we had a lot of support in the hospital (and lessons!). She was medically stable the whole time so that also helped us feel good about handling her. I can not imagine getting kicked out the hospital in 48 hours. That would have been overwhelming. I am also sure I felt a lot better than many of the moms who went through labor and delivery. I still can not get over how amazing the staff at the hospital was. They were professional, but incredibly caring. You can not just find that anywhere!

Newborn Follies

So I thought I would give some blow by blows for those who I have not spoken with the last few weeks. I was in the hospital the weekend we moved for low amniotic fluids, and they pumped my belly back up with IVs. I had to keep going back and getting my fluid level checked and have the baby monitored twice a week. That was my social life at the time. The staff at the hospital was just amazing. I got to know a lot of the nurses in labor and delivery since I had been coming in once a week since late January. It was kind of pathetic, but they would recognize my voice on the phone too. Last Monday, I had an ultrasound to check the fluid level. I was considering taking a shower before my appointment in case I was admitted again. I really should have since the doctor sent me upstairs for a C-section. The levels were the same as the last time where they could just give me fluids, but for some reason the neonatologist just decided I should go. I was a little shocked, and we really did not have a discusssion. I called Mike and he started grilling me about it. So when he arrived to the hospital, he talked to the OB on call who was supposed to do the procedure. I was familiar with her from the last time I was in the hospital, so after a long talk we elected to try to get a few more days and do the IV fluids again. She was borderline being 36 weeks. So we tried the fluids again, but despite our best efforts, the fluids dropped again. I was ready for my C-section since they told me not to eat the night before. The good news was that my doctor was doing the procedure. I was excited about that. She told me that she thought we made the right choice trying to get a few more days instead of delivering immediately. That was reassuring to us, and it was time to get the little breech baby out.

Holy cow, the c-section was efficient. The most uncomfortable part was the blood pressure cuff and when they sat on my chest to push her out. After they assessed her, they took Mike out of the room and had him sit with the baby in the recovery area (while I got sewn back up). I guess the babies are always calm right after they are born. I can not get over how amazing the staff was including the anesthesiologist! My only weird complication after the surgery was my body temp plummeting to 94 degrees. I had no idea since I felt hot and kept having to wipe sweat off my head. It took a while to get me back on track. It was a weird feeling. Mike spent a lot of time with the baby which was great.

I did not sleep the first night. I must have been excited despite all the crazy drugs I had. I was not in pain. I was able to go see her in the NICU first thing in the morning. I wanted to try to breast feed her, and I was a little stressed about how that would go. Fortunately she is a champ and latched right on! Thank God somebody knew what they were doing. I was up walking laps on day one since you gotta move after surgery.

Well, to be continued....

Who said newborns can't smile?

I swear she was not pooping, just alert and listening to singing.

Getting to know you....

Things are still going well at home. The first night poor Mike did not get any sleep. He ended up changing her clothes several times due to amateur diaper moves and K's affinity for peeing while getting changed. The other issue was that she figured out how to turn on her side, and they were totally hyper about back to sleep when talking about taking care of her. He was not sure if he could let her stay that way or not. Baby K also prefers to be held which is not conducive to sleep, but she gets a pass since she is not full term yet :) I was up too since I felt bad about Mike's situation, and I went to bed too late.
Tonight was better and Mike got a couple of hours to sleep. I went to bed at 10:30, so I am chipper since I slept until 5:45. We have a doctor's appointment this morning, so we will find out if she is getting enough to eat. Judging by her poop output, I would say that she is getting enough. Otherwise, not much to say around here. Just nursing, sleeping, pooping, and getting used to each other.

Baby K is home

We made it home, and so far so good.

Baby W is here!

Katherine Ann was born on March 18th at 2:06pm. She weighed in at 7lb 4 oz. She was 18.5 inches tall. The new mommy is recovering fine from the c-section.

Settling In

We have a lot of things set up in the new house now. Mike's dad put up blinds yesterday which was really helpful. Things are getting orgarnized. Crib is on the way(should be here on Wed). C section is scheduled for April 2nd, but my doctor thinkS I will go earlier. Baby W is still breech, but otherwise doing well. I spend most of my time on the left side like I should. That makes extensive blog posting challenging. Hopefully my fluid level remains good.

Last night we met more neighbors. This street is really friendly. They brought over some flowers for us which was really nice. It is nice to be able to freely talk to neighbors.

Dry run

We are discovering that renting this house will help us know what to look for even more when shopping. I know I want carpets in the bedrooms now. We know what to look out for in an older house now. We have had issues with finding 3 prong outlets, etc Live and learn.

Amazon.com: Cariboo Folding Bassinet - Mahogany: Baby

Amazon.com: Cariboo Folding Bassinet - Mahogany: Baby

For baby or laundry?

Lefty

I will be spending my final weeks mostly on my left side. Wish me luck and a tank of fluids for baby w. EWWW, I said fluids.

Also, looking like a scheduled C-section for sure now (unless anything else happens first) I told my doctor some of the turning over suggestions I was given, and she was most entertained by the flashlight trick. So I am aiming for 39 week delivery which is the goal still. The other doctor scared me the other day saying it would probably be 37 weeks. I want to meet baby W, but I am willing to wait to 39 weeks for sure.

Breechinger

Baby W is still breech, and I was told that I probably will have to have a scheduled C-section. Any suggestions to turn the stinker over (besides headstands which may not be good for my blood pressure!).

Makin' Progress

It is amazing how the house is really emptying quickly. I guess a lot of our stuff was sitting in boxes already, so it makes life easier. The most time consuming has been the books. Our whole apartment is filled with them. It does not help there are many built in shelves. Mike has all of his textbooks from undergrad and grad school (x2). I filled 2 boxes with books to donate to the library. It is crazy how many books we have. I keep trying to have a book intervention with Mike, but he is still in denial. Who needs a Fortran book from 1984?

With the pace it is emptying out here, we should be moved out completely by the weekend. We are getting furniture delivered this week too. So we have a lot to do, but I feel like we have a handle on things. The main thing is coordinating getting the big stuff out on Saturday. It stresses me out that I can not really help much with the move. I have been packing and unpacking to free up crates. Otherwise Mike is the manpower. I am so excited to have a kitchen with space and light! I am also excited to be able to sleep far away from the furnace. The biggest perk of all is the washer and dryer! I have been waiting years for that one!

Yesh!

Got a house! Whoopee! Who wants to come and help Mike move?

39 years, almost 34 weeks...

For all of you who are curious what I have morphed into.

The continuing saga

We looked at houses last Sat since things went south on the one we planned on renting. Then we picked a house on Saturday which was ideal. We had discussed with the landlord the possibility of having an extension for 1-2 months in case our house closing takes longer than we think. He said it was fine. We went ahead with getting the lease, etc. The realtor told us that they were going to include the extension in the lease, but it was not written in yet. Fast forward to Tues. After many discussions with the realtor about how important the extension was to us and how I wanted to get the lease taken care of quickly (so we could move this weekend), she calls and says the landlord only wants to do a straight 6 months without an extension. I was so friggin' pissed. I asked about this repeatedly, and she told me it was OK. There is also a language barrier with the realtor which made it frustrating. So as I was melting down, Mike got on with another realtor who showed us houses on Sat too. She actually is a parent of a client of mine which was a coincidence. We liked the houses we saw with her, so to calm me down Mike suggested we start everything with her in case the house we wanted did not work. Well the house we want fell through yesterday, and the idiot realtor called me back to try to get me another place. As if I would use her!!! So, hopefully the third is the charm, and I am getting the lease to look at today. So we went from moving to White Plains to Harrison to Rye. When I get some visitors we can walk to the beach!

Backstory

Here is the story that goes along with yesterday's expressive quote. Over the weekend we went to Whole Foods, and Mike found some coupons towards cheese. He was excited to try something fancy and new, so he picked out a couple to try. The past day or two, our fridge has been sort of smelly. We rifled through, but nothing obvious revealed itself. Last night I heard Mike laughing in the kitchen. He had pulled out one of the cheeses he bought and realized that was the cause of the smell. He had not even unwrapped it. The cheese was unwrapped which became a biological weapon. It smelled like the fromagerie in Paris, and the rind would have received a top prize at the science fair. He even tried it, but it was inedible. We had to put it outside in the garbage last night and Mike had to brush his whole mouth out after the experience (I suggested tossing his toothbrush too). So beware of the cheese!

Psychic Energy

Whenever I am thinking, "I have not felt Baby W for a while", I inevitably get kicked shortly after. Last night I was thinking that, and I was kept up for a half hour gymnastic performance.

Quote of the Day

I think I bought a 6 dollar turd!

MW

Growing up

We have been furniture shopping the last week or two. We have both come to the conclusion that we do not like most furniture. The good news is that we like the same things so no arguing about what we want. So we shopped yesterday and hit a bunch of stores. Wow, most of the furniture is so fugly. We are also limited right now since we need to buy a couch that we need right away. So we can not change fabrics, etc. So wish us luck. We have one contender, but we may hit one more place. For example, we like the green couch better for shape and material, but we are not sold on the color. I think we should get the brown one since it will fit in anywhere we may buy. Mike mocked the couches up with a picture from the house, so if you want to comment have fun. I will email them to you. If the green was another shade I would be all about it personally. By the way, the couches are not magical as they appear in the picture.

Aurggg!

We are starting over for the rental house. We have been working all week on getting the deal sealed, and we did not get the lease until Thurs. That was annoying in itself since we were waiting for it since last weekend. Mike reviewed it on Thursday at work at quickly became agitated.

First of all, the lease was poorly written. It had language about "broken promises" all over it. We have never seen that before on any legal document. On the section about security deposits, it said that if the house is sold during the lease term that they could "give" the deposit to the new owners. There were sections that were basically indecipherable. Mike had sent our mark ups and revisions to the owner and hashed it out last night. There were a couple of real major sticking points on it. He first did not want to include "The parties agree that the laws of the state of NY shall control the interpretation and enforcements of the provisions of the lease." That is so we can not sue eachother in South Dakota, etc. Mike thinks he realized that the laws protecting tenants in NY state were strong. I think he finally got him to agree about it.

Here are the deal breakers for us. In the repair section, he wanted us to agree that we are responsible for the first 400 dollars of any repair. What a load of crap! I am willing to admit if I break something, but 400 dollars is not minor. What if a pipe burst in the 6 months we are there or the roof leaks? That is not due to our wear and tear. He acted as if he would not make us pay for that, but when it comes down to it people are weird about money. It is not worth the potential conflict in my mind. He is the home owner, so he should assume the risk of things breaking (unless we are destructive). I am not in the mood to sign a lease and worry about anything happening! The other thing sticking point made us feel he was unreasonable so we walked away. There was this huge (and ugly) entertainment center sitting in the living room. We asked the realtor if it could go, and she said he would take care of it. The renters he had before did not care and let it stay there. Flash forward to the lease. It said we were responsible for moving it, and we had to hire movers to move it in and out of the room (and we were responsible for any damage). As far as I am concerned, that really is not our responsibility. What if the movers damage it? Will our security deposit get sucked dry to pay for it? At one point he told Mike that we could hire the movers and he would watch them, but it is just so stupid. Those types of things gave us a bad feeling, so we walked away. So today we are going back to the drawing board!

The Miracle of......

Mike staying conscious during the childbirth video last night! Mike is on the squeamish side of things, so I am amazed that he actually watched the gory details. Of course the video had the naked lady from Hippieville pushing the baby out. I do not think I have ever seen a child birth video with a woman wearing some clothing. I guess if you are one of the earth mama types you would be cool with getting videotaped for an educational purpose in the nude. Anyhooo, I plan on wearing as much clothing that is allowable!

The other funny thing in the video was the one husband coaching his wife. He had his face about an inch away from hers. I can tell you right now that will not fly with me. It was hard enough practicing with Mike without laughing. The nurse was telling the husbands to massage us to make us relaxed, and Mike was tickling me instead. It also did not help that his hands were friggin' freezing for some reason. So I think we are quite the childbirth flunkies right now.

lazin' around

This weekend was the most eventful for a while which is not saying much :)
Mike and I got a rental house arranged, so it appears we may actually move before the arrival of Baby W. Fortunatly the house is a 4 bedroom, so there will be plenty of room for visitors. The feature I am most excited about is the washer and dryer! We bought a queen sized bed for the guest room this weekend, and it is comfy. This is the first time I have paid attention to all of the president's day sales. Usually I am out in Park City without a care in the world.

Mike's cousin and her college aged son were in town this weekend, so out came EuroMike. Since I could not run around the city, we met them at the in-laws after their long day for dinner on Saturday. On Sunday, I hung out with my friend and her baby and picked up the tourists and drove them to New Jersey. We had dinner again in NJ. Mike went touring around with the group on Sunday which was hectic (Circle Line and Empire State Building--total mob scene!). My friend Tracey lives on the upper East side, so I just lounged around there until they were ready for a ride back to NJ. Yesterday Mike had the day off, so he took the train in and met the group to walk around. I stayed home and packed stuff, watched a movie, and spent some time on my left side. I was glad Mike had some fun stuff to do. I have been quite the wet blanket lately. His cousins managed to come on one of the nicest weekends we have had in a long time (40s and sunny!). Mike said the view off the Empire was really awesome the other night since it was so clear.

Homebound Film Festival

I am starting a film festival since I am stuck at home. Today's selection was The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I knew it was well reviewed but depressing in subject. I went with it since I figured a depressing but good movie is a winner. It was excellent and lived up to the hype. Definitely not for date night.

I scored a gift at the hospital today for my weekly test. The nurse gave me my own pair of straps for the monitor! I should make up a punch card where the 10th test is free for myself. You know you have been there too much when you get prizes.

Birth Plans...

Mike and I went to our first birthing class the other night. The night was sort of an overview, so there was info I knew and some I did not. The nurse was talking about pooping on the table right off the bat (along with some anatomical cross sections that illustrate why that happens). She was talking about enemas, and later Mike told me that he did not want to be in the room if I decided to get an enema. Thankfully I am in total agreement there. He then painted a scenario of him getting called from a waiting room with false congratulations of a new baby, when in actuality I just pooped.

Before we went to class, I reminded Mike that he is my coach. He then informed me that am not coachable. Now he has taught me how to do things over the years (athletic or not), so how can I be uncoachable? I started thinking back to when I had major fear issues when skiing, and I would freeze on the top of the run. He would try to talk me down and usually would throw a snow ball or two to try to get me relaxed. I then told Mike that I am not coachable when I am in a state of fear or panic. Then his point became crystal clear. It is likely that being in pain and nervous may not make me receptive to his coaching. So hopefully I will get tired and become compliant.

We both ended up opening our eyes during the relaxation exercises and looking around the room. I always end up doing stuff like that. At one point the teacher had Mike put his hand on my belly to feel it when relaxed and tight like a contraction. This experiment does not work well when I was sitting there trying not to wet my pants! He did not feel any difference.

I am not a big information seeker. Knowing too much makes me more worried, and at this point I do not want to sit and think what I may go through. Baby W is coming out in the way it has to happen when it is time. I do not have a a lot of control over it, so I am trying not to dwell on it. The funny thing is that I really can not complain about being pregnant too much. I have been feeling good, and I was able to keep active for 29 weeks at least. I saw a documentary yesterday with a woman having sextuplets, and I have it really easy! Now if I just could go longer without having to pee......

Officially sane (for now)

Just got back from the doctors office, and for the first time was able to calm down and get a reading on my BP that was not high due to white coat hypertension. What really helped is that I kinda made them change things up so I could relax. I have to be put on a monitor twice a week, so I came in early and asked them to do it first so I could relax. That has been working for me well when I do the test in the hospital. And would'nt you know, it was the best order of events for me. So I think I am getting over some of the BS that keeps making them test me for pre-eclamsia every week. This in turn will further help keep my BP down! I was beginning to think that I needed hypnosis!

Bookworm

Yesterday Mike and I went to see Junot Diaz speak at the library nearby. Junot Diaz wrote last year's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Mike and I just read the book and he spotted that the author was speaking at the library we frequent. I liked the book, but it was written in a unique style.

I have never been to one of these events before, so I was curious to see what the turnout would be and how the session would go. It was packed when we got there, and people kept piling in. The moderator of the session ended up being a CBS news reporter (instead of the librarian I pictured). They started off with a piece the reporter did on Diaz, and then he conducted an interview. Junot Diaz was pretty funny and insightful, so it was pretty cool to hear what he had to say. It turned out that the book took 11 years to write. I think it was worth the wait. He has a very atypical background. He is a "ghetto nerd". He immigrated to the US when he was a child and settled in a rough part of Jersey. He would sneak off to the library and downplay his nerdy side to survive. Alot of the same themes are in the book.

The funny observation that we both had watching this event regarded the crowd there. It seemed like people had an entitled attitude. A woman coming in really late stood right in front of Mike without regard to if he could see or not. Stuff like that was going on when they did questions from the audience. People just blurting out questions to get theirs heard. The most telling question came from a woman who asked Junot Diaz if going to grad school helped him write the novel. After answering and then commenting about how it helps to get in a program that will give you a fellowship and waive tuition, the woman made a comment that illustrated the snobbery going on. She rejected going for the free education, because she felt the "craft would suffer". Somehow I think a Pulitzer Prize winning author from the ghetto tells us all we need to know.

Dream on

This morning Mike told me that he dreamed that I got my hair colored. Of course he was mad at me in the dream. I had the same dream a few months ago. In my dream, I forgot I was not supposed to color my hair, and then worried about how mad Mike would be. Mike told me in his dream I figured I was almost done anyways, so no harm. The theme is the following:

Janet colors hair while pregnant=Mike becoming angry at Janet

This is why my hair is half grey! Well, I also figure why put strange chemicals on my head right now so I agree with Mike.

Serenity Now

I did much better on my non-stress test. Maybe I am getting the hang of this stuff. I managed to keep calm for once, but now I am going in with my home readings too to let everyone know I am a basket case in the office only!

Boringer

I have not been blogging much since there is not much to say when I am hanging around the house! At least I am getting my rest!

Heroes

I think I need to watch the last episode over. I can not remember what happened to everyone.
Mike and I burst out simultaneously at the end that the show was going to turn into Lost.
As if you could take Silar down with a taser!

Head Case

Now that I am stuck at home, one main form of entertainment is going to the doctors. I went on Wed, Fri, and to the hospital yesterday. They are having me go to have a monitor put on twice a week to see how the baby is doing due to the hypertension. Baby W always passes with flying colors, and is developing just fine (had ultrasound on friday, and up to 3lbs 10oz.

Of course I have a history of the white coat hypertension as most of you know. This one intake nurse makes me kinda nervous. She is nice, but immediately when she tests my urine and takes my pressure, she makes "oh no" kinda comments. This sort of gets me into an anxiety mode right away. She's like, "Oh, there is sugar in your urine". They had to do the glucose testing on me twice, but the perinatologist and my doctor have determined that I do not have gestational diabetes. So I can now have that comment roll off of me. Then she always comments when my BP is high, and lately when I see my doctor I get worked up about it and it goes up to 160/90. That tends to raise concern as you would expect. After knowing my pressure is up, it is really hard for me to relax and I just dwell on it. The first time it happened I went on the monitor in the hospital, they did blood work, and they watched my pressure. Guess what? My pressure went right down lying around the hospital and they let me go. So that is why I am lounging around at home.

When they put me on the monitor and take my pressure it is called the non stress test. Yesterday it turned into a stress test. My BP was up when they took the first reading. Then I just could not relax at all. I swear I was having a mini-anxiety attack. They took blood again and urine to make sure I did not have pre-eclampsia. I was not comfortable in the bed either. Finally I asked them to change the bed position, and would you know my BP went right down? I knew all the tests were negative. My palms were sweating, my face and chest were flushed. I really wonder what my heart rate was! So hopefully I do not cause a shit load of unnecessary testing due to my mental status! So morning reading today: 130/65. I am such a psycho!

PS, I have to go the hospital to get the monitor, it is not a big deal or an emergency. The office is closed on Saturdays.

Letting go

Since I have been at home, I find no reason to put on underwear or brush my hair. I have been looking pretty wild lately. But now that we have Skype, I think I may actually have to put on some clothes and groom once in a while! Nobody can appreciate my crazy-lady hair!

Slacker

Well, it appears that I am officially off work now! Nothing new or alarming, but I am now joining the ranks of the unemployed! That means TV with commercials for lawyers and a lot of hanging around. The good news is that I am not on strict bedrest!

No Snickering - That Road Sign Means Something Else - NYTimes.com

No Snickering - That Road Sign Means Something Else - NYTimes.com

Bucket List

You never appreciate going to the bathroom the regular way until you have to pee in a container for a day! At least I had practice, but I liked the other container's design much better.

Why I hate house hunting

property details connecticut real estate from william raveis real estate, one of the leading real estate agencies in connecticut, featuring homes for sale in ct: fairfield, ridgefield, hartford, greenwich, stamford, litchfield

Yes!

No More Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why I ski

We skied yesterday and tonight again. I was slower than last month, but all I care about is getting out in the snow for a while. When we finished tonight it was dark. We stood under a street light getting everything in the car, and I felt like I was in a giant snowglobe. The streetlight was illuminating the snow in a manner that made it sparkle. It was pretty cool.

Gag me with a .......

I was watching the news this morning, and an anti-smoking spot came on. NY state has been running really brutal anti-smoking ads lately that are really graphic, but so far I could handle them. The one this morning resulted in me gagging uncontrollably after turning the channel. I will not describe it to you, but if it got me gagging, it has to be bad. I think I could watch the whole series of Mucinex commercials and be fine compared to the effect this ad had on my gag reflex. I am annoyed since I will never smoke and had to be subjected to it.

Recovered

I was going through the wreckage in our apartment, and a great archaeological find happened. The refrigerator pictures!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Yesterday I was working with one of my little girls (she is 8), and she was inspecting my grey hair. She was telling me I need to color it, and I told her I could not do that right now. Then she told me my baby would call me, "Gramma". Awesome burn!

Farmy

This winter I bought a share in one of the farms I like at the local farm market. Today was my first share pickup. I had to go online to research when I received, but I got about 20 pounds of veggies. Beets, Carrots, onions, potatoes, rutabegas, parsnips, leeks, arugula, and a little pumpkin. So far, so good. Now what to do with a rutabega? I have never cooked with a rutabega in my life.

Twins?

I found it strange that people who I do not know (or do not know well) sometimes ask me if I am having twins. It is not as if I am just huge or anything. Then Mike figured out that people want to figure out if I did fertility treatments since I am on the older side of the spectrum. I still think it is a weird thing to ask, but it has happened several times now.

sweetie

I had to get some more maternity pants. I have 2 pairs, and one of them falls off of me. I have been told I will grow into them. Anyways, so I do not wear Old Navy Yoga Pants everywhere, I decided to pick up a couple pairs of pants.

I live less than a mile away from a maternity superstore. I first went there right before Christmas to buy nice pants and a skirt for the holidays. The place is extremely over-staffed, but they tend to be helpful. Anywhoo, I went back today and arrived right after it opened so I had stalkers all around me. The girl that got me (they must work on comission) kept calling me "Sweetie". Generally I am not sensitive about being called that, but it is usually old people who use names like that on me. This girl was in her 20s. I thought it was weird that she always finished verbal exchanges by calling me sweetie or anything else to the same effect. I kept wondering if they are coached to speak gently to the hormonal and emotional pregnant shoppers. It does not work too well with me since so far I have not been an emotional wreck. The hormones did not hit my brain like that (at least not so far).

Lazy Weekend

I have been a sleeping machine for some reason this weekend. I think my time off just made me really lazy. Today we went for a walk on Tod's point. Tod's point is a town of Greenwich beach that we often do runs/triathlons. It is lined with trails and juts out into the Long Island Sound (with views of the city). Mike remembered that the resident restriction would probably not be in effect since it was January. That is the beach where they fought in courts for years about allowing non-residents access. The town lost ultimately, but now you can come to the beach for a $20 parking fee and $10 a person. That will be sure to keep the riff raff out (including us!). Over the winter, they do not check, but the winter season seemed to get shorter and shorter. So we headed over, and no problem getting in. It is a clear day today and not too windy, so we walked for a long time. The place was packed. We thought it would be quiet. The beach was also over-run with dogs. We saw at least 10 Bernese Mountain Dogs out there.

Great green gobs of greasy, grimy, gopher guts, mutilated monkey meat...

NY judge: Religion aside, monkey meat needs permit - Yahoo! News

Misc

The day after Christmas, a house in our neighborhood had the tree at the curb already which I thought was sad. Now I keep imagining the Rockefeller tree lying on a corner waiting to be picked up. That would be a sight.

How do you like that??????

I spent New Year's eve with a friend that lives nearby. She has a one year old, so her and her husband were feeding us a ton of information about the hospital we are going and some disturbing facts of life that we will soon encounter. She was talking about the strangers that would come up and touch her belly uninvited. That has not happened to me yet. I am sure it helps that it is winter, so I do not show under my coat when I am out shopping. I have some stratgies that I would like to try.
1. Keep my arms folded across the belly to ward off uninvited touching.
2. Use lightning fast reflexes to defend my midsection.
3. Touch the offender back!

I think number 3 may be my best option, and may send a message to the offender they may remember.

Memories of '08

I suppose I should mention a few of the special moments of 2008. I guess it would be fitting.
1. Skiing Snowbird with beautiful sun, empty slopes, and just one of the best days of skiing ever. The day it was snowing really hard at Canyons when we were with Nora, James, and Sidney also was incredible fun.
2. California visit is always good, but I really liked it when Jake kept calling Mike "That Guy".
3. Getting swarmed by black flies in the Adirondacks. The hiking and mountain biking were good, but what a time for me to get a flat!
4. Watching Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal in Bejing while in a packed bar in Newport with the whole place cheering for a swim event (as if it was the super bowl).
5. Jumping off the platforms with Mike and Pat in Beaverton. It has been years since I did that!
6. Camping at Mirror Lake with Pat, Lhes, and Joshua. "Who wants to go down to the lake and sing?" turned into, "I do not like camping". Excellent planetarium sky that night too.
7. Climbing the south sister, because it was worth the pain.
8. Jim's whirlwind graduation and state track meet. Whoah!
9. Kowloon's and hanging with the Colemans in general. Always a good time!
10. Baby W

Ghosts of New Year's Past..

In a New York state of mind

Today I met Mike at his new office in the city, and we wandered around midtown amidst the holiday bustle of the city. We bounced around the crowds at Rockefeller Center, wandered into the Waldorf-Astoria,looked at the fancy window displays (Saks featured a snowflake named "Mike"), wandered around the NY public library, and hung out in Bryant Park for a spell. The city is always festive for the holidays. Mike taught me how to get to the train from his office in less than 5 minutes. Everything was a zoo (including Grand Central-go figure!). The Christmas tree was really cool in the public library. I took some close up shots, but the tree was full of birds of all variety everywhere you looked.

Back from Beantown

Mike and I spent the last couple of days with Ann and Kevin and his family in Peabody. It was fun to see everyone, and everyone had fun with all the steamers and lobsters yesterday (except me, but I do not want to push it!).

Von Trapps Are Reunited, Without the Singing - NYTimes.com

Von Trapps Are Reunited, Without the Singing - NYTimes.com

The Namesake

Well, we finally discussed names for baby W. Here are some contenders that are inspired by Mike's ancestors.

Ludwina could be Wina Weidinger for short! We also like the ring to Kunigunde.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Pushing the Limit - Snow Meets Survival - An Iditarod Without the Dogs - NYTimes.com

Pushing the Limit - Snow Meets Survival - An Iditarod Without the Dogs - NYTimes.com
Who wants to try this in 2010?

Yanet ist gerfallen...

I had a moment of clumsiness today. They say when you are pregnant that you get clumsy, but being naturally clumsy I am not sure if this was business as usual. I was walking down the steps of my last client's house, and I slipped. I just landed and slid down a step on my arse. I was not hurt at all, but it was loud and embarrassing.

I was hyper this weekend. I was able to stay up past 10:30, and was going strong on 8 hours of sleep. I keep thinking that my energy level is bouncing back. I was hyper yesterday. The crash occured last night when I slept 10 hours and overslept. Thank God my 9 o'clock patient had cancelled!

Weekend Part 2

Well, we got another ski in this AM. This time at Rockefeller. It went well, so I can cross country ski for the time being (although the snow is about to melt).

Mike and I were discussing Baby W's possible future talents. Then it occured to us that Baby W could inherit our worst traits. This is what we would get.

A kid with poor balance and eyesight, goofy joints, lacking rhythm and memory, poor guitar skills, can't swim, can't run, can't get tan. If it is a girl, she will get Mike's beefy legs. The boy would get my goofy Caraher build.

Winter Wonderland

Mike and I went to Fahnstock, and I skied about an hour really nice and easy. The snow was perfect, so hills were no problem. It was worth it, because it was so beautiful (but pretty cold).

It's beginning to look a lot like......

Well, we got about 8-10 inches out here yesterday. There is more on the way tommorrow, but they think it will turn to rain eventually. Last night we went to see Aimee Mann's Christmas show in Tarrytown. It was pretty silly, but it was good to get out of the house. Mike has been really bored since I am so lifeless at night. When the music got loud, baby W started spazzing out. So I am sure that baby W can hear. You know it is your generation when they did covers of the Grinch and Heat Miser/Cold Miser.

Fridays

Well it is officially a snow day. All the schools are closed, but a flake has not touched the ground yet. It really sounds like we are getting slammed though. Mike and I have tickets to Aimee Mann tonight, so hopefully it is not a nightmare getting to the show.

Last night was our last guitar class. Actually the last class was last week, but our teacher told us to come on down(because he was not doing anything). We definately got our money's worth in that class. It is supposed to be an hour, but he always runs over for 15-20 minutes. That extra time about kills me since I am not too good at night, but it is fun nonetheless. He is a fun teacher, and we are improving. I need to practice more though. We are debating about the next round of classes. They start in February, and it is OK if we do not finish them as far as I am concerned. Then Mike brought up the point it may be hard for me to play with my belly out to my feet. That could really be amusing eh? This is the first class we have had that was intermediate and everyone had about the same amount of skill. That is really cool since other times we took intermediate the skill range was all over the map.

Otherwise, I guess I should clean up this joint, organize our financial info (getting ready for mortgage!), and get a workout in before it gets too messy out there. Mike was saying it was the worst kind of storm where you show up to work, and it is impossible to get home. I advised him to bring his rubbbers along. Do you remember rubbers? He said they were selling them at Grand Central along with the umbrellas, etc. The trains should be OK. That is much better then driving in the storms. I only have to go 2 miles to get him (although 2 miles in White Plains can be annoying!).

Snow Day

Here is the first of my 2 predicted snowfalls tommorrow. 6-12 inches! The first real storm in 2 years and I am not supposed to ski. Maybe I could try to do north county trail since it is flat.

$700 Billion Bailout Celebrated With Lavish $800 Billion Executive Party | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

$700 Billion Bailout Celebrated With Lavish $800 Billion Executive Party | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Heroes

1. Been lazy about commenting on Heroes lately. I tend to fall asleep as soon as it is over.
2. That was not the last of Siler I am sure.
3. How predictable was Claire and Noah Bennett running from the fireball?
4. Where the hell did Peter get a vial?
5. Mohinder should have been dead 10 times over. They need to off his stupid arse.
6. Does Angela Petrelli have powers too?

Saving Face

I keep getting invited to join Facebook, but I could not see the point. Now I got a more convincing invitation from Alissa. She said there were a ton of our teammates from college on there. So it may be time to get on there, especially since I will soon be spending more time at home.

Year In Ideas 2008 - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

Year In Ideas 2008 - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

odds and ends

Things have been quiet around here. Christmas shopping was over last weekend for the first time ever. I was not feeling well, so we decided to get our shopping done. Mike and I are not doing gifts for each other this year since we are about to embark on massive spending. We never really do Christmas gifts in a big way anyways. It always turns out that I get something during the year that is expensive, and I decide it will be my Christmas and Birthday present.

We did go to Toys R Us last night, because we decided to buy toys for a drive at the Y. It was one of those where you pick an ornament off the tree and buy a toy for a kid. I took the 3 year-old girl, and Mike picked the 8 year-old boy. I waited for him to shop since I had the feeling that he wanted to pick out the present himself. He took a long time deciding what to get for his kid. His analysis was thoughtful though. He got some Star Wars Lego sets, but needed to make sure that he got both good guys and bad to battle it out. I would not have thought of that. I made a comment that he would have a lot of fun if we had a boy, and he said he was willing to play Barbies too. So I was glad that I waited.

The baby is very Caraher. I realized last night both my parents are morning people, and Mike's are night owls. The last couple of days I have been getting up due to spastic kicking and other martial arts moves that peak from 5:30-7:30.

This was the first week that Mike commuted to the city for his job. It was a mostly dark and super rainy week. We had a Nor'easter roll through Wed-Fri morning. He is sad that he has to get up and hour earlier. He got stuck on the train Wed night due to a signal problem and missed his eye appointment. We also have to battle the daily annoying traffic through White Plains to the train station. White Plains is a confusing place to drive when you do not know your way around. So as a result, our route is cluttered with indecisive drivers pulling crazy maneuvers. We live near the mall, and most people doing there do not know their way at all. There are a bunch of spots along the route where people are always parking in traffic lanes. It drives me frickin' crazy. You can get a ticket driving around for nothing, and God forbid you go over one minute on your meter there, but go ahead and block a major lane of traffic while you sit on your cell phone in the car jackass! I do not get it. One of the major areas for this is right near the train station, but Mike thinks since it is right in front of a church they will not harass the God fearing jackasses who park under signs that say, "No Parking Anytime". Phewwww!!! I think Mike is more tempted to buy the house where he can walk to the train in Harrison.

The Evidence Gap - The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving - NYTimes.com

The Evidence Gap - The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving - NYTimes.com I knew about the back findings already from back in my ortho days, but it is a good article for everyone to know.

Crystal Belly

So far, the majority of people who feel compelled to tell me the sex of Baby W have nearly all (I think one said boy) told me I am having a girl. I do not know why.

Get me a Chicken, bah baw!

I tried to get the article up here, but it was not in the online version of the Times for some reason. Anyways, I guess it is getting fashionable in some of the suburbs north of us to get some chickens (roosters are not allowed in the zoning). So suburban livestock is getting the green light. I wonder if Mike can get the Alpacas that he dreamed of? Maybe if we decided to move to Bedford.

Bodysnatchers

Of course I am fighting a cold as we speak, 'tis the season.
Thanksgiving was a fun time. We got out to Detroit and made some rounds. I felt as if I gained a ton of weight from the eating and sitting, and my suspicions were confirmed at my doctor's appointment yesterday. I had my record one month weight gain of 10 friggin' pounds! I can not blame it on swollen ankles. Here's to doctor's appointments following lazy and long holidays eh? At least my blood pressure and sugars were normal. When we watch NCAA football, Mike likes to comment when he is the same height and weight of the Div 1 players. Soon I will be joining him. He still has a few pounds on me. So it is time to get disciplined again. My stomach has expanded quite a bit as of late, but Mike pointed out that I have a long way to go. I can easily see my toes after all. It is just amazing that your body can morph so quickly into something else without splitting your skin and incredible pain. The wonders of nature.

I went to my work party on Thurs night (probably also did not help my weigh in). I am rethinking my delusion of working until March 30 after talking to my other therapist friends. Although I do like to support my delusions (they are delusions after all).

I am not going to deliver at the five-star hospital. The info I got from my doctor originally said she was affiliated with Greenwich, but she is not anymore. I know people who said they liked White Plains, so there I go. I really like the doctors in the practice I go to now, and that is the most important. So no candlelight dinner the night before with the surf n' turf. It is just as well since I am sure I will not be able (or in the mood) to eat anyways. It also lessens the chance of pooping on the table.

So sorry about the lack of posts, and I think I need to make some soup now!

prehistoric

I bought some cheese yesterday, and the label said it was "cave aged". What makes aging it in a cave so special anyways?

Medium

When I have macaroni and cottage cheese for lunch while washing it down with Apricot nectar, and I channeling Grandma?

Human Kindness

It is interesting how nice everyone is to me right now. I better not get used to it since it will not last forever.

Thousands Gather For Stuffing Of Giant Rockefeller Center Turkey | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Thousands Gather For Stuffing Of Giant Rockefeller Center Turkey | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

It's a ...............

Baby! Ha you thought I would provide a spoiler eh? The nearly 20 week ultrasound was this AM. Everything is looking good.

Mike and the Mechanics

Well, tonight the car is fixed. The total car repair took about 2 weeks with intensive work last weekend, a little work this weekend and a couple of hours after work. We saved some cash so it is good that Mike has some skillz when it comes to engines at least.

I originally suspected that the gas was bad since the car immediately acted up after I filled the gas tank. It was idling rough and almost stalling at lights. So we figured that was the first most likely event, but we knew it could also be a coincidence.

The other weekend, Mike spent hours in the rain trying to siphon some of the gas. I filled it with 14 gallons. You never realize how huge a gas tank is until you realize the largest gas cans hold 5 gallons. They are pretty damn big. Of course that ended up being really complicated. You can not simply put it in where you fill up and suck it out. He had to take the wheel off and get to the tank some other way. Then he could not get my tire back on since for some reason my shocks relaxed a bit on the jack. Nothing was simple.

Then Mike bought an engine code thingy. Mike knew back from his Ford days how to do this stuff. It was saying one of the sensors was bad. We went all over Westchester to get the right sensor, and after we replaced it the car was still messed up. Then he decided it must be the EGR valve. We had to order it, and that took a few days. Mike brought it home Sat night and soon realized it was wrong. So he made a trip to the store yesterday and spent time with the guys there figuring out how to get it right. He kept taking the valve out to take with him to the store. We also did some pretty unscientific testing to determine if the valve was screwed up (Mike called it the suck and blow test). So the moment of truth....

Tonight we picked up the valve, and it looked just like our valve! He put it in (he is an expert by now on that part!), and it appears the car is working again. Hooray!

So Mike may have another career to fall back on if this finance stuff does not work out. I am sure he would not have to commute to the city either! Now I have to clean out all of my crap out of his car. My car is like a crazy rolling toy chest!

Mike asked me a weird question when he got home tonight. He asked if his car was running OK today (we swapped cars since I have to make a lot of stops all day). He then told me he filled the car last night from the gas he siphoned out of my car. So I think my gas will not go to waste! I love how he did not tell me about it! I would have been freaking out about his car, and he could have said, "Oh yeah, I put some of that bad gas into it last night".

I be growin'

I have been in a little denial about my expanding shape. I wear a lot of low rise jeans and yoga pants paired with Old Navy long shirts. No maternity clothes for me so far. I went to dinner last night, and I discovered that I do not fit well in some of my clothes. They fit but either the shirts get too short or look weird. My biggest issue is finding a suit that will fit me in a few months. I have been searching around for a solution. Everyone told me just buy bigger speedos, but that is easier said than done. I am running out of sizes already. The only maternity suits they have are not suitable for actually swimming (even the ones that Speedo makes!). I even found a discussion thread from some triathletes complaining about it. A lot suggested tankinis, but I do not want to offend other Y members with my big ole', super white belly.

Relocation

Last night Mike told me a house down the street was for sale. He planned on going for a late night walk to find out which one. Turns out it is across the street and over 2 houses on the ravine. It is one of the houses that I wanted to go on the market actually. So we will be at the open house this weekend, and this could result in the world's easiest move. Who needs a truck since it is all downhill.

And now for something completely different.....

I was oddly reassured this weekend. Mike and I were at an open house, and the owner started chatting Mike up. I was touring the house, and he disappeared. He was talking to some lady, but it turned out to be the owner. Mike likes to give me a hard time about how often I change topics when I speak. Well, we met the champion this weekend, and it was not me!

Re-productive

My energy level is really sapped. I have to get 9 hours of sleep or I am a wreck. I feel really good otherwise. I am good for nothing at night, and Mike has had a lot of time to himself to surf the internet and watch stuff on TV that I do not like! As a result, I have been fairly productive when I am awake after work since I know my hours are numbered! I feel good in the AM which does not jive with Mike.

I continue to entertain my current delusions:
1. The next 22 weeks will be just like it has been for the last 2-3 weeks, just bigger.
2. I will work until the bitter end.
3. I will work out a plan with Mike covering until 2 AM, and I get the wee hours so we both get some sleep. Sounds really good on paper!

Spartans' progress isn't award worthy | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Spartans' progress isn't award worthy | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
One of the dumbest articles I have read in a while. As a long suffering Spartan it is nice to have a winning season for once, even though it was ugly at times.

Skype?

Anyone have Skype out there? We are thinking about signing up, but we wanted to know if anyone else was out there doing it.

Bad Carma

My car is getting a beating lately. First it was my ding that nobody fessed up to doing, now I am afraid my engine got damaged by a tank of bad gas. I filled up my car on Thursday, and immediately the car was running rough on idle and almost stalling out when I had to stop. Mike spent the day yesterday siphoning out about 11 gallons out of my tank with the hope that we could fill it and get a better mix of gas going. Hopefully it was just water in there. Today he is reading diagnostic codes to see what is going on with the engine. Just the thing we need to be worrying about right now!

Nursery Rhymes

Mike's mom wrote out a German nursery rhyme last night since I thought I could use it this week with one of my kiddos. She wrote out the first 4 lines, but I looked up the whole thing on line. I am pretty good with the first 2 lines, but I get a little fuzzy on 3-4. It is about a baker making good cake (and what you need to bake it).

Bakke, bakke, Kuchen,
Der Bäkker hat gerufen!
Wer will gute Kuchen bakken,
Der muß haben sieben Sachen:
Eier und Schmalz,
Butter und Salz,
Milch und Mehl,
Safran macht den Kuchen gelh:
Schieb in den Ofen rein.

We butter the bread with butter - Alle meine Entchen

Here is another German nursery rhyme we found on Youtube. I think Pat may approve of this one.

Bring me a bucket...

Sorry I have been so bad about posting. Hopefully I will find some time and energy to put something up her once in a while.

I started coming down with a cold on Thurs night, and I was off yesterday. I had to stick close to home anyways since I had to do a 24 hour urine collection. Since I had to collect it all day, doing home care and working in a school is not ideal (especially since I had to keep my output in the fridge). Could you imagine that request? They give you this big ole' container and you have to pee in it for 24 hours. This now becomes more challenging since I am now making nighttime runs to the bathroom. You can not sit and go into this container, so I had to go nearly like a man. I started to wonder how full I would get the container, and if the lab personnel would be appalled at my output. Mike asked to borrow the container to see if he could beat my output. I was happy to just go normally when it was done. When I went to the lab this AM, I had to put the container in a big ole' biohazard bag. On the check in counter there is a tray for specimins, but I figured that they really did not want me to leave it there! So hopefully I do not have to repeat that experience. I bet they just take out a syring and draw out 5 ccs of it.

The spartan game was fun today. They just make me too damn nervous. The showed the swimmers practicing outside at the IM west during the game which was a blast from the past. I got some MSU swag for the future Spartan from Anita last weekend when we went to watch the UM-MSU game with them. Out of fairness for Mike, there was UM swag too, but I do not plan on using the outfits. So if you see UM gear on the little one, Mike was responsible.

Prediction

I am convinced we will have the snowiest winter in recent memory since I will not be able to ski. The snow is starting already! Mike actually mentioned it last night, but he did not want to tell me what he was thinking. Believe me, the thought has occured to me.

Basics - A Look at the Vestibular System, Keeping Us in Balance - NYTimes.com

Basics - A Look at the Vestibular System, Keeping Us in Balance - NYTimes.com

Bleedin' Gums W

Good Lord, some of these symptoms are so friggin' weird. I read about the bleedin' gums, and it started today! So now you can call me a gaggin', bleedin' gums, trainwreck!

What the Hay?

Surfacing - Perfect Places to Hit the Hay in Germany - NYTimes.com

Some important research.....

Popular New York Baby Names, 2007 - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
I suppose I should find out what is cool around these parts!

RastaMike

Mike has never liked reggae. Our guitar teacher has us working on Bob Marley's Redemption Song, and he is digging some reggae for the first time.

Heroes

1. I knew Hiro could not kill Ando.
2. So I guess Adam is no more?
3. I thought the speedster would save Nathan and the Nikki look alike.
4. Mr. Petrelli is quite a bad ass.
5. How come Nathan did not heal his mother? He saved Nathan's ass a bunch of times.

A new quest

Flying squirrel experience remains vivid | lohud.com | The Journal News
I need to see one of these now.

Heroes

1. Sounds like Deja-vu when they are trying to stop things from blowing up again.
2. KC was right about the Mohinder turning into the fly (or something close).
3. I am confused about Hiro. I thought the speedster and the Haitian got his half of the formula.
4. What happened to Nathan's original wife?
5. Is present Peter going to screw everything up?
6. Why did'nt they bring the Haitian when they rounded up Peter? They could have prevented Siler's explosion.