brick wall, meet head

I've known pretty much since day one that Jack is a bit hard-headed. Despite my hopes, he has not outgrown this, rather it seems to have gotten more intense as he becomes able to do things and move things and make things happen When things do not go his way, he gets a little bit upset. Or something.

The other morning was a great example. I put him in the bouncy seat as usual and I was making breakfast and doing some laundry so I was not paying too much attention to him but I could hear him grunting and yelling out. I looked over at him and he was bracing his feet against the bars on either side of him and pulling with all his might at the seahorse that dangles from it. He was using his whole body to get this darn thing into his mouth and when it would not budge he was yelling indignantly at it.

I would have given anything to have my camera right there but it was in the other room and I was too half-asleep to even think about it until it was too late. I just stood there and laughed at him until my stomach hurt.

happy monday!

Jack's eyes are getting blue-er every day. I can't get a picture that shows the full extent of the blue-ness but these three are close.

In case those pictures leave you wondering, he is also getting cuter every day. And I mean that as objectively as possible.

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It seems that Jack has inherited my ability to fall asleep during a movie in a matter of seconds.

(Look at those chubby little legs! Don't you just want to eat them up?)

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Jack had his first playdate today. They both had a great time:

semi-coherent thoughts (with a bullet)

• Whoever first said that necessity breeds invention must have been pregnant. I have gotten really good at doing things with my toes instead of bending over. I have drawn the line at taking the silverware out of the dishwasher (but I thought about it) but it makes turning the fan on and off easier. Also picking up things for Chewy.

• I am so big now that when I sit and slouch just a little bit, my boobs touch my belly and my belly touches my thighs. Also, my thighs rub together when I walk now. I feel like I will never be normal-looking (or feeling) again.

• In the same vein, I am getting alarmingly close to gaining 50 pounds this pregnancy. The first couple of months when I was gaining a lot of weight, I thought that as long as I stayed around 40-45 pounds, I would feel OK with it. Now I'm hoping that I stay below 50, but considering I have 17 days left and I have gained at least 2 pounds a week (it has slowed down a bit the last couple of months but not that much) it doesn't look good.

• The other day, I came home to find a big box from diapers.com on my doorstep and I actually squueeeeeeed like a little girl. Some of you may know that I am planning on cloth-diapering Kumar, but the first couple of weeks, with the bellybutton and meconium and recovering from a c-section, I have decided to use disposables. I found these at diapers.com and they make me feel a little better about using disposables and wowwee, are those newborn size diapers adorable!! I also got the wipes and a spray from California Baby that is supposed to work great for diaper rash and can be used with cloth diapers because you cannot use diaper cream. And that spray smells amazing!

• It is December 19th and I have not done thing one regarding Christmas. I can't even make myself think about it, it's like it just doesn't even exist this year. I have to go out and pick up some gift cards to send to all my nieces and nephews and I'm hoping I can do that easily enough this weekend. Chris and I aren't really exchanging gifts this year because we are going to get a Wii and Wii fit for us both to use when we are chained to the house by an infant. (God knows I'm gonna need it in a biiiiiiiiig way, see above) We plan to exchange gifts with Chris's mom when she comes down for the baby and I hope to do the same with my parents when they come down. Really all I can think about is all the stuff I have left to get before the baby gets here and everyone else is just going to have to understand.

• Also, Christmas cards? Not gonna happen. I apologize to anyone who is offended by this but they also need to get over it.

• Chewy has a new girlfriend. Her name is Rosie and she is a 9-month old puggle. She is about 1/10th his size and chases him around the park and sometimes they lay on the ground together and she bites his mouth and face until he gives her the ball. I really have to try to get pictures and/or video of it; it is so cute I can't stand it.

august / december

The Summer of 1999, I spent some time in Hamburg, Germany. I had been working for German clients in Miami for years and that Summer I was invited by an agency to come and spend at least a month and meet new clients and work and hopefully make a lot of money. August in the modeling world is a very slow month and in some cities (Milan, Paris) there is actually no work at all and in others (New York) it is just very slow. Hamburg is one of the strange ciites where there is still a lot of work to be had in August so I thought it would be a good idea to go.

I did not know this until I got there, but Hamburg in August is like most other cities in, say, November.. The average temperature when I was there was 53 degrees and it rained Every. Single. Day. If you can overlook the weather (or are one of those sick people who enjoy that sort of thing) Hamburg is a beautiful city and it is only an hour or so by train from Berlin and I suggest anyone who is in the area to go at least for a few days.

Above and below are some pictures that I took when I was there. I made some really good friends when I was there, friends who I kept in touch with for years. Notice the turtle neck sweaters and jackets we are wearing? In August! Below are some pictures that I took while I was shooting a commercial in Berlin.

(and please excuse the quality of the photos, they are scans of pictures taken back when we used FILM if you can remember back that far...)

This morning I woke up to find that some very Hamburg-like weather had hit Miami. Chewy and I went on our morning walk and I was wearing long pants and a thermal hoodie (Chris's of course because I can no longer fit into any of mine) and the rain was sometimes coming sideways, which to me says;
"Let's get this walk over with as quickly as possible and get back to the nice dry house" but to Chewy said;
"Finally! Some decent weather to walk in! I can stop and smell every dripping wet plant and pile of garbage I pass on the street today and really enjoy this gorgeous weather!"
Looks like, for Chewy's sake, we should consider moving to Germany.
Or maybe we'll just ship him off to a Swiss boarding school.
I would like the sun back.

going, going, (gone?)

Anyone who has come to visit us has seen the ugly monstrosity that is the construction site behind our building and asked, "What's going on over there?" because it has been in the same state for 4+ years now. From the day we moved in the summer of 2004, not a day of work has been done on this building/eyesore/potential deathtrap.

Until this week. Chris and I were leaving one morning and we both just stopped in our tracks when we saw this.
3 men in hard hats tearing the thing down! We were both stupidly giddy over this but after staring at this thing for 4 years, it's so nice to think that this may actually finally be gone.

gross joke of the day

"You hear the one about the constipated accountant? Worked it out with a pencil."

the good the bad and the frustrating

This past Sunday, I (finally) did my first maternity job! It was for a British catalogue called Mothercare and the client and crew were very British and nice and we shot on this beach:

The weather was really nice, not too hot with a nice breeze which, as the day went on got to be more of a serious wind and by the time we finished for the day, I was exhausted but not as much as I thought I would be after spending a 9 hour day on my feet while 7 months pregnant, so I guess I am not in as bad shape as I had feared.

I am still trying not to let myself go completely, walking Chewy 30-40 minutes a day and swimming 2-3 times a week, doing (at least part of) my yoga DVD every day and lately I have been stretching before bed because I think it helps with the back and hip soreness. I did finally admit defeat and freeze my gym membership today because I haven't darkened their doorway in at least a month (OK, maybe 2 months) and I just can't see myself getting on the elliptical machine again until this kid is on the outside because it is exhausting just thinking about it.

I have been reading about how pregnant women should get a flu shot and had planned on getting one before I get on a plane this weekend because for some reason I always equate flying with getting sick. My OB told me that they do not do them there and I should call my regular doctor but when I called them, they told me that they do not give flu shots to pregnant women so THEN I went to a drug-store chain that offers them but they would not do it without a note from my doctor so after all of that, I began wondering why it is so hard for a pregnant girl to get this stupid shot and decided to come home and google the situation.

WELL!

Now I am more confused than ever because there are so many conflicting opinions about this and I'm thinking that I may just not get it right now and talk to my OB about it again when I see him the day after I return from my trip. It feels like I am doing the wrong thing no matter what I do because these websites are either all:

"You will give your baby autism and/or schizophrenia if you get the flu shot while pregnant"

OR

"You will damage your baby's brain if you get the flu and run a high fever while pregnant"

so I can't decide which is a worse fate for this poor little guy.... Autism, schizophrenia, or just straight up brain damage. Such a hard decision for a mom to make that I don't want to just jump into a decision. Is there any place I can sign up for none of the above? Please??

I think I need to have a brownie (or 4) and think on it. Brownies have almost no side effects except enormous thighs and, well, I can totally live with that right now.

not to be worn with mandals at any time

Now, I am all for people expressing themselves but this is something that I just cannot get on board with.

Manytyhose.

As a girl, I remember looking forward to being old enough to be allowed to wear pantyhose because it felt so grown up to do, but it didn't take long to realize how horribly uncomfortable the stuff is. I cannot imagine why anyone, man or woman, would be all excited about this but, to each his own I guess.

Check it out here.

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For the curious, mandals can be explained here.

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And for the record, Kumar will not be able to wear either until he is old enough to buy his own.

zzzzzzzz

I have been incredibly tired the last couple of days and the hours are just flying by without anything getting accomplished and this day was no different. I leave you with a little something to make you scratch your head:

are you mockin' me?

I tok Chris to Coral Gables to check out my pictures.
The following is his reaction:

oink

A semi-complete list of what I have eaten in the last 24 hours:

Multi-grain chex cereal

Pancakes with bacon

PB&J sandwich

Apple w/ cheddar and pretzel chips

Handful of almonds

Tomato and mozzarella toasted on an english muffin

Chex mix

Great Grains cereal

Spinach artichoke dip and steak w/ tomatoes and blue cheese (Houstons. mmmmmmmm....)

Key Lime Pie

Shredded wheat (before bed)

Shredded wheat (5AM snack)

Shredded wheat (pre-walk breakfast)

scrambled eggs, english muffin w/ jam, pineapple

Perhaps this kid is going through a growth spurt? Looks like I am too. I'm still hungry.

don't tell chris, but apparently i am a superior housewife!

I found this test on another blog and thought I would give it a try. The questions alone are enough to make you laugh. (My favorite is the use of the term "marital congress". 'Scuse me?)There's also questions to see what kind of 1930's husband you would make.
Let's see how you measure up!

64 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

just wondering....

Does anyone know where squirrels poop?

Everyone knows someone who has been pooped on by a bird. I have never heard of anyone being pooped on by a squirrel, and they spend just as much time in trees overhead, right? So where do they go? Are they just really considerate of people? Or is there something I am missing here?

Discuss.

good stuff - august version

Things I really love right now:

*Burt's Bees Tomato Garden Complexion Soap. Until about a week ago, I was using a cleanser that I got from the dermatologist, but started feeling guilty about all the chemicals I was putting on my skin at a time I'm trying to be as healthy as possible, so I heard about this and thought I would give it a try. So far so good.

**Lemonade. I make it myself and drink it every day now. I cannot tolerate the really sweet version, but a nice, tart, non-pink lemonade is like a dream. Guess Kumar enjoys the sour stuff because I am drinking it like it's going out of style.

**Coca-cola cake! Trust me when I say that this is the best thing you will ever put in your mouth! I bought the ingredients weeks ago and finally broke down and made it Friday night. After taking a few bites, I told Chris that if he woke up in the night and I wasn't in bed, to please come in the kitchen and remove my face from the cake pan. Because it's that good!

**Chipotle Mexican Grill. I had a burrito here when we were in Santa Barbara and fell instantly in love. I have since found out that there are 2 or 3 within driving distance of the house. Something tells me I will be eating another one before the sun sets today.

*Tone Tahitian Vanilla and Orchid Shower gel. It may sound really flowery, but it smells more fruity and refreshing.

**The Olympics! This opening ceremony was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. Click on the link for some great pictures, but to get the full effect, you really had to see it live. This is the first time I really sat and watched every minute of any Olympics opening ceremony but I couldn't help myself!

**Gap Maternity. They have been having some great sales so on top of their already reasonable prices, I have been able to find some good things for a song. I have been trying to save money because besides having a baby on the way (and I hear those little buggers ain't cheap) I haven't really worked since the spring and so far have nothing definite lined up, so after 1 more check from my Miami agency, there won't be any income coming from my end until I book some maternity jobs. Luckily my belly is starting to cooperate and I should be able to look pregnant enough soon. Then I can really do some shopping!

** Curel Life's Stages nurturing comfort cream. Since I found out I am allergic to cocoa butter and since almost every cream that is meant to prevent stretch marks has cocoa butter, I have been desperately searching for something non-cocoa but still good and I finally found it. Also, the scent is very light and it feels really nice on the belly. Now, does it really prevent stretch marks? Only time will tell but godihopesopleaseworkthankyou.

**Panang Curry and Thom Kha Gai soup. Both are just spicy enough and oh-so-yummy-licious.

**Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds with turbinado and sea salt. If you have a Trader Joe's anywhere near you, run out right now and get these. Perfect combination of the salty and the sweet. I stocked up on these when I was in CA and have been rationing them ever since. I may have to hide the last box from Chris for awhile to ensure we don't run out before one of us gets to NY and can stock up again.
(Yes, I am a freak about rationing food, I am aware of the problem and am working on it. Don't ask about my reaction when Chris ate the last 3 Girl Scout cookies. It wasn't pretty.

stats n stuff - 18 weeks edition!

**The doctor gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and said if I did not improve in 24 hours, I should fill it, but luckily I did not need to. I hate taking unnecessary medication, especially antibiotics, and even though he assured me this was a "Class B" drug and would pose no harm to Kumar, I still would rather not. Luckily I felt a bit better yesterday and much better today, so 'scrip in the garbage.

**As per the doctor's scale on Tuesday, I have so far gained 13 pounds.

**Today I did the weekly measurement of my belly and it has amazingly grown 2 1/2 inches in one week!

**I have still been able to hold back from buying anything for the baby even though today it was a very close call at Genius Jones. I could seriously go broke in one visit to that store but today I just browsed and got ideas for potential things to put in a registry but purchased nothing, even though this:

almost killed me.

Also this:


**I seriously have to get some new bras even though I just bought bigger ones 2 months ago. It is proving to be really difficult to find something comfortable yet supportive. Any suggestions? I went to Target, Loehmann's and Gap Body today and.....found one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**My belly button is getting shallower every day and it's kind of freaking me out. The good news is, it's easier to clean.


**According to most sources, 18 weeks is the beginning of the 5th month, even though that makes no sense mathematically, but I will gladly take it.
5 months!!! WHOO HOO!!

I found pictures I took at the end of June and one I took a few days ago and I think there is quite a difference in bump-age. Check it out:

darwin awards

I think this guy won.

(sorry about the link but the photo was not copy-able and trust me, this is worth the link)

(I got this from Maggie at Mighty Girl.)

hi! my name is...

I had a great weekend in NJ. It was exhausting for someone who is used to long naps almost every afternoon, but there was no time for that with a party every day and the fact that I did not sleep well Friday night did not help much. I had to get up at 6 to make my Saturday morning flight so I was really exhausted but I did get a little catnap in after I got there and I actually stayed up until midnight or so. BIG NIGHT for the pregnant girl!

Sunday, I got to have my Jersey Mike's that I have been craving for months and it was not a disappointment at all! I really wish someone would look into opening a franchise around here because I can honestly say I would eat it every single day for the next 6 months. I seriously crave it in a big way and I have to stop writing about it or it is going to make me very sad. Chris said that there is a pizza place a little ways away that makes subs that are "pretty good" and I may just have to check it out because it's better than nothing right? 

I put together a slideshow of some pictures from the weekend. For some reason I didn't take any on Saturday so these are all from Sunday. Please to enjoy:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Oh yeah! You forgot to remind me to tell you about the guy at the gas station!
So I was going back to my sister's house with Tommy, Jenny and Kevin when we stopped to get some gas. So we're sitting in the car and the guy comes over to fill us up when all of a sudden, Jenny noticed something peculiar about the guy. So she took a picture.

(click on photo to enlarge)

That's right! Kumar was pumping our gas.
Good job on the covert photography, Jen!

braxton can bite my krispies

Lying in bed Saturday night I started to feel a weird uncomfortable sensation on my belly. It kept getting tighter and tighter over a period of 30 seconds or so and I jumped out of bed and called Chris and we both commenced generally freaking out. I knew that contractions were sometimes referred to as a tightening around the waist and I got really scared. Within a minute it was just about gone and I started to think a little more clearly and googled Braxton Hicks and found out that some women have them as early as 6 weeks! I have never been told this and wish I had because maybe I would have been a little more prepared for it when it happened. Now I'm wondering if this is going to happen a lot over the next 6 months, and from what I have read, it could or it could never happen again. I also found out that some women have them all the time and just don't feel them, and it's possible I have been having much milder ones and not known it, sometimes the belly just gets a little tighter on the outside without the discomfort that I felt last night. I really don't want to have to feel that again until it's the real thing. And even then....

To make myself feel better today, I decided to make some Rice Krispies Treats and let me tell you, they made me feel better. After pressing them into the pan with my fingers, I found myself standing over the sink and jamming half my hands into my mouth, peeling the ooey gooey goodness from each individual finger.
I think I may have found Kumar's new favorite.
Someone may need to hide these things from me.

week 13: i'm not complaining, i'm just pregnant

*I came home from the grocery store and the elevator was broken again. I had to schlep 3 big bags of groceries up the stairs in the heat of the Miami mid-day summer.

*The pants that I bought in NY (size 8!) with the plan that at least I would be able to wear them for the next 7 months? Already can't button the top button.

OUCH.

*I went to the agency and was trapped in an office by all the bookers telling me that my belly was so small and wondering when I was going to "pop out". I tried to explain that most girls are not even showing at 13 weeks and I am actually quite huge when, from behind me, I hear The Owner of the Agency (we will just call her Candi here) say, "Yes girls, please don't encourage her to stick it out."

Please note that this is the same woman who, when I told them I was pregnant, informed me that she did not start showing until her 5th month and therefore I should have no problem doing the swim shows in July. The shows that are still 2 full weeks away.Mwwwwaaaahhhhh!!

*I brought Chewy to the park and at one point he was so excited that he ran up to me, jumped up and PUNCHED ME IN THE STOMACH with his paw.

OUCH.

*I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic and yelled at Chris for letting me sleep on my back because all the books say it can kill the baby. When I asked him about it the next day, he just said, "Yeah I think maybe you did."

I'm a lucky girl, I tell you.

Everyone have a happy 4th of July weekend! Stay at a safe distance from fireworks, no drinking and driving, and have a hot dog for the pregnant girl. On second thought, I plan on having enough for all of you. Have a mojito for the pregnant girl, the hot dogs are covered.

did anyone else wake up to this this morning?

*In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that this was some sort of a training exercise but still...They should put up notices the day before to let us know, don't you think?
The first time this happened, I was frantically text-messaging Chris at work, saying "Serious drug bust in the park across the street. Guns drawn. Chewy and I are hiding under the bed."
This time I just closed the blinds and took a shower.