Pregnant Lady spills the beans

Posted on June 19, 2009
Filed Under Blather, Pennsylvania, das kiddo, dining, family, friends, me and my brain, the 'hood, the written word | 7 Comments

Now that I’m pretty far along, I’ve been pondering my overall thoughts on this whole pregnancy business. I don’t have anything too deep to impart just at the moment, but here are some practical reflections:

Only time will tell if it will actually achieve its intended purpose–to reduce stretch marks–but I have loved using Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
http://www.burtsbees.com/wcsstore/Bee2C/images/products/762_l.jpg

It just feels nice to smooth it onto the ever-expanding baby bump. I haven’t tried any of the other belly butters for pregnant women, so I can’t offer a comparison, but I’ll go ahead and recommend Mama Bee anyhow.

There are a lot of books and magazines out there, and I’ve done my darnedest to ignore most of them. Some are targeted at a different sort of mother, I think. Some just seem like a series of ads with nothing more than absolute fluff (if that) in between. And some have agendas that don’t fit in with what I have in mind for myself and my family. All that said, I have come across a few books and even a magazine or two that aren’t too bad–a few are even helpful! One of the first books we bought when we found out we were pregnant was the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. It’s a good reference guide with straightforward explanations of what’s happening to your body and to your baby throughout pregnancy. Another good book (well, I haven’t had a chance to test out the book’s recommendations yet, but it seems good) is The Happiest Baby on the Block. Yeah, it’s kind of the flavor of the moment, and there’s a good bit of rah-rah in the book, but the basic advice it provides on how to calm a crying baby is specific, seems sound, and comes recommended to me from friends and medical pros. As for magazines, the only ones I’ve been able to stomach have come to me free from my Ob/Gyn office. Fit Pregnancy seems to be at the center of the franchise, and they also publish some special magazines for mom and newborn and that kind of thing. It’s still a magazine with ads and some goofy celeb articles, so it’s not perfect, but it seems aimed more at an intelligent, perhaps more modern and urban audience than some of the other mags. I’ve found decent product reviews, recommended exercises, recipes, etc. in a couple of recent issues.

Ez and I have taken two classes so far at Harvard Vanguard in Cambridge–Prepared Childbirth and Caring for Your Newborn–and I’m so glad we took both of them. Sure, some of what was discussed we already knew, but there’s plenty we didn’t, and it’s good to have it all confirmed and put together coherently. It’s also good to see other expectant couples and hear how they’re doing. Our instructors were both very good–very knowledgeable, approachable, and down-to-earth. I know that Isis Maternity does loads of classes, and they’re probably very good, but I just wanted to go with the Harvard Vanguard classes. I’m not sure, but I think they might be a little cheaper (may depend on your insurance). Even if they’re not, I just wanted to stick with something that feels a little less retail and a little more health-oriented for now. As with the Mama Bee, I can’t compare the classes to anything else, really, but I feel that I can whole-heartedly recommend them.

There are a lot of deals out there.  The major baby clothing folks have frequent sales.  Of the basic standby brands, Carters and Oshkosh seem pretty good–they might even be corporately connected at this point.  They have a lot of outlet stores and they’re always sending out coupons and having promotions.  Gymboree is all right, though I think their stuff is maybe a little better for slightly older children rather than newborns.  They have a lot of sales, too. 

http://www.teacollection.com/live/images/products/small/R93267L_Cilantro.jpg
Our kiddo has this little gem from Tea Collection waiting for him.

When it comes to slightly more posh stuff, I’m a fan of the Tea Collection (well, some of it), BabySoy, and Janie and Jack.  Janie and Jack can be a little on the uber-preppy side, but the stuff is very well made and some of it is so cute!  It’s pricey, but sometimes they have good sales, and sometimes it’s just worth it to splurge.
 
http://s7d3.scene7.com/is/image/JanieAndJack/100008662?$PRODLIST$
Bubnick’s hoodie from Janie and Jack. You can’t see from this little picture, but it has a submarine on it.

BabySoy stuff is simple, well made, and really soft.  Of those three more pricey clothing options, Tea Collection has the best sales.  Their range is nice when I’m sick of the blue for boys, pink for girls business.

And then there are the consignment shops. I mean, kids grow fast! Super big props to my pal Lisa for taking me on a tour of some of her favorite kid consignment stores in our area. My fave of them all is Growing Up in Belmont (they’re on facebook but don’t have a web site yet). Their prices are just as good as other consignment shops, and they get in the best merch. There are good kid consignment shops everywhere, it seems. I’ve been to good ones in State College and the DC/Northern VA area, too.

Lots of people have asked me how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been craving. At first, I felt pretty good. At the VERY beginning, I was a bit light-headed and warm. In the first trimester, I was pretty tired at times, and maybe a little moody, but I really never had “morning sickness.” I was lucky. My second trimester was pretty easy, as it is for most people, though I think I had less energy than some people have. I found out around the end of my 2nd trimester that I am anemic (possibly pregnancy-related), and that may be why I felt so blah. I’m on iron supplements now, and I think they’re helping. Sometime during my 2nd trimester, the heartburn started. Now it’s pretty bad, especially at night. That’s the big thing that kept me up a couple of days ago. No amount of antacids, repositioning, or drinking water seemed to help. But some days it’s better than others, and it’s very normal at this stage in pregnancy. Like many pregnant women, I’m experiencing a little swelling. I especially notice it in my ankles, but again–it’s not that bad. I’ve encountered pregnant women who have it a lot worse than I do. As of today, I physically just feel big. I get winded pretty easily. Again, that’s all typical. That’s me, Typical Terri the Pregnancy Fairy. Anyhoo…

Cravings… I don’t know that I’ve had specific cravings, but looking back on what I’ve been eating over the last 8 months, I’ve consumed a good bit of:

Those are the items that seem remarkable. I still eat a lot of tomatoes, and my veggie intake seems about the same as ever. If I am getting more protein, I think it’s from the dairy products and nuts. I haven’t been eating substantially more soy products or anything like that. And I tried pickles at one point, because you know–they say pregnant women crave pickles. Well, I actually found them a bit repulsive, and usually I like dill pickles. Go figure.

And a final note: I might have the best friends and family in the whole world. Whenever I get a bit nervous or stressed about some aspect of pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood, I am able to handle it okay, and I think a lot of that is because I know I have support from friends (both those with children of their own and those without), family (via phone, web, and in person), and of course my wonderful husband. Besides the obvious biological stuff, I would not be doing this without him. We’ve always said that when we are together everything is better. We’re planting this kid in a well-tended garden.


All right, here are your pictures

Posted on May 31, 2009
Filed Under Blather, art, das kiddo, family, friends, nostalgia | 2 Comments

For those of you who need to see the nursery and other things I’ve mentioned (Kim, for example), here ya go.

Some views of the nursery in progress:




I’m planning to hang some images from vintage children’s books in the nursery once I get mats cut.



I’ll try to put this one in a shadow box–the book is in nice condition and I don’t want to cut it up.

And here we have Heather’s adorable doggie, Misha. This is an old picture, but it’s so cute I couldn’t resist. How could anyone abandon this dog? Heather just found her… tried to discover her owner, but no one ever stepped forward, so Heather got herself this great dog!


Overanalyzing Pretty in Pink–beware!

Posted on May 29, 2009
Filed Under Blather, art, films, me and my brain, nostalgia, the telly | 2 Comments

Most people have a favorite teen movie from their youth. Mine would have to be Pretty in Pink. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it. I saw it with a bunch of school friends (all girls–many of us were teary-eyed as we exited the theater) when it was first released in 1986. I’ve owned the video (VHS) for at least 16 years. It’s been a little while since I last watched it, but it was on AMC the other day–slightly and amusingly butchered–and watching it again I was reminded of some of the enduring reasons that I like it, even now. I also noticed–in some cases for the first time–some of the ways in which it doesn’t work. When you’ve seen a movie countless times, it’s hard not to pick up on editing gaffes, plot inconsistencies, and the quality of the acting–both when it’s bad and when it’s, maybe surprisingly, pretty decent.

The set designer must have had a lot of fun doing this movie. Even now, even with the overabundance of pink, I still like Andie’s bedroom. This time around, I noticed that she has at least one–maybe two–Mondrian prints on her walls. I can’t say whether that influenced me as a teenager, even subconsciously, to check out Mondrian myself, but it’s entirely possible. Iona’s Chinatown apartment is fun, too–though the kooky retro 50s/early 60s black and white stuff isn’t really my taste.

Andy's bedroom
Andie in her bedroom with her dog, Ace. Sadly, this is one of the best pictures I could find of her room–doesn’t show much, but you can see one of the Mondrian prints on the wall in the background.

Iona's apartment
Iona (Annie Potts) and Andie (Molly Ringwald) in the kooky 50s/60s room in Iona’s apartment. Andie is wearing a pretty nice Chinese jacket.

Trax, the record store where Andie and Iona work, makes me all nostalgic! I mean, did we all know someone who had that Smiths poster, or is it just me?
Iona at Trax
Iona at Trax

Of course Andie’s outfits are fun. That’s a little part of the point, right? She makes a lot of her own clothes… the film is even called Pretty in Pink. Some of it probably looks a bit goofy to someone watching the movie for the first time today, but I still like some of the pieces and combinations. Some of the colors are great. I like the vintage blue cardigan she wears at the record shop, and I especially love that lace top (can’t find a good picture of it, of course).

I’ve always liked John Cryer in this movie, and this time around I spotted some specific places–besides the classic Otis Redding scene, of course–where his acting really is pretty good. When he realizes Andie is going on a date with Blane (the major appliance), the hurt look on his face is perfect. Most of his acting in that part of the film really works, keeping in mind that he’s supposed to be in high school…

Andy and Duckie
Andie and Duckie at the record store, when Duckie realizes that Andie is going on a date with Blane

James Spader is just great as Blane’s ridiculously snotty friend Steff. His affected voice, the way he saunters around like he owns the place, his thick sleepy eyelids… he totally nails it. The bit at the end where Blane tells him off is classic. “You couldn’t buy her, though, that’s what’s killing you, isn’t it? Steff? That’s it, Steff. She thinks you’re shit. And deep down, you know she’s right.” Melodramatic? Yeah, perhaps. But for a John Hughes movie, that’s a pretty good zinger. James Spader as Steff
James Spader as Steff

Even Andrew McCarthy, who turned out to be rather less of an actor than he might have been, has a couple pretty good moments here and there. Possibly the best scene in a lot of ways is the one where Andie confronts Blane in the hallway at school. McCarthy’s character is doing a lot here–he’s squirming, for sure. He ends up doing the wimpy thing–but he’s crying. It’s not easy for him. (I’ve watched this scene many times, of course, and I think it’s really pivotal for how the film was supposed to end–but I’ll get to that in a second.) Duckie watches this whole scene unfold, and sees the aftermath of their exchange, where Steff tells Blane that Andie “was, is, and will always be nada.” I think Cryer again does a pretty good job here, and of course there’s some good John Hughes movie triumph involved when Duckie tackles Steff and they scuffle in the hall, with Duckie tearing down the prom banner after a few teachers come out of their classrooms to break it up. Steff’s reaction to the whole thing is great, too. It’s largely physical–refluffing his fluffy hair, spitting on the floor, dripping smooth disdain.

The filmmakers have been pretty open about the fact that they changed the movie’s ending after test audiences were disappointed that Andie and Blane did not end up together. In the original, Andie and Duckie end up together. I can see why test audiences felt the way they did. You want the film’s message to be that love conquers all–that class differences are superficial and don’t matter, and you want the characters to be strong enough to get past them. Andie and Blane’s romance gets built up, and even though the viewer sees just how much Duckie likes Andie, there’s not enough (at least, not that made it into the final cut) to show that Andie could see Duckie as much more than a friend, though there is one very purposeful shot at the prom where they take each other’s hands. That got left in, and I can’t help thinking that the filmmakers hoped it would serve a different purpose in the final cut than it did in the test version. To me, it looks like it’s supposed to show that they’re growing closer–maybe romantically. Perhaps the filmmakers decided to leave it in to signify that Duckie and Andie had reconciled and to show their unity as they confront Blane together.

Andie and Blane
Andie and Blane, selling BMW.

The ending that did make it into the film is almost too John Hughes-y. It’s too easy, too quickly thrown together. Of course, when I saw it in 1986 (I was 12, I think), I thought it was perfect. Heck, it made me want a BMW. But watching it now–not so much. There’s this whole thing between Andie and Blane earlier in the film where she tells Blane that she can’t believe in anyone who doesn’t believe in her. At the prom he tells her that he always believed in her but she just didn’t believe in him. Well, duh Blane… you wimped out on her! You started out all brave, taking her to your friend’s party and saying you were above it all, but then you caved! You didn’t return her calls! You backed out on the prom! Something there just doesn’t compute. And pairing Duckie up with some random girl at the prom is just silly. It reduces his role in the film.

I could probably go on, if anyone else is freakish enough to want to continue the discussion…

EDIT: Ah! But YouTube saves the day. Pretty vintage blue beaded sweater is at the beginning of this clip. And oh look–she’s wearing the lacy top thing under it. Around 2:20 she closes a door and we see the aforementioned Smiths poster, and then the scene shifts to her bedroom–Mondrian prints, pretty kimono on the wall, etc. Unfortunately, John Cryer’s good expression when he finds out that Andie is going out with Blane is split over two clips. Most of it is at the beginning of this one. It’s better when you see his initial reaction, though. Molly Ringwald is really kinda so-so compared to Cryer in that scene. Sorry, Molly.

The confrontation scene mentioned above starts around 4:45 here. Great stuff from Spader and Cryer… at least, great for a John Hughes movie.

For now I’ll save the rest for when I’m asked to provide commentary for a special edition of the DVD. (Hyuck hyuck.)


Catching Up

Posted on May 29, 2009
Filed Under Blather, das kiddo, daytripping, family, friends, music, this old house | 2 Comments

Time marches on, and progress continues.

Over the last couple of weekends, Ez and I ran about a million errands, and at the end of it all we had an assembled crib with mattress and crib skirt in place, nursery curtains hung, fully-stocked kitchen cabinets, and cheerful new plants to add to the new-life vibe we’re cultivating. We also found time to go to the beach on Memorial Day.

May 19 we went to see St. Vincent at the Somerville Theater. Opening act Pattern as Movement was… well… hideous in my opinion. My attempt to describe them: Opera jazz rock with ethnic yodels and sea lions. Ezra’s attempt, perhaps more on the nose: Catholic liturgical prog mass. I’m sure they’re lovely people, but… no. St. Vincent is always good stuff, and the new album sounds like another solid effort, but the show felt too short. After seeing her from the front row at the Middle East last year, the whole thing felt much less intimate to me. The Somerville Theater isn’t a bad venue for her, but really small venues are often best. Tuesday’s show was the first of her current tour, so perhaps later shows will feel a tad more spontaneous.

Recently, I also got to visit with dear friend Heather and meet her adorable doggie, Mischa. No joke, I’d say at least 15 groups of people stopped on the street to admire the pup and chat with us. That Mischa is a charming pooch.

We went to our first childbirth class this week. Seems good so far. Ez made me giggle–probably without even trying–during the relaxation exercise.

Ooo–we are finally getting a new dryer. Whooppee! Dry clothes.

Okay, so this post is pretty boring, with no fun pictures. I plan to follow it up with a silly post, less relevant to anything at all, but with pictures (not mine). Prepare for visual stimulation! Ish!


Pretty days in Somerville

Posted on April 30, 2009
Filed Under Blather, art, das kiddo, family, knitting, the 'hood, this old house | 3 Comments

Except for Tuesday, which was super hot, it has been really lovely recently. Each day has been filled with clear sunshine and the temps have been in the upper 50s-upper 60s. I’ve been enjoying my little walks (mostly to True Grounds, my current favorite coffee shop/work spot).

This week our nursery furniture arrived. The crib and dresser came on Tuesday. They both require assembly, so they’re in pieces at the moment, but last night we did open up the crib box just to make sure everything looks okay. It does. Yesterday the comfy glider arrived. Looking at the measurements online I was a little worried that the chair would be too big to fit through the doorway to the nursery, but Ez got it through with no trouble. I like it! We’ll have to be vigilant about de-linting it… microfiber, you know.

chair

This week I also finished the second knit hat for our little muncher. It’s the same as the first, but in a different yarn and color. I liked working with the wool yarn a bit better–I think that’s a general preference of mine. In my experience, wool just tends to be softer and to produce better stitch definition. I think both of the hats are super cute, though. He’ll have one for summer/fall and one for fall/winter! Oh, and I finally (after–what is it now–13 years of knitting?) got some little double pointed needles to finish the top of the hat instead of improvising and probably stretching out the yarn. I’m not sure what I was nervous about–that I’d drop stitches or lose the little needles, I guess.

nursery paint tests
Last night Ez tried out two paint colors in the nursery, so I’ll be periodically wandering in there today to scrutinize. It’s a sort of drab green at the moment, so the effect of the new (light, slightly greenish blue) paint is going to be very different. We’ve been pondering leaving our Miro poster where it is in the nursery–all those bright colors and interesting shapes!–challenging and exciting!–perfect for our kid, right? But we’re thinking maybe not. It’s not Miro’s “friendliest” work. It’s open to interpretation, but it might be a bit angry-looking, even war-like, for a fresh-hatched type. I can see just the spot where we can move it in the living room, in fact. He can worry about war and anger later.


Why we love Suki, part 3876559

Posted on April 22, 2009
Filed Under Blather, family, photography, the pusses, this old house | Leave a Comment

Suki

There’s nothing like the ways of a cat to make you stop what you’re doing, forget about stress and tasks, and just say “tee hee!” and be happy. I recently went through a lot of papers and files in my office and produced 5+ bags of recycling. In the midst of moving furniture out of the office, we discovered Suki as you see her here. Never to be deterred from perching in the sun’s rays, and as much a fan of little nesting places as the next cat, she found that this particular bag of recycling would do quite nicely, thank you.


A Visual Montage

Posted on April 22, 2009
Filed Under Blather, craft, daytripping, friends, knitting, photography | 3 Comments

I promised a picture of the little hat I knit over the weekend, so here it is!

Knit hat

And while I’m at it, here are a few others to catch you up on the last several months.

Union Square, New York January in New York’s Union Square

doorway, Portsmouth
A Doorway in Portsmouth, NH

And the obligatory picture of a cute baby, Lydia, who we finally met over the weekend.

Lydia and JohnLydia and John


A Monday in New England, or an excuse to catch up on the ol’ blog

Posted on April 20, 2009
Filed Under Blather, craft, das kiddo, daytripping, family, friends, knitting, sports in general, this old house | Leave a Comment

So it’s Patriot’s Day, which I didn’t even know existed before I moved to the Boston area. And it’s Marathon Monday–this year it’s the 113th running of the Boston marathon. A guy Ezra works with has already finished. He came in 60th overall. Yeah, that’s right, 60th out of 26,331. One of Ezra’s other co-workers and our friend Randolph are still hoofing along and seem to be doing quite well. Whoop whoop!

Suki is at my shoulder as I write this, accepting kisses and purring.

Some New Englanders have today off; Ezra is working from home.

We had quite a busy weekend. Saturday we met up with friends John, Sonya, and their wee spunkmeister Lydia. Pictures of Lydia eating and generally checking out the world are coming soon. After a nice little visit with the pals, we decided to go to IKEA. Our goal this trip out was to get some lamps for the nursery, but of course we ended up finding a lot of other things that we genuinely need as well–a new bathroom rug, some little pads to prevent our furniture from scratching the floor, that sort of thing. Then yesterday we rented a U-Haul van and moved some assorted furniture out of the home office and into the studio. I’m not yet totally useless for such things, though anyone watching me push my wheeled cabinet up the ramp at the studio enjoyed quite a little comedy routine, and I did wake up this morning with an assortment of aches. We moved the larger part of the desk through our (open) front window… we’re just a couple of engineering geniuses is all.

Last Friday we had a doctor’s appointment, and afterward I wandered over to Windsor Button, where I found two skeins of Sirdar Sublime yarn–one a washable merino and one a washable cotton. They’re in such nice colors–I had to get them to make hats for our mini muncher. I finished the first one last night–they’re so easy! Pictures to come.


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On My Needles

Rhapsody in Tweed cabled pullover for Ezra! using Tahki Donegal Tweed in Forest, from Fall 2004 Interweave Knits. I've just picked this one up again, so it's moving up in the queue!

Sweater with Cable Patterns pullover using Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in Mauve, from Rebecca Magazine Number 28

Heather Pullover using Classic Elite Wings in Larkspur, from Rowan’s A Season’s Tale... This needs the knit doctor. I'm going to have to frog back a little bit and redo the shoulder area. Long story.

Hush Pullover using Jo Sharp DK wool in Wine, from Rowan’s Calmer Collection

Recently Finished Projects

In the Groove boatneck pullover using Manos del Uruguay in Black and Cheek (pale pink), from Fall 2006 issue of knitscene. SWEATER IS DONE!

Stash Stealer Scarf for me, using delicious yarn that darling Amy let me raid from her stash. I made up the pattern--a couple of wide ribs rimmed in moss stitch. It's soft and fuzzy and DONE!

Moss Stitch Jacket with Collar for Hope using Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo in Ivy, from Quick Baby Knits by Debbie Bliss. JACKET IS DONE!

Next in line

Brompton cardigan using Noro Cash Iroha in Jewel Green (my name for shade #100)

Eyelet Yoke Pullover using Debbie Bliss Merino Aran

Under consideration

Loads!

More scoop on my knitting endeavors can be found at my home on Ravelry (clicky here).

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