Kiwi and The Bump

Both of our dogs have demonstrated a change in behavior in response to the pregnancy. Blue has always been a tiny-brained sweetheart, but he's never been a cuddly dog. Also, he used to follow Eric around constantly. Nowadays, Blue stays by my side regularly, and he's very, very affectionate with me.

As for Kiwi, she's the same crafty little weirdo she always was, but she always seems to position herself very close to The Bump. Here are some shots Eric took this morning of Kiwi getting cozy with Squirt:

What these images don't reveal is that Squirt was aggressively kicking Kiwi while Eric was taking the pictures. Without a doubt, Kiwi could feel the assault, but she wouldn't budge.

And speaking of Squirt, I had one last ultrasound on Friday, at the 35-week mark. The ultrasound technician calculated that Squirt now weighs 5 lbs 12 oz. What a fatso! No, I'm kidding. I learned from one of my pregnancy books that a "low birth weight" baby is one who is born weighing less than 5 lbs 8 oz, so even if Squirt were born today, this is just one more hurdle he's cleared. I did get two pictures from the appointment, but Squirt is so big now that even I have trouble identifying what's going on in the pictures. So, I'm not going to bother posting them, but please don't feel like I'm holding out -- the pictures really don't reveal anything at all.

Oh, and the ultrasound technician informed me that Squirt has hair! She pointed to some fuzz on the monitor and identified it as hair. So the question remains: What color will Squirt's hair be?

Authentic Virginia

Virginia Day Trip

Because our child-free existence is soon to be over, Eric and I decided to craft a day trip for ourselves today. We drove down to a little town on the Potomac called Colonial Beach, about an hour and a half southeast of our house. After checking out Colonial Beach, we drove to the nearby Ingleside Winery. (No, I didn't participate in a tasting. I left that business to Eric. I think this is the first time I've ever been to a winery without doing a tasting. Weird.)







I have to add that there was more to our trip than leisure and lovely scenery. Stepping out of the DC metropolitan area exposed us to some, uh, authentic Virginia. We got a couple pictures. But those pictures deserve a separate post all to themselves. In fact, I think I'm now inspired to start a series on this blog called "Authentic Virginia."

This Is For Gretchen

To everyone else: This is from waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, and there are so many things going on in this picture, I'm not even going to attempt an explanation. Sorry to be so cryptic.

The Good, The Bad, and The Fugly

We're having some computer issues at the house these days, so it may be awhile before we post anything new. Thus, I wanted to post a status update before this computer crashes on me.

• I'm just a couple days shy of 34 weeks, which means Squirt is only a couple weeks away from being full-term. Woo-hoo!
  

• Lately, Squirt gets the hiccups at least once a day; it usually happens two or three times per day. It's really, really cute. Eric and I can both feel it. (In case anyone is wondering if this is okay, rest assured that it's good for him -- hiccups help develop his lungs and diaphragm.)
  

• My dad bought us a gorgeous crib and changing table combo, which is now fully assembled in Squirt's newly painted room. The nursery is coming together! Once our computer problems are worked out, I'll post a picture. And in the meantime: THANKS, DAD!
  

• I'm enormous, and getting bigger by the minute. Again, as soon as our computer problems are squared away, I'll post a picture -- that is, if we can fit all of my hugeness into one camera frame. Some of my maternity tops don't even cover my belly anymore. That's right -- clothes that are specifically designed to accommodate a pregnant belly are now too small for my belly. I'm not really sure how I'm going to dress myself in a few weeks. Garbage bags, maybe?
  

• Most likely, we will be scheduling a c-section around the 39-week mark. The date hasn't been scheduled yet, and when it is scheduled we might not announce it in advance. (We're not trying to be jerks, we just thought we could try to retain an element of surprise!) Squirt will be born at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. Incidentally, this is the exact same hospital where my dad was born. Pretty cool, right?
  

• In case anyone was wondering what happened to their invitation, we're not having a baby shower because the vast majority of our friends and family live in California or New York.
  

That's all for now.....

A Day of Mixed Emotions

August 8, 2008, marks two very significant anniversaries, one solemn and one celebratory. One year ago today, my best friend Janice's brother, Danny, was killed. (I hate to word it so crudely, but it's not a pleasant story, and I feel like I would be doing a disservice by glossing it up.) So, today is a day of remembrance, and not a day on which I want to celebrate.

Nevertheless, today is also Eric's and my wedding anniversary. Eric and I have been great pals for about ten years, we became more-than-friends five and a half years ago, and we got married four years ago today. The amount of love and respect and admiration I have for Eric makes me want to shout it from the rooftops, although that's probably not advisable in my current condition. I'm clumsy enough on solid ground these days.

So, I guess what I want to say in this posting is that my heart goes out to Janice and her family -- my thoughts are with them today. And to Eric, here's to the first four years -- no woman on the planet loves her husband more than I love mine.

To Queue or Not To Queue: Yep, That's the Question

THIS NY Times article will resonate with anyone in the Bay Area who has had the displeasure of negotiating a merge at the westbound entrance of the Caldecott Tunnel. For those unfamiliar with the specific setting discussed by the author, I thought of an East Coast phenomenon that is comparable.

In NYC, getting on the subway, or a bus, or an escalator is total anarchy. There is no queuing, no courtesy, no collective conscience commanding order in the name of the greater good. You just get to your destination as quickly as you can, and you throw some elbows along the way if you have to, because screw everyone else.

Comparatively, in DC, people generally line up in an orderly fashion to get on a bus, an escalator, whatever. And when a train arrives in DC, rather than trying to board the train as soon as the doors open (a la NYC), everyone on the platform stands aside so as to allow on-board passengers to disembark first. The DC approach requires everyone to compromise, and, sure, that means a few people have to sacrifice individual efficiency for common courtesy, but the trade-off is a smooth transaction from which everyone can walk away feeling peaceful and neighborly.

For years, my dad and I have had a running debate about the approach to the westbound entrance of the Caldecott Tunnel, and now our discussion can benefit from some of the handy definitions provided by the author of the NY Times article. My dad is a Sidezoomer of the worst kind: He takes the frontage road exit and then cuts in front of the Lineuppers after we have dutifully suffered through the merge. (Incidentally, I learned this evening that Eric is also a frontage road Sidezoomer. Grrr.)

I am a Lineupper of the worst kind: A vigilante who NEVER permits the Sidezoomers to cut in front of my car. And I mean NEVER. It's a point of pride for me, and I relish every incident in which a Sidezoomer has flipped me off or yelled obscenities at me because I didn't allow them to cut in line.

The oversimplified version of my dad's argument in support of his method is this: It's perfectly legal. My argument, oversimplified, in opposition to his method is this: It's totally uncivilized. However, as the NY Times article points out, both of our approaches are legal, both are uncivilized, and both hinder efficient traffic flow.

Dad, shall we call it a draw?

(By the way, the picture above, which I took during my last trip to CA, shows traffic headed toward the eastbound entrance of the Caldecott Tunnel, i.e. the Oakland side. And, as Bay Area locals know, HERE is why the sign in the picture below exists.)

Notes on a Pregnancy: An Exhaustive Reflection

Now that we're in the home stretch, I thought it might be worthwhile for me to memorialize some of my thoughts about this pregnancy. One thing that has amazed me throughout my pregnancy is the number of women who say to me, "I loved being pregnant! Loved every minute of it!" See, I think there are a lot of things about pregnancy that colossally suck. So, childbirth must induce a form of amnesia, because I never hear anyone say, "Wow, pregnant, huh? Bummer. Having kids is awesome, but the pregnancy part really blows." And this is, in part, what prompted me to compose this blog entry.

For anyone reading this who really, honestly, and truly had an absolutely glorious pregnancy from start to finish, good for you. I'm envious. Now here's my experience:

Things I Hate About Pregnancy, In General:

• All the restrictions about what to eat and what not to eat. It wasn't bad at first, because I had so much momentum and enthusiasm about being healthy and doing everything properly. Now, at 32 weeks, my level of commitment remains the same, but I'm finding the restrictions annoying, and I would kill to be able to indulge in any or all of the following: a big glass of a really tannic Napa Valley red wine; a giant mug of Peet's coffee, or a cappuccino; a tuna fish sandwich; sushi (I've been nostalgic about THIS place lately); etc, etc.

• I hate being a slave to all the vitamins and supplements. Taking them is not difficult, but it feels like such a chore because I don't have a choice in the matter. And when forget to take one, and don't realize it until the next day, then I feel like a jerk.
  

• Ah, the bloating and the weight gain. Much to my surprise, I've actually stayed within the recommended weight gain limits, but, still, it ain't pretty. I thought The Bump was really cute until about a month ago. Now I just look like a big fat heifer. But even worse than the changes to my appearance are the changes to my mobility. Getting up from a reclining position requires rolling off the couch or the bed, which is accompanied by a good deal of grunting and groaning. Heifer!!! Also, I'm getting increasingly clumsy and wobbly, and I miss wearing my wedding ring.

• My biggest gripe: Why does everyone on the planet seem to feel they have license to inundate a pregnant woman with unsolicited advice?!? I'm not just talking about friends and family, because friends and family get a lot of latitude here -- not unlimited latitude, but a lot. The worst offenders are vague acquaintances, or random people I don't know at all. To those people, I have this to say: Shut up. If I don't know you, and I didn't ask for your input, then shut up.

Things I Hate About My Pregnancy (i.e. not all pregnant women have to deal with this nonsense):

• Holy smokes, the freakin' nausea. I lost weight in the first trimester, because I felt like I was going to throw up 24-7. And nothing helped -- not Saltines, not Tums, not ginger, not those stupid overpriced Sea-Bands. Much to my dismay, the nausea did NOT subside once I hit the second trimester, and in one of my last appointments in NYC, my doctor told me that I was on the borderline for not gaining enough weight. (Pregnancy concerns aside, being told that I needed to gain weight was pretty awesome, actually.) Now, in the third trimester, I still get nausea, but not every day. Bottom line: I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

• Placenta previa. For those who don't know, we will be scheduling a c-section because of this condition. I don't mind the c-section part, but there are two things about placenta previa that I hate: (1) "Pelvic rest" is annoying. That's all I'm going to say about it. (2) I'm terrified that I'm going to go into labor before the c-section, which could cause all kinds of problems.

How I've Been Fortunate During This Pregnancy:

• Amazingly, I have not had to deal with any unwanted belly-touching. I've heard so many horror stories about pregnant women being approached by strangers who feel entitled to touch The Bump. Luckily, I haven't had to deal with that. And that's good because, although I don't enjoy being mean, my response to a stranger's hands on my belly would be scathingly unpleasant, and would involve words that I don't want to post on this blog.

• I've read that some women get plagued by acne during their pregnancies. That sounds miserable, and for anyone who had to go through that, you have my sympathy. Fortunately, I seem to have been spared the pregnancy acne.... so far.

• At the risk of jinxing myself, I'll reveal that I don't have any stretch marks on my stomach.... yet. I still have a few weeks to go, and Squirt is due to gain a few more pounds still, so I'm not out of the woods yet.

Things I Love About Pregnancy (yes, there are a few...):

• Hearing Squirt's heartbeat for the first time brought tears to my eyes. Thump-a, thump-a, thump-a...

• I will never get tired of watching the action going on under my skin. At first, we could only see Squirt's activity during the ultrasounds, all of which were very exciting. But now, from the outside, to the naked eye of the casual observer, it looks like there is a cartoon fightball going on in my belly. Seriously. The first time I saw my belly actually move like that, I laughed out loud. He's getting so big that we can see (and feel) little appendages poke out of The Bump now.

• Seeing Squirty on the 3D ultrasound was pretty breathtaking, especially since the ultrasound technician asked us spontaneously if we wanted to see him in 3D -- Eric and I weren't expecting that at all. Unless you've seen a 3D ultrasound, it might be hard to believe that the features are so clear, so I promise I'm not making this up: Squirt looks like Eric. But, let's take a poll: Do you think Squirt is going to be born with red hair (like me) or brown hair (like Eric)? Or will he be a deviant and shock us with some blond hair? I swear this question is practically keeping me up at night, I'm so curious about his hair color. Post your vote in a comment below, or email me, and then if I get enough (or any) responses I'll tally them and post the results in a few weeks. (UPDATE 8/5/08: I added a poll to our blog, which will make it easier for everyone to cast their vote.)
  

• Finally, and this is a weird one, but I actually like maternity clothes. Early on, I had so many women advise me to "just buy bigger clothes, don't waste your money on maternity clothes." I wholeheartedly disagree!!! (Sometimes the advice is not only unsolicited, it's also just plain WRONG!) Only maternity clothes fit right; bigger clothing hangs weird and just makes pregnant women look fat. I'm looking forward to not having to wear maternity clothes anymore, but, in the meantime, some of my ensembles are pretty darn cute!
  

Weirdest Pregnancy Craving:

• Pizza topped with black olives and pineapple -- a truly awesome epiphany I had one night. But, according to Eric, that's weird. This is actually the only weird example I can think of. (Maybe Eric can recall others?) My cravings have been mostly normal, but they happen in concentrated trends. For example, there was a week where the only thing I wanted to eat was cinnamon-raisin toast with butter. Another week I had a really powerful weakness for fig newtons. Right now, I could be happy eating nothing but pears. And so on and so forth.
  

Most Annoying Comments From Strangers:

• A man said to me a few weeks ago, totally unprompted, "So are you carrying twins in there?" WTF?!

• While in line at Starbucks to get some water and a healthy snack, a woman walked past me and muttered, "Better not give that baby any coffee..." Rude! Presumptuous and rude!

Well, I think that's exhaustive enough coverage of my 32 weeks thus far. If anyone has any pregnancy anecdotes they want to share in the "comments" section below this post, I'd love to read them.