Oh What a Difference a Day Makes

Happy Holidays!


Amazing how quickly things can change! We've gone from only occasionally feeling Orange Seed (or Clementine as my family has now dubbed her - "more feminine") kick to now having an easier time counting the moments when she's NOT kicking. She has become quite the little mover and shaker in the past week or so and now, not only does her daddy get to feel her kick and squirm on a daily basis, but she even showed off for Grandma Spatz and Aunt Kristen over Christmas. She refused to kick Uncle John, but considering the fact that he threatened her with bodily harm if she didn't perform soon, I can hardly blame her.

It is funny to feel her flip and kick and punch and squirm. Today, she apparently got a great kick out of the rumblings of our jet as it prepared to take off from Richmond International Airport. As soon as the planes engines kicked into gear and the plane began bouncing down the runway, she started kicking up a storm and rolling about so much that her daddy was actually able to feel her flips. I'm a little worried all my swimming has taught her some bad habits - lately she seems to enjoy swimming laps in my belly - kick, kick, kick, flip, kick, kick, kick, flip. People keep telling me that it is all fun and games until she is getting her little feet caught in-between my ribs, but for now, I have to admit that I am loving every second of it. It is the most amazing and miraculous experience in the world to carry around this little being inside you, this little person who will one day be a big person full of her own dreams and accomplishments. There is something beyond words in the magic of serving as home to your child for 10 months. How you can already love this little being who you have never seen, heard, or met is beyond explanation and yet, even now, even this early on, you know that you would do anything to protect them. I can only imagine that the love you feel for them once they are born is positively world-shattering. With every week that passes (heading into Week 25 now!), Chris and I get more and more eager to meet this little lady who will completely change life as we know it. We talk more and more about who we think she will be. What will she look like? What traits will she have? I feel this overwhelming desire to plan for her arrival - prepare her room, begin a college savings plan...I want more than anything to feel sure that we can protect and provide for her. And we can, of course. But, as parents-to-be, we are still eager to begin proving our worth, even now, four months prior to her arrival.

At least we know that she will not come into this world lacking for clothing or toys. Our guest room is already becoming quite the little baby depot and that was only furthered by Christmas. Orange Seed got all kinds of wonderful gifts, first from Aunt Kim and Uncle Seth, who came for a pre-Christmas visit, and then from her Spatz and Duck relatives over the holidays. Aunt Janie and Uncle Dave also contributed to her treasure trove and, for the first Christmas in awhile, her parents had FAR more presents to open than anyone else (score!).

From Aunt Kim:
(Fun with Footprints!)

From Aunt Kristen:

(Utter cuteness in the form of hats!)

From the GrandDucks:

(A blossom-like cap and the softest ladybug slippers)

And from the GrandSpatz:
(her very first Christmas ornament with a very special little note curled up inside)

(A "Quack"-up of a onesie)

(And a beautiful frame that almost made her mama cry)

Equally exciting is the fact that Orange Seed is now well-equipped to accompany us to next year's Steeler's Game:

And there's even hope that her parents might be prepared for her:
Thanks to Aunt Janie and Uncle Dave for providing the funniest onesie ever created:
And personal thanks from Orange Seed, who is already enjoying her new books which mommy is dutifully reading to her at bedtime:
Overall, a wonderful wonderful Christmas. So good to be home. I'm pretty sure Clementine loves visiting her Grandparents' house already.

Confirmation!

Chris DID feel the baby! As we were getting ready for bed last night, she suddenly went into full-on Karate Kid maneuvers and sure enough, Chris placed his hand on my belly and *BAM*, she gave him two big kicks to the palm. I have been telling her all day how proud I am of her, although, I also told her that once she's kicked daddy, it is okay to stop with the roundhouses so that mommy can actually get some sleep. Lesson learned: Baby loves bananas and bananas make baby kick, but while this is a great mid-afternoon trick, maybe bananas right before bed are NOT the best idea. :)

Happy Holidays and 23 Weeks

Orange Seed is 23 weeks old!


I now feel her kick far more often and even feel her roll over every once in awhile - at least, I assume that's what she's doing when suddenly my stomach feels like it has gone on a mini roller coaster ride, while the rest of me gets boringly left behind.

Last night was the Winter Wallop, as the news stations have dubbed it. Here in NYC, we got only 8-12 inches. Only. In DC, this would have shut the city down for days. In fact, we hear VA got around 2 feet and is, indeed, completely shutdown. Here in NYC though, you wouldn't think 8-12 inches of snow was any different than an afternoon rain shower. The roads were pretty much cleared this morning, the shops were open, and everyone was out walking around as though nothing had happened. Actually, even more impressive, they were acting about the same at 1130 last night as the blizzard went into full effect. Kim and Seth were here this weekend, so despite the storm, we went into the city last night for some touring in Rockefeller, a show off Broadway, and a late night dinner. It couldn't have been more than 20 degrees and the snow was coming down in sheets. Watching the city turn white - yellow taxis taking on a new color and quickly blending into the snowy backdrop, just their headlights shining out from the cloud - was incredible. Every photo we took shows more snowflake than anything else. Sitting at dinner at 11pm, we watched people walking by outside. These New Yorkers are hardcore. In Virginia, a couple inches meant that the city went into apocalypse mode, not one person to be seen on the roads or sidewalks. In NYC, it just means you pull your scarf a little tighter, you pull your hat down a little farther, and you power through, boots a-stompin'. As we gawked at the taxis spinning out on Broadway and the people's umbrellas blowing inside out and filling with snow, a guy went pedaling by on what looked to be an old school ten-speed and we all suddenly felt far less impressive than we had while trudging down the streets a few minutes earlier.


This morning, the sun was out and though it was still cold, the snow had stopped. This meant Seth and Kim were actually able to leave, which meant that my dreams of keeping them trapped here a few days longer were crushed. Alas...



On a less interesting, but highly important note, see that coat I have on? That is my brand new, puffier than puffy, warm beyond your wildest dreams, winter maternity coat. It showed up fortuitously the day before the big snow and I may never take it off again.

But back to the story...only two more days til we head to Williamsburg for Christmas. Today, we THINK Chris may finally have been able to feel Orange Seed kick for the first time. Unfortunately, after the first kick where I managed to place his hand in time, she got stage fright and froze up. No more kicking. So we don't have real confirmation, but if he did...how exciting! I'm trying to bribe her with promises that her Daddy will love her EVEN more if she proves that she's got some major soccer skills brewing. So far, she doesn't seem to care. Part of me is disappointed and part of me wants to say "Thatta girl. Don't you fall for bribes and false promises. Be you." Could stubbornness be in her bones? Where in the world would that come from?

Fa La La

Ahh, Christmas season is finally here. Though most of our Christmas decorations stayed boxed up down in Virginia, I did manage to bring up our tree ornaments. Thank goodness, because it just doesn't feel like Christmas without our annual trip to the tree market, followed by a sparkling Christmas tree getting set up in the corner of our living room.

Admittedly, the tree market was a little bit of a disappointment this year...outside a beautiful old church, lots of kids helping out the older folk...so promising. And then you walk inside the church and it is like commercialized Christmas just smacked you in the face. This is no ordinary Christmas tree market. The church pews are gone and in their place are row after row of tables full of bells, bows, ornaments, wreaths, and any other Christmas decor you could possibly need. Despite the location, the market actually has nothing to do with the church. Of course, we only found this out after buying the tree. So much for doing good in the process of purchasing.
But, the tree is here, the tree is beautiful, and the Christmas spirit can carry on. Kudos to Chris for carrying the monster Christmas tree up four flights of very narrow stairs. I think he even did it without hurting himself or the tree. We won't mention what happened to one of the fire alarm lights in the stairwell. In any war, there are liable to be some casualties.

So, a beautiful tree...


A beautiful hearth...


And one cheesy, but irresistible "Our Pregnant Christmas" ornament. If you are appalled, blame it on the pregnancy hormones. If you approve, you are a good friend and Santa will bring you an extra big gift this year.

And Also...

It is time for more belly pics!

I have been having trouble nailing Chris down to conduct my photo shoot for me, so I tried to snap a few myself. They aren't great, but Chris has promised to act as official photographer soon, so we should have better ones shortly. But, for now...

21 Weeks and 2 Days


I feel like the clothed picture looks more true to reality. Some of the bared-belly pics look so BIG and I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans (skinny jeans even!), so my belly can't really have popped yet, can it?? (Denial...it ain't just a river in Egypt)



That said, at least the belly now looks pregnant rather than just well-fed or bloated! "Orange Seed's Home", as Chris calls it, is starting to look pretty legit.

Pillow Fort

So, the question is...how do you fit your pregnant self, your husband, and approximately six pillows into one queen size bed? After being down with the flu for the past week and then having Chris out of town this weekend, I had gotten used to having enough bed-space to make myself a comfortable little pillow fort each night. One pillow under my head, one under my shoulder, one under my belly, one between my legs, one tight up against my back. So comfy. Like a supportive little cocoon of happiness. But then last night Chris came home and while I was eager to swap out my pillows for him, come to find out...*GASP*...he is NOT as comfortable as the pillow fort! I didn't have the heart to try to force a big down-filled barrier between us, plus I'm not totally convinced that we're all going to fit. It is either time for a king size bed (like THAT would make it up the four flights of narrow stairs) or it is time for some feasibility trials. How many pillows can share the bed without us being a)so far apart that we don't even know we're in the same room and b)so squished on the bed that the whole comfort factor of the pillows fluffy-goodness is completely negated?

Ah the trials and tribulations of being pregnant...

20 Weeks - You're Still Growing, You're Still Glowing...

First off, let me just say that it is darned hard to take a picture of a glossy photo without the new picture coming out looking all hazy and warped and horrendous. If you cannot even tell that the below pictures are of a baby, I apologize. I did my best, I swear. And if you see an adult arm, head, or other body part looming in the background, do not be afraid for my uterus. That is merely my reflection in said original glossy photo.

Yesterday was Orange Seed's official 20 Week check-up, although I'm technically closer to a full 21 weeks at this point. The official appointment was way better than the ER appointment though, for a number of reasons. First off, I really love the ultrasound technician at our doctor's office. She is friendly, hilarious, and always willing to slow down to explain exactly what you're looking at and what it means. That was especially important this time when the baby's skeleton was suddenly visible, a glowing line of ridges that looked a lot like the aliens from The Abyss. (If you get that reference, bonus points for you) When one's baby has suddenly grown a luminescent map beneath its skin, one tends to want an explanation. Second of all, the ultrasound at the doctor's office goes a lot slower, so you get the full explanation of "This is the baby's brain. These are its kidneys. These are the baby's femurs and these are the baby's butt cheeks. Look at those cute little butt cheeks!" Gotta love it. We even got confirmation that Orange Seed is indeed a girl. The picture was pretty clear, although it didn't make it into the set of print outs. I guess the tech wanted to save Orange Seed the embarrassment of having us break that one out in front of her boyfriend sometime 15-16 years down the road.

At any rate, the important news is that all is well and Orange Seed is growing exactly as she should be. She weighs 11oz now, so she should be hitting the 1lb mark soon. Holy reality! She's also getting very long - about the length of a large banana. And I finally know where she is! The tech was nice enough to point out that she is lying diagonally across my abdomen, head near my right ribs and legs near the lower left side of my abs. She was also nice enough to point out that if I feel "kicking" high on my left side, that is actually my bowel and not the baby.

...

Some things you just do not need to know.

In this one, 20 Week Orange Seed looks not too different from 12 Week Orange Seed. Same little round belly, same curled up legs and arms. One would think, "Oh, she hasn't changed at all."

In this one, I think you start to see the differences. You can just make out that glowing skeleton I was talking about and you can see how her arms have gotten longer and thinner and her little fingers are starting to grasp about for something to hold.

Speaking of something to hold...the Ultrasound technician was pretty proud of this one. Orange Seed has apparently discovered that she has two hands and *GASP* they can GRAB EACH OTHER. Oh the miracle! The happiness! We watched her do this over and over again, like every time was a new revelation.

And lastly, I know I'm biased, but tell me this kid does not have a cute profile, even in the womb. I didn't expect to think my baby was cute before she had actually emerged into the world, but after this picture...I'm sold.

Happy Feet

So it appears that Orange Seed likes being referred to by the proper pronouns. Ever since we found out that she is officially a girl she has been kicking and moving like mad. I picture her previously lying in there, arms crossed, pout on her face, thinking "If these people don't quit calling me "him", I am never coming out!" But now that we are referring to her only as she deserves, she is happily dancing around as though we had given her the greatest gift on earth.

Either that or she just really likes all the leftover turkey I've been feeding her.

Silver Lining

We are constantly being told that every dark cloud has a silver lining and that we should look on the bright side in all things. Most of the time, it is really hard to buy into all that shiny happy world mumbo jumbo when you are curled up on the couch, shivering, shaking, and aching with a nasty case of the flu. That said, this time the flu did come with an unexpected silver lining and I have never been happier to have spent 5 hours in the ER.

I started feeling sick on Saturday. I was growing progressively more miserable, but it felt like I was coming down with a nasty cold, nothing more serious. Plus, I'd had my flu shot - I was invincible! By Sunday I was a quivering, pain-filled shadow of my former self. Every muscle in my body ached like I'd been beaten by an army of angry batters and I could barely keep my eyes open for more than 15 minutes at a time. By 8 o'clock that night I was running a temperature of 101 and Chris was on the phone with my OB who told us that we should head over to the ER. As anyone who has ever had to go to the ER knows, there is nothing more miserable than having to sit in a waiting room for hours on end while feeling like absolute crud and wanting nothing more than to be back at home curled up under your blanket. That said, we toughed it out and had the doctors run the full gamut of tests. I was pretty dehydrated so they pumped me full of liquids which actually felt great once the nurse got the IV in properly. On her first attempt she "overestimated" the thickness of my vein and punched right through it. In case this has never happened to you, it KILLS! She then had to switch to the second arm to give it a second go. She was very apologetic and accidents happen, but seriously...I think that one little vein might have been the only part of my body that didn't hurt pre-hospital visit. Give a girl a break!

4 hours into our visit, the doc finished working on me and ordered an ultrasound to make sure that everything was okay with the baby. I cannot describe how strange it is to constantly have to worry about TWO people anytime something happens to your body. And the fact that this second person is invisible, silent, and still, for the most part, unfelt, makes things all that more complicated. I was really relieved to hear that they were going to perform a full ultrasound. I had been having cramping all through my abdomen and though I knew it was probably just a result of the fever, it was still making me nervous. The ultrasound not only assured us that the baby's heart was beating and that the little one was still happily moving around inside mommy's sick stomach, but it also provided us with something even more exciting...the baby's sex! So the question is...were mom and dad right? Chris and I had been so convinced that the baby was a boy. I don't know what started it - Chris' hopes, my realization that I had better be prepared for a boy in case Chris was right - but somehow we both wound up convinced that the baby was a boy.

So much for parents' intuition. We are having a GIRL!!! A beautiful, wonderful baby girl! (yes, they can see that on the ultrasound too) "Are you sure??" Chris asked the ultrasound technician, both of us somewhat in disbelief. "Yep," she said, zooming in on the baby's nether regions, "See? Nothing there!" And, indeed, there wasn't! At this point, I honestly would have been just as thrilled with a boy, but a girl...needless to say, we are thrilled. We are still going in for a 20 Week ultrasound with my OB this Thursday, so they will confirm the sex then, but I don't think there's really any question. Orange Seed is a little lady! Orange Seed, we are so sorry that we have been referring to you as "him" for the past few weeks! We promise to make it up to you!

Daffodils

This past weekend Orange Seed met a very important person - his/her Dran. Dran is Chris' grandmother, she is his father's mother, and she is my friend. Since the first time I met Dran, nearly 10 years ago, I have felt that she I had a bond. We share a love of poetry, of beauty, and of all things wondrous. We are both fascinated by this ever-changing world we live in and we both desire to continue to learn and to experience new things. From the first time she recited, from memory, her favorite poem, I knew I was going to love her and, indeed, over the past ten years, I have come to love her as much as if she were my own grandmother.

In January 2009, Dran turned 100 years old. 100 years old. She wore sparkling party clothes to a celebration attended by all of her closest friends and family and though her energy level had waned somewhat in the months preceding the party, she was wide awake on that day in January, smiling at every one of her guests and recounting stories of her adult life, childhood, and every stage in between. Guests told stories of her life - how she used to hop the train to neighboring towns and cities in Georgia, just to see what they might hold; how she once took a trip to NYC when she was in college and how she painted the town red; how she married her husband, who came from a far poorer family and was never really suitable in the eyes of her family, despite what anyone else thought; and she herself told a story about relatives she had known who had at one point traveled by covered wagon. Dran is an amazing person. At a time when it was exceedingly rare for women to go to college, she went on to study at Duke University. At an age when most people would have given up on trying to learn the newest electronic advances, she was genuinely fascinated by our iPods and by video games. And though she only saw me once or twice a year, she always had the biggest warmest hug for me and would tell me she loved me in words that would melt the heart.

Over the past few weeks, Dran has seemed to be settling down to leave this world. Last week things seemed to be taking even more of a turn for the worst and so we flew down to see her. I don't think that we went to say goodbye. Rather, I think we went to say "we love you" to a woman who has meant so much to all of us. Knowing full well that she might not be aware enough to understand, I also wanted a chance to introduce Orange Seed to his/her Great Grandmother. I wonder sometimes what Orange Seed will be like and I hope that he/she will have bits of the amazing people who will have passed on before Orange Seed was able to know them. I hope that Orange Seed will have my Papa Spatz's determination, strength, contagious laugh, and ability to love. I hope that Orange Seed will have Dran's enthusiasm, lust for life, curiosity, and appreciation of the simple magics the world has to offer. As much as I know Chris and I will never be able to fully describe these people for Orange Seed, I do hope that we will tell enough stories that maybe Orange Seed will at least know that he/she is descended from an amazing line of people.

After 100 years of living life to the fullest, it is hard to say that I don't want Dran to go. I think she has earned a peaceful passage onto a place where she can rejoin her husband, her siblings, her parents, and all the other people who went on before her, as she continued to live such a long, amazing life. I like to think that she is at peace with the possibility of going on - that it is merely moving on for her, not an ending or any kind.

We love you, Dran. And we are so thankful that Orange Seed was able to meet the incredible woman who helped show his/her parents what it feels like to love and be loved.

18 weeks old - Orange Seed, you are growing so fast! Only two weeks now until we will find out if you are a boy or a girl. We can't wait! Our hunch (yep, we are unanimous) is still boy. We will apologize profusely if, in fact, you turn out to be a girl!

18 Weeks - 5 1/2 inches long and about 5 ounces in weight. The "Fruit of the Day" update now compares Orange Seed to a large mango. For the meat lovers out there, What to Expect is now comparing baby to a chicken breast (though it does emphasize that the baby is FAR cuter). I won't update you on how much it verifies my boobs have grown (sorry for even bringing it up, male readers). That statistic is too frightening to say out loud.

This past week has been wonderful. The Maternity Sale turned out to be a huge success. Way too successful actually. This may be one of those "lessons learned" that I note post-pregnancy. But for now, I am just trying to let go of my buyer's remorse and to tell myself that I really will need all these things in the coming months. I think the problem was that the sale was equivalent to a trip to Target. Everything seems so comparatively cheap that you wind up buying twice as much and totally negating the savings. Ah well...let's blame it on the hormones, shall we?

The BigCityMoms event was likewise super successful. They have a really great set-up and everything is done in such a way as to make you feel comfortable, even if you have come completely alone. They seat you at a table with other women who are due in the same month/couple of months as you, which is great, because it gives you a chance to meet other women who are sharing your immediate experiences/feelings/concerns/etc. Everyone was extremely friendly and I even left with one e-mail address, so maybe this will be a friend-making endeavor after all! It is strange to be trying to "pick up" other women, but hey, when you move to a new city and are lacking an immediate social outlet, you have to put yourself out there. It was actually a real relief to talk to the other women. So many of them also expressed that they were attending these events primarily to meet other moms-to-be and to make social connections. I know the fact that there might be other lonely girls in Manhattan is a shock only to me, but still...it was nice to know that I'm not really alone.

The other wonderful part of last week was that Chris and I FINALLY got to take our surprise trip out to Chicago for Miss Anna Sharp's 30th birthday party. We've been anticipating the trip for months now and especially since Anna accidentally found out about Orange Seed before we got a chance to tell her! Not being able to explain to her why she wasn't one of the first people we called (which she normally would have been) was torturous! It was so nice to finally surprise her and explain "We really do still love you, we just wanted to tell you in person and that is why we were waiting and we couldn't tell you because we couldn't tell you about our surprise visit and....". The explanation went pretty much like that. I think I babbled for a solid 5 minutes just trying to get the whole apologetic story out. Needless to say, the trip was a huge success. It was so nice to finally see the Sharp family again - Anna, Brad, and little adorable Allie. Even Orange Seed was excited and kicked around in my belly all weekend.



Thank you Sharp Family for a wonderful wonderful weekend!! Hopefully we will all be able to be together again soon.

Orange Seed and I head down to DC again this Wednesday. I think I'm going to beg my way out of a December visit. Too many things going on between now and the holidays. We have Grandma and Grandpa Duck coming into town for Thanksgiving next weekend, then visitors a couple of weekends in December, our trip down to Williamsburg for Christmas and a big ski trip with Suzanne and Tim over New Years. No, I will not be skiing, at least not downhill, but I'm hoping rather to get in some good spa time, relaxation time, and maybe some cross country skiing if I can still fit into my ski pants at that point. In the meantime, we're just enjoying the fact that it is now mid-November in NYC and it is still 50-60 degrees outside. I think the city is just faking us out, but I'll take it for now. As long as I can keep running along the water, NYC fall/winter is alright by me.

Maternity Sale Fears

So help me, if this turns out to be one of those crazy Running of the Brides type events, Big City Moms is going to get a nasty gram from me saying that they should really warn a person ahead of time.

Mylo Dweck Maternity Sale

That said, I think I might brave it. Just trying to decide how dedicated I really am. Maternity clothes are so overpriced that honestly, if it is as good as it sounds, it may be well worth the effort. Of course, I already have the Expectant Moms Dinner tomorrow night, so a full days worth of pregnancy events might be overkill. Decisions, decisions...wait, that said half-priced designer jeans, didn't it? SOLD! ;)

Photo Time

Visual update - 17 Weeks and Counting

I really need to start doing my hair before these pictures. Aside from the loveliness that is my first-thing-in-the-morning-look though, check out that belly! Still pretty small and, admittedly, smaller some days than others (blame it on all the good New York food), but I am definitely looking more and more pregnant as the days go by. Guess that means this all might be real after all.

Can It Be? A Baby Factory?

First of all, Happy 17 Week Birthday to Orange Seed!

And now onto the heart of the matter...

Earlier this week, I went to my 16 week appointment. As usual, it was an hour drive round trip to/from the doctor's office and I was in and out of the actual appointment in under 15 mins. I remember reading posts back when I first found out I was pregnant and was looking for doctors. People repeatedly talked about how much they had disliked the fact that their doctor's office felt like a baby factory and I thought, "Ah, okay, this is similar to the 'I am the only bride in the world and you will recognize just how special I am, goldarnit' craziness that some women go through." But, the reality is, now that I'm experiencing it for myself, I do understand how those women feel. There is something so special (and frightening, and exhilarating, and confusing) about being pregnant. You can talk to other moms, you can talk to other pregnant women, you can talk to other parents, but the reality is that, especially as a first time mom, you are putting a lot of faith in the person you choose to be your OB. They are supposed to be your guide through 10 months of strange and new experiences. They are supposed to steer you toward the right path and protect you and your baby from all the dangers that are out there, from Swine Flu to undercooked meat. So when you go into the office and they rush you into an examination room, slap you down on the table, whip around doing the three or four things they need to get done without any explanation and then start backing out of the room while asking in a hopeful voice "So, no questions this visit?", you do feel a little put out.

My doctors are fine. They are friendly. They haven't done anything "wrong" per se. They just also haven't taken any extra time to do anything right. I feel like I have been a super easy patient so far. I haven't had too many questions, I'm not calling them at all hours of the night double checking what I can and can't eat. I'm a pretty easy case - young, healthy, easygoing. That said, I do wonder if I'm not getting shortchanged by not having doctors who are willing to take the time to sit down and provide me with some guidance. After all, I am no expert at this. I am open to some advice and guidance since otherwise I'm just winging it and going by what I've read in the books.

I remember during my first yoga class the instructor told us "All that you need to know about being a mother is already within you." I do believe that. If you were lucky enough to be raised in a healthy, happy home, I think you come into a pregnancy with the distinct advantage of already having thought about what you would do when your day came to be a parents. You have already identified the traits/approaches you like, the things your parents did which you most appreciated or which most affected you. You've thought about the things you would and wouldn't do once you had children of your own. Most importantly, you have already learned what it means to be loved unconditionally and so that love is already inside you, waiting to come out and be presented to your own child in the form of hopeful, motivated parenting, even if not perfect. I think children, though they have obvious basic needs, are highly unpredictable and you have to be ready to go with the flow to a great extent. That said, when the baby is in my belly, there are all kinds of random things I am/am not supposed to do. Plus, things change daily. Another piece of wisdom from the yoga instructor: "Listen to your body. Every day is different. Every day your body will need/want something else." That is the truth. I remember internally rolling my eyes a little at the beginning. The changes seemed to come so slowly and since I was lucky enough to feel pretty good during the first trimester, I really didn't feel like a whole lot was changing. Now, going into month 5, I can better see what she means. Things change. One day your jeans are perfectly comfortable, the next your stomach wants nothing to do with a non-elastic waistband. One day you can sit happily in your desk chair for hours, typing away like normal. The next day, your lower back is achy and your stomach doesn't like being bent over, and you just feel like you're suddenly having to adjust your position, attitude, life around this new body that doesn't always feel like it belongs to you. I can only imagine how much stranger things get once you are carrying around a full on beach ball stomach.

I don't know if I'll wind up changing doctors or not. We're definitely considering it. On the one hand, it seems so easy to just stick with what you already have/know. On the other hand, I do want to be with a practice where I feel like if I have questions, I don't have to feel guilty interrupting their schedule to ask them. We're scouting for other options right now and we'll just see how it goes. Either way, I will not be missing my Dec. 3rd appointment when hopefully Orange Seed will cooperate and let us see whether we are waiting on a baby girl or a baby boy. Even just hearing his/her heartbeat yesterday was so exciting. I haven't felt the baby move yet, so hearing that reassuring thump thump thump is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Hang in there Orange Seed. We're waiting on you!

Weekend Warriors

Well, it was a somewhat sad Halloween this year, as it was the first time in 7 years that we couldn't host our annual Spatz-Duck Halloween Extravaganza. You don't realize how attached you've become to a place and the traditions that go along with it until you leave it all behind. We missed you on October 31, D.C.!

That said, it was a pretty eventful weekend for Chris, Orange Seed, and I. For Halloween, we decided to take in both of the NY/NJ Halloween parade extremes. We started out the day by watching the Hoboken Annual Ragamuffin Parade. I knew there were a lot of little kids in Hoboken - seriously, every other person you see is either pushing a stroller or clearly pregnant - that said, there were more kids at this parade than seemed possible. The costumes were impressive and we're definitely planning to dress Orange Seed up and walk him/her in the parade next year. There were some brilliant family costumes. For one family, both parents dressed as doctors and their little boy was dressed in a big green germ costume labeled H1N1. In another, both parents dressed in NASA caps and jumpsuits, while pushing their little one in a stroller that had been remade into a shuttle, with their little boy dressed in an astronaut suit riding front and center. Chris and I are already plotting how to outdo them all next year and win the coveted Ragamuffin Costume Contest Ribbon.

That night, we went to a slightly different kind of parade. For those who don't know, NYC has one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) Halloween parades in the country. It runs up 6th Avenue from Spring Street to 21st and it is AMAZING. This is a huge deal and though anyone in costume can walk, there are some big floats and a lot of "professional" parade groups who come fully decked out with themes and puppets and stilts and theater-quality costumes...it is really something. Few highlights below:



Overall, though the Halloween decorations stayed in the box this year, not a bad Halloween night at all. I even got a little dressed up since skipping a year of costumes just didn't seem right.


The other exciting thing Orange Seed and the parentals-to-be got to experience this weekend was the NYC Marathon on Sunday. 42,000 runners and over 2-million people lining the streets to watch, it was really the most amazing thing to witness. The energy was incredible. Now that I know the "Bob" running stroller is strong enough for "marathon distances", I'm thinking...goal for next year? Who's in?

The Winners:



and Those Who Inspire:

I'm so glad we went. It was such an incredible thing to watch. So much excitement, so much emotion...If you haven't been, definitely join us next year. You can come just to watch, don't worry. :)

Dharma and Greg

So, funny story about Chris and I and the little differences in our potential future parenting styles.

A couple of years ago, we're standing outside baggage claim at an airport waiting for our ride to arrive. As we stand there, a mini-van pulls up and out hops a kid who's probably around 16. He has a crazy black Mohawk (might have been a couple green spikes in there too), fingernails that are painted black, and he's wearing one of those spiky dog collars around his neck. The rest of his outfit is typical punk/goth - black concert t-shirt, ripped up jeans, etc. He walks past us toward baggage claim, where he meets a little old couple who he swoops up in two of the biggest, warmest hugs I've ever seen. After the hugs are finished, he takes both people's large suitcases and starts back toward the van. They all walk up to the van and he rushes to drop the suitcases back near the trunk so that he can get back to the couple. He opens the back door and helps the woman climb up into the seat, then he does the same for the man, who gets in on the front passenger side. He then checks that they're both okay before closing the doors. After that, he walks back around to the trunk and lifts the two gigantic suitcases in, before coming back around to get behind the wheel. Then he drives off.

The follow-on conversation between Chris and I goes something like this:

Chris: Our kid is NEVER dressing like that.
Me: Are you kidding me? That was what you took away from that scene?
Chris: Um, yeah. Did you see his hair? And the collar? No way.
Me: But did you see how considerate and loving he was with his grandparents? He seriously came across as the nicest kid in the world. If we can teach our kid to act like that and the worst thing he wants to do is dress a little funky for a few years while he's going through teenagerdom, then so be it.
Chris: Yeah, but no. Kids don't dress that way for no reason. There's something wrong with him.
Me: You do realize that when you first met me I had all kinds of piercings - 6 earrings, belly button. I even had a tattoo.
Chris: Yeah, but you got rid of them pretty quickly.
Me: Would you not have dated me otherwise?
Chris: No...I mean, I would have...but you weren't goth like that. You were just a hippy.
Me: Seriously, if the worst our kid wants to do is dress a little bizarre, but he's still kind and nice and overall good, I say we just go with it. All kids have their phase.
Chris: Yeah, it's called I smoke pot when my grandparents aren't looking.
Me:...oh wow. You got that from his hair?
Chris: I'm just saying...

The reality is, do I know how I'll feel if our kid decides to go full-out Goth some day? No. I don't. The idea doesn't exactly thrill me, but I do feel like all kids go through a period where they are struggling to figure out who they are, where they are struggling to express themselves, and where they are trying to fit in somewhere, anywhere...that's what middle school and high school are about. So, if our kid stays a happy, healthy person, but wants to dress a little strangely, well...is that really the biggest concern? I think not. I say if having green hair keeps them from dropping out and sinking into depression then so be it. Chris, on the other hand, might not know what to do with a kid who decided to go that way. This actually gives me great hope that we will, in fact, be able to switch off in terms of the Good Cop, Bad Cop roles. I can be the easygoing parent when it comes to how they decide to design themselves over time and Chris can be the easygoing parent when it comes to them throwing a tantrum, which will likely make me totally insane. It's all about balance...I think we'll find it. Even through a Mohawk period.

Mommy's Muscles

Today Orange Seed and I swam for 40 minutes. (No, I did not take pictures of myself doing it. I am cheating and using an old photo from my first - okay, and only - triathlon)

Other than the fact that I now feel like my arms might fall off, it felt really good. I was out of commission for two weeks with a nasty cold and sinus infection (Apparently being pregnant also leads to a swelling of the nasal cavities, making you more susceptible to sinus infections. The fun never ends.), so after the miracle Z-pack, I am just finally starting to get back into some sort of workout regimen. I've been trying to stick to a regular workout schedule throughout the pregnancy. Before I got pregnant, I'd been planning to train for a marathon and was working on upping my mileage while scouring the Internet for training groups I could join. Needless to say, that plan died with the arrival of Orange Seed, so now I'm setting my sights on smaller goals. Despite what some of the women on Running Mamas might tell you, running long distances while pregnant isn't all that easy. It's been hard to realize that I can't quite do all that I could do pre-pregnancy. My beautiful 7 mile average has taken a major nosedive and 4 seems to be about the going rate nowadays. That's definitely partially due to how tired I was during the first trimester, but I think it's also just my body's way of saying that now is not the time to be ramping up my activity level. In all honesty, I really can't complain. I'm still running 3-4 times a week, going to yoga 2-3 times a week and, now that I've joined a gym, I'm back to weight training and now swimming. So really...Orange Seed and I are doing pretty darned good. I like to think that Orange Seed enjoys the exercise as much as I do. We have little talks while we run - "Okay, now you know that mommy wants to make it 4.5 miles today, so you just hang in there and if you're REALLY unhappy, okay, let me know, but otherwise, just enjoy the ride. It's probably not as bumpy as riding in that jogging stroller I'm getting you will be!" The baby seems to get it. I think we're on a level.

I don't know how other people feel, but I know I would go crazy if I didn't feel well enough to get outside and stretch. I have so much respect for all these women who are horrendously ill throughout their first trimester or who wind up on bed rest for months at a time. God bless them for learning how to make it through that. Myself, I get bored watching two TV programs in a row - too much downtime - so I am very grateful to Orange Seed for letting me feel well enough to keep up my active lifestyle. Fingers crossed that I can do it all the way through to Week 40.