Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Baby stuff we like

S and I have spent the better part of the past week inside most baby stores in NYC. We started a registry at Babies R Us, mainly because they have decent prices. We've been doing a ton of research, checking every review before adding any item to the registry. We spent many, many hours deciding on a stroller. The winner?


The Baby Jogger City Mini, in red. The thing folds with one pull and is lightweight compared to other strollers out there. Plus you can maneuver with one hand and it's spacious enough to accommodate a growing baby.

At the top of our list of things that we don't need but want really, really badly is this: Rockabye Baby
Specifically this: Lullaby Renditions of Bob Marley
They even have Metallica! Bjork! Zeppelin!

Each album is $16.98 a pop, but priceless really, when you think of the musical education the kid will be getting, straight out of the womb.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Let Go

I hope I remember this 18 years from now.

I believe that the one job parents have is to teach their children how to be self-sufficient. If you can do that well, then you have succeeded. You teach them the difference between right and wrong, you enable them to learn about the world and its ways. You teach them the simple skills and send them off to learn about the more complicated skills. You expand their minds.

Then you let them go and hope that they make wise decisions.

The letting go part was the step my mom wasn't the best at. She was wonderful at making sure that I got the best education possible. She made sure I had an innate sense of what's right vs. what's not. But she wasn't able to let me go make my own decisions, to be confident that I would be able to handle those tough choices on my own. The thing is, if you do your job well as a parent, then you need to have the confidence in your abilities. You need to let go.

I woke up thinking of this parallel with the religious ones of the world. The thing is, if you believe that God created you, that's fine. But I think that you should also recognize that maybe God created you, then left you on this earth to make your own decisions. One thing I absolutely abhor are those who refuse to help themselves because they think that God will take care of it all. I think the whole point of the human race is to just live and let live. Just like a parent would like his child to succeed on his own, maybe God as a creator would like you, as a member of the human race to do it on your own, instead of calling out his name every five minutes.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Summer in the City

I'm working until July 15th. Then I'm not.

I've already started making a mental list of all the things I'll be able to do with myself now that my presence won't be required in Midtown East. First on the list is a bunch of career/academic related stuff, for life post-belly.

Then there's New York in the summer. I spent last year's summer in India, and while that experience was amazing, I'm looking forward to being in my city with all the time in the world.

We are also making a trip to Georgia at the end of July to visit S's cousin. I'll be 30 weeks at that point. I'm a little worried though, because I have been hearing not so good things about the airline we are flying. A fellow blogger complained about her AirTran experience, and I've been reading even worse reviews online. I guess that's the hidden cost of dirt cheap tickets.

Then there's, of course, preparation for baby Z. The list of crap we will need grows daily. Oy.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Heavy

The weather has been wet and dreary for the entire month of June, with sporatic days of sunshine that are replaced by clouds so quickly that you wonder if it happened at all. The temperature isn't much better either, and I long for days when I can wear as little as possible. Then I remember that I'm pregnant. 100 degree weather might not be the best thing to wish for right now. When the weather does get that ridiculous, it'll be nice to come into work, just for the central air.

Our apartment is coming together, slowly. We have been collecting baby stuff. There's already a crib halfway set up in the bedroom, some early baby presents, and a bassinet, waiting to be put together. The crib has become a clotheshorse, collecting random pieces of clothing that S and I have been too lazy to put away or throw in the hamper. I'm waiting for the nesting phase to set in, at which point I'm sure I'll be all about getting the apartment Z ready.

Peanut has been renamed Z. My bladder is now called peenut, for obvious reasons.

I have taken to watching natural births on youtube, and every video makes me cry. I'm still hoping to have a drug-free delivery. I watched a video of one mother who was in labor for 12 hours but still managed to resist the epidural. She still opted for an all natural birth the second time around. These stories give me strength.

One of my biggest fears is that Z will be too large and will require a C-section. He's already too big for his age, and apparently I'm too big also. I spoke to my mom, who told me that she gained a grand total of 15 pounds when she was pregnant with me. And I weighed seven pounds, six ounces. I've already gained 22 pounds and I'm only in my second trimester!

Monday, June 8, 2009

22 Weeks

I'm bigger than most pregnant women at 22 weeks. Last night S and I went to see Away We Go, a cute movie about a pregnant couple, directed by Sam Mendes. The lead actress was six months pregnant for most of the movie but looked much bigger. She was even denied a seat on a plane because she looked over eight months and they wouldn't let her board without a doctor's note. Ah, I can relate.

This weekend I sucked up my pride and went shopping at a maternity store. I was looking exceptionally sloppy at work with my pants unzipped practically all the way. Now that I will definitely be working through the summer, I needed to look a little more put together. The maternity store experience was relatively painless. Of course, just as I suspected, the majority of the clothes were gaudy and matronly. I am not a 50 year old woman! They did have a few items that looked decent and actually fit. Even though I've gained more weight than normal, I've only gained in my abdomen. The rest of my body is still slim. Hence, I'm still a small. Whew! I left the store with pants, capris, a jean skirt, a dress and a blouse. Not a bad shopping spree!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Alive and Kicking

Yesterday I took S over to my parents house to meet my mother for the first time. Yes, I've been pregnant for 21 weeks and only now are they meeting. Those who haven't been reading my blogs for long (I've been blogging for over five years) won't get it, because they haven't been subjected to my blog rants about my mother and her irrational behavior, and the ups and downs of our relationship. I've been gun-shy because of her initial reaction to the pregnancy, which you can read about here, and also because of her behavior towards my previous boyfriend, the details of which I'll keep private.

I wasn't expecting much, but I daresay it went well. Yay.

Last night I also started to feel peanut kicking! The feeling is hard to describe...it's like I swallowed one of those high bouncing jacks balls and feel it bouncing around in there. It's a gentle kicking, a sweet reminder that there's a living thing swimming around in there.

I've also been developing other pregnancy side effects that aren't quite as gentle. I already know how I'm going to feel when I'm eighty. My bladder can't hold much liquid and I have to make frequent trips to the bano. Allergies have been kicking my ass this Spring, which isn't necessary a symptom of the pregnancy, but my violent sneezes frequently cause my tiny bladder to squeeze out a little pee, making me feel like I should start wearing depends.

I'm also achy. I get uncomfortable when I'm in one position for a long time, and its equally uncomfortable to shift positions. I can no longer climb long flights of stairs without running out of breath. Hell, I can't even walk at a normal (New York) pace!

It's all worth it though. I may complain and whine (especially to S) but the little things like seeing him on the ultrasound and feeling him make it all worthwhile.