clairest

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2012-01-29T16:36:00.004-06:00

When people tell you that your child will be your "everything" I sometimes wish they'd been more candid -- or I had better capability to realize -- that, at least in the beginning, they may be your only thing.

With a new little baby many things have gone by the wayside including: showers on Sundays; The Daily Show & The Colbert Report; looking at myself in the mirror before I go out the door; dinners that are any more complex than two ingredients; and blogging.

I've barely managed a post once or twice a month. As someone who's kept a diary fairly constantly since I received a pink paisley fabric-covered journal for Christmas in fifth grade, I miss it. Maybe you have missed me too?

So, I invite you to follw me over to micro-blogging at tumblr. I am hopeful that this version of clairest will still allow the outlet, even if it's just a photo from my phone or a brief thought.

But let's be patient with this experiment.

LOL

2012-01-20T20:49:00.001-06:00

This made me laugh out loud, and sometimes I wish I had this guy over my shoulder too... in meetings, on public transportation.

One Thing To Know About Snow

2012-01-12T21:00:00.003-06:00

To the guy on the shuttle bus tonight who rolled his eyes at me when I commented to a friend, "Yes, lake effect snow is really a problem on the east side of lakes, like in Indiana," please read this: "Winds accompanying Arctic air masses generally blow from a west or northwest direction, causing lake effect snow to fall on the east or southeast side of lakes."
Next time you want to give a superior and smug, "you don't know what you're talking about" look, please make sure you know what you are talking about! Or at least make sure I don't see your little smirk.
That is all.

Worth It

2012-01-08T10:11:00.004-06:00

Remember how I spent the last few days of my pregnancy cobbling together a mobile to go over Calvin's changing table? Well, I think it may have been one of the most worthwhile activities I did to prepare for baby. Childbirth class was also helpful, of course.

Calvin *loves* that darn thing. Some days, when nothing is working to assuage him, we just put him on the changing pad and he delights in the mobile. Sometimes for longer than a half hour! Turn down your volume before you play this video, particularly if you are at work, as Calvin has learned how to squeal.

Maybe (if time permits) this might be a fun next addition to the ceiling, via Say Yes to Hoboken.Though I think I might need to know "when to say when" with the nursery decorating.

The Time Has Come

2012-01-02T17:13:00.005-06:00

All of the things that I'd hoped we get from The Jetsons in my lifetime flying cars was my number one wish. As someone who's now older and has a house to keep clean, Rosie the Housecleaning Robot is my most practical desire. (Sorry Roomba, while you are helpful with cat hair, your capabilities are still far behind! Rosie would be so helpful to have around.)But instead what we got is video phone calls. Particularly with our recent acquisition of iPhone 4S' with "Facetime" Jason and I are literally seeing a lot more of our distant friends.

It was funny to dial my sister (on her husband's iPhone) and see her quickly pull her hair out of its ponytail and give it a quick tousle as we greeted each other. I know I spent a few minutes of every holiday Skype call trying to inconspicuously fix my hair when I spied a stray curl in the mini video box. On really bad days I used Calvin's large head as my camouflage - he's who everyone really wants to see anyway, right?

It makes me wish that with the video phone calls we could have each gotten the Jane Jetson morning phone mask. I'm sure this was on Steve Jobs' list because even I remembered it from my young days watching cartoons.

Good Listen: The Taj

2011-12-24T15:25:00.003-06:00

It's rare these days that I get to listen to any radio story altogether at once*, but this one was worth going back to the NPR website for a listen: Heroes of Mumbai's Taj Hotel, detailing the heroic altruism of the staff of Mumbai's Taj Hotel during the terror attacks of 2003.It rung very true from our stay at the hotel, where service was extraordinary. And this story reflects that it was an enduring trait, even in their worst crisis. The story also tells you about how business and branding matter.

*I realize now that this story is only nine minutes long, which tells you what life with an infant is like in terms of attention span and personal time!

Let There Be Light Longer

2011-12-09T12:33:00.003-06:00

I am waiting for the blanket of clouds that will cover Chicago for the next three months to arrive. The day will get grey and I will wonder why we can't just keep the Christmas lights up until April. December seems to early to put them up and January too soon to take them down. I will need some cheeriness and blinking display on my walks home in late February.

Like Peanut Butter Cups

2011-11-26T11:54:00.003-06:00

Like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, or Oreo ice cream, the Smithsonian's First Ladies' Exhibit combines two things I love, fashion and history. No trip to D.C. is necessary thanks to their Flickr stream. I'd argue that the Flickr stream offers details you'd otherwise be pressing your nose up against the glass to discern.

Grateful

2011-11-24T08:54:00.005-06:00

A few of my friends have been taking to Facebook with 30 days of gratitude, since I only realized that halfway through November, and they were a little sporadic in their posts, I thought I might catch up with them in a lightening round. We'll see how many I can think up before Calvin wakes up this Thanksgiving morning...

I am grateful for:

1. Family: (I know, that's at the top of everyone's list, especially when you are sitting at the Thanksgiving table with all of them and they are looking at you expectantly for an answer to what you are grateful for.) But seriously, I am particularly grateful this year to call ourselves a "family" with the addition of Calvin. I am grateful for how he's brought us closer to the family we have.

2. Friends: (another usual one) but living away from family makes me treasure our tribe of friends even more.

3. The new baby in our lives: ...the relatively easy pregnancy and labor that got him here, the husband that unquestioningly slept in a recliner by my side at the hospital, the nurses and doctor that encouraged me through the labor and the first nights.

4. Comfort: Having a warm home on a cold day; cozy, soft blankets; socks.

5. Knowing people who aren't like me: My friends teach me how life is lived differently, whether in India, Italy, or just the suburbs. I am glad to know them and share their families and traditions.

6. Road safety: Remembering the car accident I had about two years ago, I am grateful that it was only my car that was hurt. I am grateful that there's so much consideration put into my baby's car seat, our seatbelts, and the design of everything from the tires to the steering wheel. Let's make it safer by not talking on our cell phones while driving, even hands-free. Any distraction creates a risk.

7. Abundance: The fact that Jason and I are truly challenged to come up with Christmas gift ideas for both ourselves and Calvin tells me that we have a lot. We are very lucky. The best I could manage yesterday was a handheld vacuum...only because schlepping the one we have up and down the stairs is a chore, so maybe it'd be nice to have two!

8. Books: For how much I can learn from them (baby sleep tips now a popular pursuit) and how they can offer a quick escape. You can never read too much.

And now our #1 is awake, so more later...

...And we are back:

9. Animals: Pets specifically, are pretty terrific to have in your life. The funny things they do that make us laugh, the way they need us (like the rarely-affectionate Piper curling up in my arms at the vet's office), the warm spot they leave on the bed after jumping down, their inscrutable personalities. Ok, maybe the hard-to-read personality disorder is specific to cats; dogs seem easier to read.

10. My job: Funny what this economy can make you grateful for, but in tough and changing economic times, I want to work as hard as I can to keep my job. I have been grateful also to have best friends at work. They say having a close friend at work is one of the highest contributors to job satisfaction, though I am still reconciling to the fact that two of my "besties" moved away, to Maine and Atlanta respectively. I'm now in the slightly awkward place of deciding if my new closest buds are either my boss, or my direct report. Probably neither one is without its complications. But let's just be grateful that this is one of my biggest problems.

11. Music: While I am not a classical music smarty pants, and even struggle to name a favorite, contemporary artist, I can't imagine life without music. The right melody can elevate a moment or a memory to a special space, just like the soundtrack on a movie or fitting background music in a restaurant. I should listen to more music.

12. Seasons: Telling us that time is moving forward, the changing of the leaves and growing chill in the air is something I am grateful for, even if I won't like the perma-frost of snow and ice that comes next. The longer, sunnier days and first walk outside that doesn't require a jacket will cheer me up again.

13. Chocolate, ice cream, chocolate and peanut butter together, pies, cake with white frosting, cake with chocolate frosting.

14. Finding the perfect gift for someone: Though it can't happen everytime, it's so satisfying to see the look in someone's eye when they open the unexpected, perfect gift. First there is the obligatory, expected look of "how wonderful, thank you!" but with the really perfect gifts there is that second wave of realization and delight. I like that the best. I saw it when I found my sister's favorite childhood book, Spectacles, and gave it to her. She had never owned it, but took it out as much as the Frankford branch of the Philadelphia Library would let her.

15. Photographs: I am grateful for photographs that can help us remember the details we will forget, the people we want to remember, the places we've traveled and celebrations of our lives.

16. Fresh vegetables and juicy fruits: An answer to #13. I am also grateful for a plate that includes the colors of fresh produce. Nectarines, peaches, grapes, butternut squash, carrots.

17. "This too shall pass": I am grateful for the wisdom to know that if there are bad times, that they can't last forever. I also try to remember that the same goes for the good times, so enjoy them while they last.

More later...

Two days later and there's been no time to be grateful for more. I forgot to mention health, that's important and proves that this list was by no means in order of priority, or complete.

Abbreviated

2011-11-18T09:56:00.005-06:00

I feel like I keep apologizing for the intermittent blogging, though by now you know exactly why the posts have been spotty. On the other hand, friends have commented that they are enjoying my more chatty presence on Facebook. I can much easier punch out a sentence or two on Facebook, than the reflection that it takes for a blog post.

For those that aren't on Facebook, here are some of those abbreviated thoughts, with some elaboration now that Calvin is napping:

1. I bought a tube of lipstick at Walgreens the other day that I later realized is pretty much my natural lip color. No wonder I thought it looked right with my skin, however it's completely redundant. In future "describe yourself" moments I can now say, "brown hair, hazel eyes, toffee tango lips." A friend pointed out that this is also a lovely name for house paint. The upside is that I can probably safely put on this lipstick without really paying much attention, since it's definitely the "natural look."

2. No more proof is really needed to know that Mr. Rogers was perhaps the most honest soul in our midst, but 15 more reasons are here. After reading this article, I thought to myself about the need to ask myself, "What would Mr. Rogers do?" more often when dealing with traffic, friend drama, or burnt toast. Make it a snappy new day.3. My camera broke. Perfect timing, Canon! A newborn is in the house looking cuter by the minute and all you can say is "memory card error"??!! (Ok, that is not a very Mr. Rogers reaction.)

4. Not on Facebook yet, but I love Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
"Guess why I smile a lot. Uh, 'cause it's worth it,"
Maybe I should also try to live more like Marcel.

Salute Peace

2011-11-10T14:07:00.009-06:00

In honor of both the Marine Corps birthday (today) and Veteran's Day (tomorrow) these Peace Cord bracelets seem appropriate. Made by Afghan women out of military-grade parachute cords, and accented with military buttons, funds from the bracelets "create jobs for impoverished Afghan women, deliver access to education and healthcare, and provide funds to U.S. troops for humanitarian projects to supply necessities like shoes, food and school books to isolated Afghan communities."

While I am far from a eagle (edit: oops, I mean "hawk." I guess eagle seemed more patriotic?) on military matters, I like how these bracelets recognize that much of our military's role is peace-keeping, relationship- and community building. Helping the countries we enter, rather than hurting them. (Although this is not to minimize the damage that fighting and conflict can create.)

It was a epiphany watching a news report on the 10-year anniversary of 9-11 showing a reporter taking pictures of the burning Twin Towers to Afghans in rural parts of the country, and few recognized the image most of us will never get out of our heads. In fact, in a survey of 1,000 rural Afghans, only 8% knew what the pictures depicted. It follows that they would understandably be confused as to why the U.S. military now patrols their villages. The report made me realize how far apart the global issues can be from individual understanding. I like how these bracelets not only symbolize, but truly actualize, helping individual women and honoring the members of the military who serve.

Now the question is, do I get Marine Corps to recognize Jason's service in the reserves? (pictured at top) Navy to remember Dad's civilian scientific work? Or Army for his official service? Coast Guard for Jason's grandfather? Airforce for Uncle Paul? I suppose a have a number of personal family reasons to wear these bracelets too.

Hello, Old Friend

2011-11-08T19:57:00.004-06:00

Hello old friend, My Blog. I know, I've fallen out of touch lately.

Those newborns, they are a handful! But yes, pretty adorable, especially now that the little guy is smiling and kind of laughing. Although sometimes I can't tell, is that just a coincidental string of grunts?

Like you, the house is also left to wonder what's happened to my usual attentiveness. I look around sometimes and just sigh, "this place is a mess." But I find I care less and less. My threshold for acceptable household litter has been redefined. I wonder if empty nesters look around and have an epiphany as to how cluttered their house has become over 18 years. In my retirement, I plan to clean.

My Kindle is dormant, except for the book on baby sleep patterns. (Entirely ineffective, by the way. The relaxing infant massage lotion must contain caffeine.)

The cats are also wondering where their usual affection has gone. Of all parties, the cats were the ones I thought would be happiest to be left alone. However, Teedie has taken to sleeping on the bed at night, which suggests he might even miss me! Or he's just jealous. Likewise, my lips may have wondered what's happened to lipstick...or even a moisturizing gloss! My ears remember earrings with nostalgia. (I do manage a shower most every day and put on make-up for my own morale.) Of all body parts, my feet are likely the happiest. They spend most days in socks, or a sneaker if outdoor adventures are on the schedule. But they probably deserve the pleasure, since they suffered the most during the final swollen months of pregnancy.

Babies, they do become your everything. Hope you understand, dear blog. I do fall asleep some nights thinking of good content, but by the weary morning I've usually forgotten.

Knowing When to Let Go

2011-11-04T15:36:00.004-05:00

I recently had to say goodbye to one member of our family, and another should probably be allowed its demise as well.

Houseplants, don't get too sad or sentimental.

I'm not sure why, but I realize that I coddle plants until there's just one little leaf hanging on for dear life. Despite years of hardy endurance, every plant meets its end eventually.

I won't see their gradual decline, until one day I glance at the windowsill and sort of see the plant for the first time and realize, "Wow, that guy looks really sad!" At best I could say it's maybe poetic in a simple, bonsai kind of way??

One of my favorite quotes is "a houseguest will see in 30 seconds what you won't see in 30 years." This usually refers to the dust on the bookshelves or the crooked closet door, but I have to imagine all of our guests this month have wondered why this plant is still here.

Let's say goobye, and plan to get another jade plant next time I find myself at Home Depot or Lowes.

Perspective

2011-10-23T20:37:00.006-05:00

Ah, motherhood and the new perspective that it gives you.

That spending money on a good nanny will probably be far more satisfying than buying shoes.

A mere shower can make the day.

I can carry enough various things in my hands that I could apply for honorary octopus status.

That "baby" is now the third most frequent tag on my blog.

Hand wash only clothes are the divas of the closet. Really? The delicate cycle in a lingerie bag will have to do for you!

And the hour at the gym that used to seem like a tedious, dreaded chore, is now a joyful time to escape and repair the distortions wrought by pregnancy. I had to laugh at (and commiserate with) the comparison made by Girl Gone Child blogger, Rebecca Woolf, of her pre- and post-partum fit.

BEFOREAFTER
That last photo captures the chaos just right too. Calvin attempts to catch onto my hair sometimes with a tenacious grip!

The Blustery Day

2011-10-19T19:32:00.005-05:00

As much as I really like beautiful, sunny, warm days I confess to taking equally great pleasure in the cloudy, rainy days.

On the good days, I spend time conflicted about whether to rest and take a nap or get out for a walk.

On the miserable days, the decision is made! We are staying in, napping, snuggling, watching tv and working on little home projects.

Today was one of those days. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day perfectly captures the gloomy, calamitous whirlwind of a stormy day, like the one we had today. I'll be holding onto Calvin tight so he doesn't blow right away like Piglet. And adding this book to the Amazon list, since its an essential lesson in meteorology for our son.

(UPDATE: It appears A.A. Milne had nothing to do with the Blustery Day as it was conceived as an animated feature by Disney, so there's no book! But we an watch it on YouTube.)

THIS IS HILARIOUS AND ADORABLE

2011-10-16T11:59:00.005-05:00

Animals Talking in All Caps... I mean, ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS is a hilarious website I stumbled upon recently and it's just the thing to prompt a laugh. Each post is offered in a bite-sized piece appropriate for those of us only getting up to three hours of sleep at a time. (I try to stay sharp and read the NY Times online while nursing, but I often fade quickly after the lede.) SHHHHHHHHHHH. THEY’RE LISTENING.
PRETEND TO BE BREAD. NOBODY NOTICES BREAD.

GARY! ARE YOU HOME? I CAN’T FIND MY SHOES, AND SOMEONE MOVED THE DOORKNOB! IS THIS EVEN YOUR HOUSE? GARY!
… GARY!
EVERYTHING SMELLS LIKE VODKA AND I WANT MY SHOES!
GARY WHERE IS YOUR DOORKNOB!
ALLIGAAAAAAAAAATOR TEEEEEEEEEEAAAARRRRRS.

OH, I’VE BEEN ‘RANDOMLY SELECTED’ FOR AN AIRPORT SECURITY SCREENING?
THAT’S RICH. THAT’S COMEDY GOLD RIGHT THERE, OFFICER.

I don't know why, but imagining animals talking, and either drunk, conniving, or in histrionics is something I enjoy. A lot.

Go get more here!!

Let's Hear it for the the (Room &) Board!

2011-10-15T16:09:00.001-05:00

This is the kind of customer service that makes for life-long customers. Of course, we also tell our friends about positive experiences. (Link here in case my Deniece Williams "Let's Hear it for the Boy" reference escapes you, or you're feeling nostalgic with the remake of Footloose.)

An odd thing happened to our Room & Board dresser (coincidentally named Calvin) where one day there was a hole in one of the drawer faces. On the floor was a tiny pile of saw dust. We were perplexed and, as you'd suspect, perturbed. Was it an accidental drill hole that had been filled in? Some vulnerability in the wood, like a knot hole that fell out?Since this furniture was above and beyond our usual IKEA spend, and something I had considered an investment, I emailed Room & Board to ask if we could fix this. I was willing to buy a new drawer if they'd sell me one.They did even better. Within maybe two days of my email, Room & Board called us to ask when they could bring us a replacement. Not a replacement drawer, but a whole new dresser! It was delivered a week later! (And by the way, Room & Board has the most considerate, clean, and efficient delivery guys. They shuck off their shoes, while holding the dresser up in their arms, to enter in their stocking feet and keep your floors clean.)

Customer Service diagnosed the problem as a beetle that was trapped in the wood. We were advised that all the wood they use is kiln-dried which usually kills any bugs, but we had a virulent little guy who, two years later, apparently worked his way out.

...Of course now I can't help but wonder where in our house this dura-beetle went.

Thank you, R&B. p.s. I love your pillows.

Red Carnations!

2011-10-13T15:38:00.005-05:00

Thank you, Jason for surprising me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, with red roses and red carnations. Since I'm home all day, it's something to look at and enjoy.

What Are They Thinking?

2011-10-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Tell me, pet owners, that these are not hilarious and endearing: Tiny Confessions animal prints. It seems like they'd be funny in a small powder room, since that space lends itself to confessionals, or maybe a vet's office.

You know it's true with the disdainful look that your cat gives the television every weekend (ok, every day.)For Jason's mom's dog,Hank:Oh, me too somedays. Me too. Especially when I was 7+ months pregnant.And this too.

Bundle Up, Baby

2011-10-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

Just in time for me to go back to work after maternity leave, a weather pattern is predicted that will surely drive me right back home as soon as possible: another very bad winter for Chicago!

"Meteorologists at AccuWeather.com predict that Chicago will get between 50 and 58 inches of snow this winter..."

"Chicago has seen at least 50 inches of snow in each of the last four winters, according to the National Weather Service, dating to a whopping 60.3 inches during the winter of 2007-08. "

And lucky us, we've lived in Chicago for the last five winters, including that '07-'08 year. For long-time readers, you may remember that, and the playlist I made to go along with the many dreary months.

Photo via the Chicago Tribune.

I Carry Your Heart

2011-10-05T21:49:00.004-05:00

One of the aspects of pregnancy which absorbed me more than anything else was the idea that for nine months I had two heartbeats. My own, and the fast gallop of Calvin's heart that I had the chance to eavesdrop on at every doctor's appointment. Thinking of this in bed last night, and then looking over to the heart that now beats outside of me, in his little swing, this e.e. cummings poem came to mind.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- e. e. cummings ~

I have a feeling that I will always carry Calvin's heart in me still.

Photo by Elliot Erwin.

The Humble Carnation

2011-10-04T20:00:00.001-05:00

The humble carnation, sold in hastily packaged plastic packages on roadsides and in supermarkets.

Garishly green for St. Patrick's Day.

In ninth and tenth grade, Valentine's Day brought on the carnations to send to your friends and beaus, white = friendship, pink = a crush, red = love. I secretly always wished I'd get pink, or someday red, but if anything it was usually a handful of white carnations. Regardless, I loved the smell of them and spent most of the day holding the flower up to my nose.

I am pleased, therefore, to see the carnation coming into popularity. Maybe I see a bit of myself in its eventual blossoming, like the girl in high school who didn't get many flowers on Valentine's Day, but now finds herself happily married and loved.

An lovely ode to the carnation, "nature's pom pom", via Besotted Blog and Making it Lovely. Martha Stewart has quite a few tips for putting together these hardy blossoms. As they last so long, it's likely the only flower that's actually worth all of Martha's required effort.

Seems Like This Should Have Come Sooner

2011-10-02T18:58:00.006-05:00

Let's face it, going to IKEA is really a two-person job. Unless, you are content to shop only in the marketplace and pick up just the things that can be carried by one person, like meatballs and sheets.

Jason does not list IKEA trips as among his most favorite shared activities. I think most husbands agree, which is why I've eagerly volunteered myself to be an "IKEA buddy" to any woman I meet who might have the same concern. Even acquaintances at cocktail parties, if she mentions loving IKEA I'll immediately jump in with, "Me too! We should go! Call me whenever!!" It sounds a little desperate, I know.

But those clever Swedes are thinking and I just hope that they bring this idea to the Schaumburg IKEA soon: MANLAND.
Drop husband off at the "man nursery" filled with video games, televisions, and activities, shop away, and then call him when you need him in aisle J28 to get the EXGRET (or similarly funny-named IKEA item) off the shelf and onto the cart. Happy everyone.

A Few Thoughts From the Sleep Deprived

2011-10-01T18:59:00.007-05:00

Without being able to schedule activities that last more than 1 hour for fear that Calvin will show up with other plans, blogging has been a bit of challenge. However, it hasn't meant that I haven't had a few thoughts to share.

Here are a few musings from the sleep deprived:

- Jason and I have realized that we have a new weathervane for our relationship. The last two arguments we've had were initiated by one screaming baby. We later look at him lying small and innocent in his pack n' play and wonder how someone who's less than 20 days old has such power. - I don't understand why baby monitors are sold with multiple cameras, but just one monitor for the parent. I know these are modern times, with single parents being quite common, but for the two-parent household I have to wonder if this isn't just perpetuating a gender stereotype that mom is going to be primary? (Ok, maybe if it were pink I'd have more of a case.) Or is it a safety thing: if both parents have a monitor will baby suffer from the "bystander effect" where we each think the other person is addressing the crying?

- Seriously, babies go through a lot of diapers. This a primary impetus for my finally calling the bank to refinance our mortgage to a lower rate. Not kidding.

- For any new parent, I share the recommendation from my friend Maya to watch, and watch again, The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. The 5 S's being key to getting an unhappy baby to calm down. I am so grateful for our baby swing, bouncy chair (which we call the rumble seat), and white noise CD.

- But I understand the humor of "Go the F*% to Sleep,." However, right now I am more often in the desperate pleading stages, "please, please, please go to sleep."

-Everyone's said to savor every moment, and it is kind of crazy to see that Calvin already looks bigger than when he arrived, with a pot belly and jowly, chubby cheeks.

And he has actually been a pretty good sleeper at night. Though I wake up a million times every night worrying: 1. is he breathing? 2. did I remember to feed him? and 3. did I put him back to bed, or did I fall asleep and forget him somewhere?

Every time he's just here.

Strong Leadership Skills, Idiosyncracies

2011-09-24T13:06:00.006-05:00

My first job, though titled "recruitment advertising" was essentially writing help wanted ads. Polishing the job descriptions our clients sent us to inspire someone to be flattered to believe that this was exact them. They had the strong communication skills, attention-to-detail and track record of sales success to be the right candidate for the job.

Thinking about the headlines in the other sections of the papers these days, it seems like to be a successful world leader you not only need to be self-confident and able to give direction, but also have to have some crazy personality traits, untempered by the honest feedback of others, to go with it.

Vladimir Putin: he arm wrestles, he dives for hidden treasures, he snuggles St. Bernards. The Atlantic Monthly's recap of his campaign photo set suggests that Vlad is truly the "most interesting man in the world." Moammar Gadhafi: kept a photo album of his "darling" U.S. Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice, discovered by rebels when the got into one of his compounds. Even a State Department spokesperson, someone whose job it is to be polite and diplomatic, described this as "bizarre and creepy." Are these just small quirks and hobbies that we all have, just gone amuck because no one has the temerity to tell Putin that he looks ridiculous riding shirtless on that horse? Or that Condaleeza would really never go for Gadhafi, no matter how endearing his scrapbook?

And probably no one wanted to tell Imelda that she had far too many shoes. 2,700 specifically.

What would your out-of-control quirk be if you got the job of world leader?

Chasing Rainbows

2011-09-18T13:44:00.006-05:00

Since we may remember the frustration I experienced trying to get my hands on Liberty of London for Target merch, I have tried to turn away from all the Missoni for Target ads. No need to get myself disappointed again.

I do know how to crochet now, so maybe there's a chance to make my own Missoni-inspired baby blanket, via OhDeeDoh. (Someday, when I get sleep again..?)

I won't go so far as L.A. stylist, Rachel Zoe, who is pushing her newborn around in a Missoni stroller. The base of this stroller costs $880 via Neiman Marcus. Seems like some people have too much money to spend responsibly, doesn't it? I already have what I call my "sofa blanket," a rainbow blanket knit from yarn scraps, which we can say is Missoni-inspired. (Seen here keeping Aunt Courtney warm while she snuggles Calvin.) I call it a sofa blanket because it's long and narrow, perfect for couch-lying. I pretend this was intentional, but really I intended a square blanket, but just got a little tired of knitting.
Viola: sofa blanket!

And it was free.

Follow Calvin

2011-09-11T17:55:00.005-05:00

The link from my last post has been updated, clearly I was working on too few hours of sleep before. Fortunately Night 2 was better, thanks to some of the secrets from the Happiest Baby on the Block.

Follow Calvin here for updates on how we're all doing.

He's Here

2011-09-10T15:40:00.005-05:00

Calvin Wright was born Wednesday morning at 6:44 am, weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz, 19 1/2 inches long.

His first night home I got only about 1-2 hours of sleep, so I think it's safe to safe blogging will be taking a hiatus. Recaps of decorating our condo would be replaced by the summary of watching it fall to pieces in a mess around us, overtaken by baby gear, swaddle clothes and half-drank beverages.

Since my attentions will be diverted (monopolized) for a while, here's where I recommend checking in: Follow Calvin.

Everybody's Waiting Through the Weekend

2011-09-05T14:36:00.011-05:00

With our "found weekend" here's what Jason and I have been doing for these past three days, besides Jason calling his mom frequently to announce "It's a boy!" even though said boy is still considering his arrival.

On Saturday, a trip to Sephora to make use of a girlfriend's baby gift... a gift card to help keep a new mom feeling pampered and pretty. So thoughtful, since most of the attention has been focused on baby and I've been getting weary of being pregnant. And what luck, it was also time for my Sephora birthday rewards gift! Sunday was grocery shopping, since the food we'd stocked up in anticipation of baby's arrival is already starting to dwindle. With the heat, I was so tired that I took a nice nap on the couch afterwards. Why not?

Then assembly of the stroller and taking the car seat out to the garage to get it fitted in. Not sure how much more we can do to be ready at this point, besides maybe starting to request college catalogs for baby?

Hearing many of the wives' tales about bringing on labor (walking, red raspberry tea, climbing stairs) we thought it might be a good excuse for a date night and some spicy food. Doubly spicy at Vermillion restaurant, an Indian-Latin fusion restaurant downtown. Jason went for the tapas menu with duck vindaloo on cornbread, blue corn crusted scallops (below), and lamb chops, all served very stylishly with flourishes of sauces and sides of brightly colored chopped fruits or veggies. I started with tomatillo gazpacho and then onto a hearty steak. Only here would you ever find Indian tandoori skirt steak (sacred cows being less sacred on the Latin side of the world.) Even with an extra dash of cayenne pepper on the side which I took full advantage of, it didn't seem to do much more than just make the baby kick up his heels a little bit more.

Monday, a stop at the park to visit with the Lennon family visiting from Maine, and then home to make some pesto with the basil that's been growing on the balcony all summer. (I plan on freezing half for future meals.) We also caught Piper doing her own "gardening." She somehow realized that buried beneath the cat grass I'd planted as a treat, there are little rocks that she enjoys pushing around the wooden floor. Our little archeologist. I cleaned up this mess twice before we just gave up and put the grass outside on the balcony again.

Missed Calls

2011-09-02T15:48:00.004-05:00

With my official due date pending, I'm bracing for a weekend hurricane of phone calls, "Is the baby here yet?!"

All week long pretty much every voice mail from a colleague has been accompanied by the comment, "You could be having the baby right now (ha-ha-ha), so no need to call back if that's the case!" No, I was just on the other line.

Just ignoring emails or phone calls for even 12 hours could be a wicked way to get friends and family hyped up.

But just so you know, it appears that baby is quite happy with the status quo and shows no signs of an imminent departure. He appears to have failed to mark his own birthday in his planner!An eviction notice may be pending for extended double occupancy in a single occupancy rental dwelling.

I was feeling discouraged when the phrase "possible need to induce" came into the conversation with my doctor this week. Jason tried to cheer me up by saying, "We have to remember, that this is a blessing." I thought he was reflecting on the miracle of new life and parenthood, but he clarified, "No, I mean we get one last long weekend to ourselves, to do whatever we want!"

Every parent I've talked to agrees.

Busy, Busy, Crochet, Crochet

2011-08-30T21:54:00.006-05:00

When they told us in childbirth class that nesting and a burst of organizing, tidying and preparatory energy was a sign of childbirth I was worried. Oh no, that's me. This was two weeks ago and I was not at all ready.

But then I remembered, that's kind of always me. I think the medical veracity of the nesting and tidying as a sign of labor may be a little questionable, or just coincidental. You know the due date is imminent, so you hustle to finish up the nursery and clean the house. And at the same time the baby arrives, because your due date is imminent.

Regardless, it's been a little hard remember to stay still and rest when there are a bunch of things on my "to do" list. While I thought that signing up for a crochet class was really insane so close to my due date, it has actually worked out quite well. I have to sit on the couch and put my feet up to do my weekly crochet homework. (Though it seems like I can't really get my feet nearly high enough, long enough, to alleviate their swelling. I have meatloaves attached to my ankles.)

But here's some of the outputs of my resting (not nesting) moments: 2 scarves!One a granny square* style and the other a ruffle that's still in progress. When that one is done I also have another bag of yarn waiting...for another scarf. Good thing Chicago is so cold. And that baby seems to be in no hurry to arrive early, no matter how much I clean and tidy.

*Crocheting on the train ride home, one of my wise-ass friends thought to comment, "You know Claire, you could have stopped at becoming a mom... you didn't have to go all the way to Grandma."

Everyone Needs One of These

2011-08-27T19:40:00.005-05:00

One item that became part of my pregnancy wardrobe was the Bella Band (or its cheaper Target version, the BeBand.) Early in pregnancy it's intended to allow a pregnant lady to continue to wear her normal pants a bit longer. It's an awkward feeling though, because you're basically walking around with your pants unbuttoned and unzipped, but hidden, held up and together by a stretchy band. (It might also be helpful for Thanksgiving.) At this point in my pregnancy I am just tired of my maternity tops and have used the band to allow me to wear some of my larger regular tops without revealing any belly in the underhang of my shirt.

I've come to realize that this maternity accessory may have its utility for the younger set. Those ladies wearing their low slung, hip hugger jeans, which often also reveal their underwear (usually a thong) underneath. It's known as "whale tail." Fitting a longer camisole underneath a top isn't always practical since low jeans are often topped by a tight little top. So, if I could be an advocate of a small addition to every young lady's wardrobe, it'd be the Bella Band. A secure covering for the exposed backside - although Jason pointed out that some of those young ladies might be exposing themselves intentionally.

I might get one of these (not stretched from my current belly) for my own lower jeans when I can fit back into them...someday.

No News is Just No News

2011-08-24T22:14:00.004-05:00

If I had a dollar for everyone I saw at the office on Monday who exclaimed, "You're still here??!" I could have paid for my lunch at the cafeteria. And worse was that every person who said this thought they were enormously clever and funny. "Ha-ha-ha-ha," says the uncomfortable pregnant lady. (Due date is still a few weeks away.)

And just in case blog readers are wondering, I haven't been blogging so much because I've been busy, not because there's already a baby in my arms. I promise, you'll hear about that.

There is progress to report:

Though lamented in a prior post, we've now got a place for baby to sleep, courtesy of the never-ending generosity of Grandma Nancy. Mattress is installed, sheets atop it. Pack n' Play is also assembled. Baby now has his pick of sleeping stations. None of which he'll like on some nights, I'm sure.

And with that screen door that was held hostage by our contractor returning I began to wonder if all I had to do to make wishes come true was blog about them, I'd have asked for much more, much sooner. World peace, please! Chocolate ice cream that burns calories! Cats who can trim their own claws! (And maybe do the laundry for us too.)And maybe I'd wish for co-workers who say either genuinely funny things, or nothing at all.

I even finished up my crochet class, with three mostly finished scarves to show for it. Must finish those soon, stay tuned for pictures.

One of My Very Favorite Places

2011-08-18T20:44:00.010-05:00

One of my very favorite places is the Paper Source store. I'm not even a scrap booker, but I am a note writer, occasional journal keeper, and complete sucker for colorful, beautiful paper products.

I had a legitimate purpose for going to the store (envelopes for the thank you notes that inevitably follow all these baby showers!) but of course I found myself picking up many things not on the shopping list. The last time I was at the store I filled my arms with so much stuff that I dropped it all just three feet short of the register. Oopsie.

Here are some of my very favorite Paper Source items.

The Wall Calendar Lots of gifts no one really needs, but anyone might be delighted by like...this owl mug, though I decided birds and owls are a little overdone right now.Erasers that remind me of being seven years old in Japan.Note cards, note cards, note cards: love. love. love. I fell in love with a graphic from last year's calendar, and found it in note cards. Their designs are bright, modern, and stylish. After watching my Grandma check her mailbox at the senior center in Florida and finding it empty, I might need to start sending her more cards, so we can both enjoy these cards.

And as the name suggests, pretty papers, from Japan, India, Nepal and even Paper Source's own designs. You might remember some Paper Source paper from the cabinet project when we first moved in. I already want to go back, since this paper could find some purpose in our bedroom.

A Mobile for the Little Man

2011-08-15T22:04:00.007-05:00

There's lots to do, like writing thank you cards, assembling a "pack and play", figuring out how a carseat goes into the car, crochet class homework, and delegating my work to lucky co-workers. So why not also embark on a new little craft project for baby's room? A mobile! I spied something like it on etsy, and realized I could make it myself with the right supplies: felt balls, wire hangers, and some string. (And another blogger helped me confirm the gist of its assembly.) I know my boundaries though and ordered the felt balls. (I know they aren't that hard to make, but let's find some limits.) Plucking the orange, blue and green ones out, I threaded them onto string, and then tied them to the wire frame. It was pretty quick.

Here's the final product, hanging above the intended place for changing baby's diapers. Conveniently, the heating and cooling vent is just above, which should provide some gentle breezes to encourage movement. If time permits I might try to add some sewn felt boxes or balls in black and white high contrast to attract baby's eye. (Plan B: buy these too.) The little balls are probably easier for an adult eye to catch. And don't worry, it's high enough to be far away from grabby little hands (and curious cats, I think. Or else stay tuned for a far more interesting post that involves calamity caused by cats.)

This Weekend

2011-08-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

This weekend was mostly our marathon childbirth class. Saturday and Sunday.

It feels a bit like cramming for a test, since we are just about three weeks away from baby's official due date. We had the very earliest due date of any couple in the class, so every time the teacher mentioned something we should practice it was followed by a "...particularly you, Claire." I wanted to protest that I'd tried to get us into an earlier class, but they'd been all booked up!

Though meant to reduce anxiety through education, I think Jason and I both walked out of the first day's class a little horrified by the details.

But there's just one way out of this now. I told my friend it feels like standing on the top of a mountain and knowing that the only way down is to ski it, even though you're really afraid of skiing and know it could end up hurting... a lot. Fortunately the class videos also did a good job of conveying how crazy happy and exhilarated we'll be when baby arrives. Even better than hot chocolate at the lodge after skiing.

In other news, the contractor that I'd been stalking with weekly phone calls FINALLY called us to report he'd fixed the balcony screen door we'd given up for lost...and spent about $60 trying to replace ourselves with a off-the-shelf door from Home Depot. (See #2 from this post.) I was so mad that I honestly couldn't even look the contractor in the eye, and was very, very grateful to have Jason and his laid-back attitude handle it. The contractor was apparently apologetic. As much as I wanted to scold him for not returning phone calls, I think we resigned ourselves to just finishing this job and never calling him back again.

Sleep Tight Baby

2011-08-10T21:07:00.003-05:00

One of the many various anxious thoughts that have crossed my mind thinking about baby's arrival is "where will he sleep?"

We are not without options, but they are all about halfway there: a crib without a mattress, a playard that's still in its box, and a moses basket whose transfer needs to be organized with a coworker who's getting rid of it.

I told Jason about my fears that there will be no place for baby to lay his head, and Jason replied, "We have cat beds. We can use one of those."

It seemed appropriate to find Where Children Sleep, a book by James Mollison that features children from around the world and where they sleep at night. Let's hope we won't be adding a cat bed in Chicago.

Be Happy

2011-08-08T19:53:00.005-05:00

Trying to do self-coaching and get myself a little cheerier...which is hard to do when I go to bed and spend about two hours adjusting and re-adjusting pillows until I get a measure of comfort. Suffice to say I've watched more odd-hours CNN lately than ever before, which is likely just preparation for baby.

But I'm trying to think of the things that I can't resist.

Keyboard cat

This picture of penguins that I emailed Jason early in our online dating experience to show him what Antarctica had looked like. Jason asked, "So which penguin won the staring contest?"

There are a thousand more things to think about at 1,000 Awesome Things. I agree with hoods, drinking from the hose, and particularly, right now: "That moment just before you fall asleep when you know you’re about to fall asleep."

I'd also add the morning I woke up and momentarily forgot I was pregnant and thought my stomach was just my regular, non-watermelon stomach for a moment. That was nice. (By the way, do not google image search "watermelon stomach." Ick.)

Grrr...

2011-08-04T21:07:00.012-05:00

When I was in high school I'd sometimes get in such a mood that I'd start listing the things that I hated on a piece of my looseleaf. It was a good way to pass the time in history class when we weren't being taught history because my peers were chattering and being rude. And the teacher was fighting a losing battle trying to get them to care. (I *loved* high school!)

Now I find myself in one of those grumpy moods. Reading this fellow blogger's list had me grinning in agreement. She's also pregnant so I could completely agree with items like "1. Baby boy clothes with lame writing on them like: "Mommy's New Man" or "Say Hello to Mr. Wonderful" or "Chicks Dig Me." Why are we now dressing our baby boys like ugly American tourists in brash slogan t-shirts?"

For my own list, I'd add:

1. People who board narrow corporate shuttle buses (my daily chariot from train station to office) from the front forward, leaving the pregnant lady to shimmy her way through the narrow aisle to the empty row of seats at the back. Board from the rear forward, people! Like an airplane.

2. A house that falls apart all at once. Curtain rods fall from the wall. Drains that back up. The contractor that took our sliding screen door to fix it six weeks ago and now isn't returning our phone calls. I feel like it's escalated to a hostage crisis, where I'm leaving messages pleading with him just to bring back the broken screen, no questions asked, so we can open our window again. All this falling apart and me all of 8 months pregnant where I know everyone will be mad at me if I try to climb a ladder and fix anything. The checkout girl at the supermarket already tsk-d tsk-d when I lifted a 12 pack of soda into the shopping cart.

3. Well-intended people who tell me not to do stuff, like the lady at the Walgreens who made me take a cart to the parking lot. Seriously, she wouldn't give me my bags until I grabbed a cart...despite the fact that'd I'd been happily shopping with a basket on my arm for a half hour. Taking the cart meant more work since I had to traverse the parking lot again to return it. It was hot. I was mad.

4. Being a widow to the words "software deployment" - a project that has kept Jason at work every night this week until after 8, after 10, and sometimes after midnight. I'm trying to be glad that the deployment itself isn't the weekend where our marathon childbirth class is scheduled. I'm trying to be patient, but confess that sometimes I want to call his bosses and tell them to send Jason home, because I am downstairs with a tummy ache and the TUMS is upstairs. I need him to bring it to me, please.

5. Weight gain. Hate it.

6. Heat that makes me want a nap after just an hour of errands.

7. The ironic part: feeling grumpy makes me grumpy. 8. That there is an entire week between new episodes of Project Runway.

9. Salad is less appetizing than ice cream. I should eat more salad, less Stephen Colbert Americone Dream.

10. Not being able to discern who's telling the truth between the ladies at work who say, "Aw, you're just one of those cute pregnant ladies!" and the guy co-worker who says, "Yeah, you look uncomfortable and...swollen" while gesturing to his face.

11. SPCA commercials that make me want to cry and run out and adopt every single animal at the shelter.

Finishing Touches

2011-08-03T20:48:00.005-05:00

Yes, there are still some glaring omissions from the nursery, besides just the baby.
Like, a mattress.
Like that the crib is still at the wrong level even if we had a mattress.

I am considering the best way to make a trip to Babies R' Us sound like something a husband wants to do on a weekend. My best hope is the hot dog and milk shake place across the street.

In the meantime there are a few, smaller finishing touches to share.

Biplanes! (See, this is a boy's room!)Wall decals from etsy. They are grey with white clouds for a subtle touch of decoration, but one that's also a little hard to photograph.

This little guy is going off radar, lost in a daydream.Helping to pull together the room's colors is a handmade quilt from Juliet. Really sweet. Snuggly monkey from Amanda & Jough! Piper points out that she matches the room quite nicely too, with her orange fur.

Shower Front Moving East

2011-08-01T20:28:00.014-05:00

It was a road trip this weekend for me, Jason, and the baby in my belly. Through Indiana (and this wind farm) to Ohio. We learned by observation (and Google confirmation) that corn and soybeans are Indiana's primary crops. Also, there's a swath of states running east to west that claim the cardinal as their state bird: Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

But that is truly trivial, as our primary purpose was to head towards the extravaganza of adorable that was Baby Shower Ohio, hosted by mother-in-law and "cruise director," Nancy.

Jason's family may have a future business in party planning as all hands were on deck to pull together the many thoughtful details of this party. (I knew this for sure when brother-in-law Lorenzo gave me tips on how the diaper cake had been put together.)

Giraffes, polka dots, grey stripes, and yellow and orange were the festive theme, apparent on the invitation, tables, decorations and party favors. Lemonade and fizzy clementine soda kept guests hydrated for the games, and me for opening the mountain of generous gifts. I feel far more prepared for baby after these two weekends.A thoughtfully set table with flowers in my favorite colors, bright oranges, green and yellows. Tissue paper napkin rings later made a lovely wrist corsage. Note that even the serving dishes and hand towels were on theme, in orange polka dots. I am still thinking about the sweet and delicious cake pops. Yum. Yum. Yum. Delicate and pretty cookies, atop a hand-sewn tablecloth by sister-in-law and event seamstress, Courtney. Guests left with gift bags filled with personalized M&Ms, frosted Cheryl's cookies (a signature Columbus treat) and other goodies. If you are interested in replicating this shower, I'm told you can start with Dimple Prints, via etsy. But you'd have to ask Jason's family if they are for hire for the full event hoopla. Thank you Nancy, Courtney, Lorenzo, Dennis, Mary Beth...and anyone else whose able and/or idle hands were likely drafted into service for the party preparations. It was a very lovely shower.

Stay tuned for further baby updates which may primarily involve my starting to assemble the many new pieces of furniture that babies require. (And that friends and family have generously given us!)

Overcommit much?

2011-07-27T21:13:00.005-05:00

As if I didn't have enough on my mind, or enough to do...signing up to learn a new hobby seemed somehow sensible when a Groupon invite showed up in my email in-box. I'm learning to crochet!

It became worse when I thought it was a one-night intro class, but then learned it's a five week class. (And for reference, I have six weeks until baby arrives.) But I'd already bought the Groupon.

Maybe I was taken by the notion of crocheting baby blankets, or someday recreating the baby sandals that my mom used to craft. I figure I will give it a shot , but also reconcile myself to the possibility that I might not make it through the entire session.

Darn you, Groupon! Tempting me to sign up for things I may never finish!

Someday I'd like to make a zig-zag blanket for my own. With my self-scheduling issues, it could be for baby's college dorm room.

Showered!

2011-07-24T20:01:00.006-05:00

This past week was the start of the 'shower season' for baby, and I already I feel dripping wet with the love and kindness of my friends. (And the family shower is still to come!) It makes me feel unusually mushy and loved inside.

The kick-off was likely the most novel celebration, held on the upper-level of the Union Pacific North Metra line, from 5:26 pm until its 6:12 pm arrival at my train station. My clever commuter friends arranged to be driven two stations north, giving them just enough time to blow up balloons and hang streamers. The party wasn't a surprise, since they'd needed to confirm I'd be on the train and not driving, but the lengths they went to did unexpectedly delight me. There were cupcakes and gifts, including baby's own Metra toy train! Since I'd earlier joked that the station names of my commute might not be altogether bad names for baby, this seems appropriate. Little Clyborn Evanston will adore it!With the gender mix favoring the guys, there was also beer, though served in little blue and red striped party cups for a change. One "guest" commented that the best part was that unlike other prolonged festivities, we all knew exactly when it would end. Those guys were so clever and kind!

The girls showed up this weekend though for the Chicago shower. Two of those girls being Juliet arriving all the way from Philadelphia, and Ellyn from Connecticut. Three-year-old daughter Clara accompanied Ellyn and busied herself by giving party guests Dora the Explorer stickers and taking coloring book commissions. However, the longest distance traveler was friend Dipti's mother, who was visiting from India. Baby now has the most adorable Indian children's outfit, to match Dad's sherwani...watch out for our Christmas card!

In the planning and preparation, I enjoyed the chance to put up tissue paper pompoms, a decoration that I'd been just waiting for an excuse to enjoy. No surprise, the cats were fascinated. Here Piper keeps a wary eye on the lowest, and biggest, of the bunch.My guests all brought their own adorable baby photos for us to guess their now adult identities. While the train shower photos are poor because I just had my camera phone, the Chicago photos are lacking because once guests arrived I found myself entertaining. (Ellyn did thoughtfully bring a camera though, so posterity will not be deprived of my discovering the treasures buried in blue tissue paper.)

We noshed on tea sandwiches and salad. I particularly recommend Better Homes & Garden's Corn & Blueberry Salad, which we paired with the simple and tasty Green Salad from Jamie Oliver and the Food Network. Yum, and perfect for a very hot and humid Chicago day.

I will be busy writing my thank-you cards for the thoughtful variety of gifts unwrapped, including registry essentials, handmade gifts, and the gift cards that will make their givers investors in those big-ticket items like strollers. I don't think it's just the pregnancy hormones - I feel so humbled and flattered by the affection my friends have showed sharing the cheer of welcoming baby. It's nice to have little tears well up in your eyes because you feel so happy and loved. (Ok, maybe the tears are from the hormones.)

How are You Feeling?

2011-07-21T20:00:00.005-05:00

It's asked with such greater weight nowadays (commensurate perhaps with the weight I've gained through 7 1/2 months of pregnancy): How are you feeling?

Well, my feet are so swollen that I look down and think I'm Miss Piggy. (Or I think I must be looking at a photo from one of the medical journals we get at work, describing a case study of a vicious bee sting.)Last weekend I spent enough time napping on the couch that Jason must have wondered if I'd bitten the same apple as her. Which might make sense, because my stomach has been feeling like this grumpy fellow is hanging out inside of it, unhappy with pretty much anything that goes down there... even the prenatal vitamins. And sometimes I have the energetic, optimistic attitude of Eeyore.And while I wish the wrist guards I'm sporting occasionally to alleviate the swelling in my arms that's causing carpal tunnel had the same panache as Wonder Woman's bangles......co-workers and Jason have instead asked when my bowling tournament starts.

Be Our Guest

2011-07-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

Along with the nursery, the other room that I wanted to perfect to my liking was our guest room. With babies come guests, right? "Before" it was the haven of the cats mostly, but now I think it's a room that can please us all.The wall color is green which is meant to be calming (for sleepy guests) but I picked a juicy color that trended toward yellow to keep me engaged when I'm using the space as my workroom (Benjamin Moore's Sweet Pear...which I nearly always mistype as "Sweat Pear" which sounds a lot less appealing.)

The carpeting is FLOR Faux Bois tiles, which were a bit of an adventure to put down with Jason. We surrendered and hired a handyman for hanging the curtain rod, after discovering cinder block walls just an inch beyond the plaster.

Remember how I wanted a gallery wall? Voila! Including my dad's high school class photo unearthed while cleaning out the closets.How do you like the custom pillow cases for big fluffy "European" pillows?

My workspace is the IKEA expedit desk with shelving. There's also a stylish white vinyl chair that I was surprised to find at OfficeMax, of all places. When baby smears his jelly sticky fingers all over it, I'll remind myself how little I paid for something that looks far more pricey.The sewing machine tucks away very nicely, as do those burp clothes and fabrics for future projects.Our first "test guest" will be Juliet this weekend! Followed by Jason's friend the following week. I've borrowed a thoughtful touch from Joe & Ellyn's Connecticut guest room set-up by investing in a folding luggage rack. At first I thought this was kind of overkill when Ellyn presented it to me as part of my welcome tour...but then I used it and found myself rethinking. (I do use them in every hotel I go to, so why not at home?)

We'll be doing a focus group later to get our first guests' opinions on the usability of the room. And then we will throw out their comments and decide that we like the room well enough anyway. (Just kidding...sort of.)

Drop Me at the Door

2011-07-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Attending our "how to keep your newborn alive" class* last week at Evanston hospital (near Northwestern) Jason was delighted by the parking garage's organization by Big 10 team.

I realized with some dread that this may mean that despite my being in the throes of labor, Jason will be insistent on our driving all the way up to level four.

*Officially: Baby Care Basics. We are now closer to being qualified swaddlers and sponge bathers, but hearing about the various colors of baby's first poops was pretty appalling.

Book Report

2011-07-17T07:49:00.003-05:00

Despite feeling like I have a lot of "assigned reading" on my plate about the baby-related adventures to come, like childbirth and caring for a newborn, I am persistent in leisure reading. Those days of just reading for pleasure are probably numbered anyway.

I just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the story of an African-American Baltimore woman treated for cancer at Johns Hopkins in the 1950s. During her treatment, doctors took cell samples that later became an essential research tool. Without her or her family's knowledge, researchers grew her cells and sent them to research labs worldwide to investigate treatments for cancer and diseases like HIV.

The book explores what kinds of consent should be involved in research today, and how the racial dynamics of the 1950s played into keeping the Lacks' family unaware of their mother's contribution to science for years. While they struggle to pay for their own healthcare, companies have made millions copying and celling their family's cells.

This is another book (like Katherine Stockett's The Help) that I read and find myself embarrassingly surprised by the pervasive impact of racism years ago. The book notes that Johns Hopkins' hospital wards were segregated, blood donations from African Americans were marked "colored" to make sure blood between whites and blacks didn't mix. Medical chart audits reveal that African American patients typically received less medication for pain. And no wonder that an African American woman didn't argue or question her doctors when they were taking samples and initiating treatments. (Henrietta Lacks died of the cancer, though her cells still live today.)

It's an non-fiction story that reads like a novel and brings up a lot of questions like, "How come taking samples from a dead body requires a family's consent, but even today the blood you give for testing at a hospital can be later used for research, without your even knowing it?" If you believe that sample is going to be used by an altruistic academic researcher to cure disease, you may willingly give it up, but what if you later learn that the institution or researcher has made millions based on what your cells told them? And you can't afford to go to the dentist?

Reading the story is timely as one of the decisions Jason and I have to make is whether to save our baby's cord blood, or to donate or trash it. It's believed that banked cord blood may someday be useful in curing diseases, though the science is young and the costs for harvest and annual storage are pretty steep. We're inclined to donating it to a public bank, so it might help someone who needs it today, rather than the possible (maybe unlikely) need we'll have for it later. But what if the donation ends up in research? Initially I'd say that's good, I'd like to feel like we are advancing cures, but after reading this book I wonder, "what if the drug it helps develop later costs us thousands?" A really interesting question for someone who also works for a pharmaceutical company!

I Win!

2011-07-15T21:18:00.005-05:00

After some serious e-bay auction tracking and selective bidding, my new, indulgent diaper bag has arrived!At the office I've pointed out to my managers that projects go through a system where we literally hear our work is being REJECTED, every week. It can be totally demoralizing if you take your work too seriously or personally. Today at work I was rejected...again. I've learned to laugh when things get really inane. (Case in point being this week where our ad agency presented a number of concepts focused on the "iconic, unmistakable Brooklyn Bridge"... except all their sketches featured the Manhattan Bridge.)

Bidding on e-bay started to demand an unsinkable optimism too, after a number of LOSING auctions when the price got too high for me to pursue bidding further.

But finally, the joy of VICTORY. (At 40% off retail price too.)

See how well the bag matches with baby's car seat? Must have been meant to be. (And thanks to Sura and family in Maine, Jason has the Diaper Dude bag too!)

Is That a Jicama in Your Belly or...?

2011-07-11T19:02:00.001-05:00

I can't tell you how many times I looked down on Friday and thought, "Geez, the skirt on this dress just balloons out like nobody's business," and tried to flatten it down...only to realize, "Oh, that's my belly right there." Just starting 32 weeks, and the baby is reportedly the size of a large jicama. I do not know what a jicama looks like, but apparently I could be hiding one under my skirt.

Let's Brainstorm

2011-07-10T18:50:00.003-05:00

There has to be a reason I need the Hello Kitty duct tape sold at Target. I did not buy it, which showed some rare restraint for a Target outing.

However I am not going to comment on the many other things that did end up in my cart, despite a pre-meditated list that did not include them.

And of course, I returned home to realize later that the cats need more food. Am I ready for a child?

Nearer to the Nursery

2011-07-06T20:43:00.004-05:00

I can add another question to the pregnant lady FAQ's. Besides the "how are you feeling?" and "do you know what you're having?" the oft-asked question is, "Are you done with the nursery yet?"

Ugh, I really wasn't. There were boxes and an unassembled crib, and piles of clothes, hand-me-downs, and various items I'd been putting aside. People asked the nursery question (often!) and it would trigger a feeling of sinking anxiety. Then they'd cheerfully exclaim, "Oh, you won't really need it for the first month or so anyway!" I wanted to retort, "THEN WHY ARE YOU ASKING AND MAKING ME STRESSED ABOUT IT???!!!"

I may be a little irritable in the third trimester.

So this weekend I put my belly to the grindstone and tried to pull the room together. Jason initiated the crib assembly the other weekend, which ended up being a bit of a challenge to our marriage. But both crib and marriage are looking good now.

And here's how the nursery is looking!Crib is assembled! It seems like the size of a small car, and rather big for such a small baby. Mattress and sheets are to come, but that's a little souvenir from the babymoon in Cabo draped over the side. For the sharp-eyed, I can confirm that that is a picture of the Ohio State stadium on the wall. I'd probably object more notably if we were expecting a girl, but since Jason has pretty much let me make 98% of the nursery decisions, I figured I could entertain some Buckeye accents. And the baby is coincidentally due on the day of the season opener. How poetic for Jason. It was me who thought this hand-knit cap was an adorable Father's Day gift (from Etsy.) Brutus is sitting atop a teddy bear made by my Mom. I may regret opening the door to this, since Jason came home today delighted show me an Ohio poster he'd purchased, thinking of the nursery. How does one put the Buckeye back in the bottle?

There are a few items still pending, like these cute biplane wall decals. Despite spending a good deal of time admiring the stylish and minimalist nurseries on sites like OhDeeDoh (Apartment Therapy's kids blog), I have trouble with blank spaces. And after Juliet once told me a horrifying story that began with, "All I knew was that I woke up covered in blood and shattered glass..." I have a bit of an irrational fear of pictures falling off walls onto the heads of unsuspecting sleepers. (Juliet was fine. She can be counted on to tell a good story though and influences my decision for nothing but soft stickers over sleeping baby's head.)

Holiday Weekend

2011-07-04T21:31:00.007-05:00

This was a nice, relaxing, do-nothing-special kind of holiday weekend. The red, white and blue bunting was up on the balcony and an early departure from work on Friday started it off. Then there was also:

- Yoga class - loving the pigeon pose for pregnancy-related sciatica relief. I'm sometimes surprised that I still balance relatively well with a baby on board.

- Eye doctor - new contacts, but not a very different prescription. This was on the list of things to get squared away before the baby comes.

- Hair cut - same as above. I'm kind of glad my hair's long enough to be pulled into pony tails, seems like that may come in handy in a few months

- Dinner outside at Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park. A French bistro style-dinner, paid completely with gift cards...which we'd received for our wedding nearly four years ago! Juicy summer tomato and avocado salad, filet mignon with frites, and a light chocolate mousse to finish. (A belated thanks to Sam & Frosty.) - Close-to-finishing touches on the nursery and the guest room (more on that later, when they are actually closer to done. I'm almost there. I hung probably 10 pictures this weekend.)

- Monday afternoon nap (I get a lot more tired these days, despite doing not much more than grocery shopping and errands!) Which also explains what happened to most of Sunday...lolling around on the couch reading. Jason and at least one of the cats joined me for Monday's nap, completing the lazy weekend.

Sense of Entitlement

2011-06-29T21:19:00.002-05:00

They've just converted the ladies' (and I assume also men's) room on my floor at work. With the renovation unfortunately the blah white and blue tiles stayed (I was hoping for something more modern) but the toilets and sinks were converted to automatic flushers and faucets. Even the hand dryer is now automatic.

I wave my hand over the back of the toilet and it flushes. I walk up to the sink and it serves me with water. The dryer is immediately at my service when I place my hands under its spout.

This is nice and likely more sanitary. The bathroom may now be cleaner than the photocopier. However, the negative impact is the habits I've realized it creates when I go to other restrooms. On occasion, I've caught myself nearly leaving the stall without a flush. (How awful and inconsiderate for the next person!) At airports, I've walked up to the sink and dumbly stood there, 5 seconds later impatiently wondering, "Where's the water? Is this broken!?" No, it's just an old-fashioned, *self-serve* sink.

Such a chore. This is not the standard to which I've become accustomed.

To Do: Columbus

2011-06-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

We'll be in town by the end of next month for a baby shower, so the mental list of people to see and places to go in Columbus is starting to be written.
When my curiosity led me to a story about the best ice cream shops in America, I already found myself in Columbus.
Add Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams to that list, please. (I know, so cliche - a pregnant lady looking for her ice cream fix.)

Here are some of the flavors that I could go for:
BACKYARD MINT
Pure, intense, and feisty black peppermint restrained and mellowed by sweet cream. True mint ice cream.And then this is intriguing...
RHUBARB & LIME CARDAMOM YOGURT
Sharp citrus and cool, smoke-y Indian cardamom in tangy yogurt laced with ribbons of sweet, pink, roasted rhubarb ribbons. Exotic, aromatic, refreshing.WILD LAVENDER
Fruity, with brambly berry flavors, citrus zest, exotic spices, and lavender essential oil.Not sure if I'd want to eat that flavor, or be massaged with it.

Any recommedations for someone who'll just have a day to test these out?

Doc for Tot

2011-06-25T22:00:00.005-05:00

There were a few episodes of panic this week, which lead to generally more moments of distress and tearfulness.
But, really did anything serious happen? No. Were there any catastrophic occurrences? No.

What happened was I'd fallen behind the hospital's deadline for pre-registry for delivery because you to have your child's pediatrician lined up. I hadn't even thought of this.

Then in another hospital-sponsored drama, I learned that the classes that promise to orient me and Jason to the compounding wonders of nature that are childbirth, breastfeeding, and baby care basics, were booked up. Let's hope baby arrives in time or a little tardy, since I won't know how to feed him until about five days prior to his arrival! (We did sneak into a marathon weekend class on childbirth, and baby care basics on two August weeknights.)

As for the pediatrician, if it were just a doctor for me I'd have only two questions: "Do you take my insurance?" and "How soon can I get an appointment?" And despite having a very positive conversation with the candidate pediatrician's office manager, I was feeling guilty when she'd asked me twice if I wanted to come in to meet the doctor. There didn't seem to be any way to nonchalantly say, "Nah, I think we're good," and not seem like a bad mommy.

Saturday was my "meet and greet" with the pediatrician. She immediately put me at ease by explaining that if I don't make it to that breast-feeding class, there are daily classes at the hospital nursery for moms with babies in hand. (There were some other surprising breast-feeding facts I learned, but that's too detailed for this little post.) I agreed strongly with her favorable opinions on vaccines too. Herd immunity!

Check those boxes for pediatrician and dismissing anxiety over the classes.

One drawback: in reading the pediatrician bios in the waiting room today I saw a detail that gave me a minor tinge of bad wife guilt... the doctor is a University of Michigan graduate. I promised Jason that if it bothered him, baby can be dressed in Ohio State gear for each doctor's visit.

I Covet

2011-06-23T19:00:00.006-05:00

Not being inclined to buy any clothes for the next few months (I have enough maternity wear, and so little of it is really stuff I love...) that occasional "I want" energy has to be turned elsewhere.

Shoes don't work. The threat that my feet could change a whole size during pregnancy...and never go back....freaks me out. (Of course I'm still more freaked by the entire labor and delivery process to come. This will be explored in all its gory detail during a weekend childbirth class in August. It'll be like attending high school Health class with Jason, except in the end we will ultimately not share an egg or a flour sack, but a real kid.)

I've filled the registries at Amazon and Babies R' Us with lots of stuff for baby. It's gotten to the point of frivolity with CDs of Radiohead and Coldplay lullabye music and stuffed animals that can be programmed to say baby's name.

So I'm left to covet other items...like diaper bags that are super cute (but super expensive...figures!)

The Petunia Pickle Bottom Cake Society Satchel

Which one...yellow? red? green? (All three are on my Amazon Wishlist, reflecting my indecision.)

To address my craving (in a frugal way) I've bid on eBay (and lost) and entered a drawing to win one (and lost).

If all else fails, I may invoke a request for a "push present." It'd be much cheaper than Mariah Carey's $12,000 pink diamond and Rachel Zoe's $250,000 diamond ring.

A mommy friend advised just picking a diaper bag that I like, since most likely I'll be the one carrying it (not Jason.) But to address the times that Jason will be toting baby around, I did register for the manly Diaper Dude bag. (Which I'd also be ok with.)My only diaper bag bottom line principle is that it look like an adult bag. Unless baby is planning on carrying it himself.

Feeling My Age

2011-06-21T10:20:00.002-05:00

When NPR is both introducing you to new music and their commentators are covering the "maturity" of today's Beastie Boys, you begin to feel a lot less hip. Intellectual is the new cool?

For a funny Beastie Boys retrospective, there's this, with a great video now playing on Comedy Central also.

Tags: Beastie Boys, Music, More Music Videos

And the latest album I downloaded was thanks to NPR's World Cafe, was Bell X1's "Bloodless Coup." The Irish band is described as "pre-electronic Radiohead and the more sedate side of Coldplay." My favorite song so far is "Sugar High" which these days I'm bemused to be getting from my maternity glucose test (which I passed!)...not so much pixie stix and Nerds.

I Don't Want To, But I Do

2011-06-20T21:13:00.002-05:00

Mark Zuckerberg (he of Facebook fame) has a dog. "Beast" has his own Facebook page. As much as I don't want to like him, I do. But I am holding back from officially Facebook LIKING him. (This sounds like middle school - I like him, but I don't like like him.)

In Honor of Fathers

2011-06-19T09:39:00.007-05:00

This week marked the last of doctor-sanctioned business travel prior to baby. I made the most of it by hopscotching from Chicago to Florida to Houston and back to Chicago (arriving just in time to miss on the massive computer problems that tangled United Airlines flights for hours!)

While in Florida, I detoured to visit Aunt Marion & Uncle Glenn who retired there about 10 years ago. Grandma recently joined them there, so it was a double-hitter. With Grandma's move came her photo albums, and since Marion & Glenn had both the photos and a scanner I made myself a little project while I was there to capture the family photo archives dating back to my great, great grandfather.

In honor of Father's Day, here are the men that preceded me on my father's side:
Great Great GrandfatherGreat Grandfather, on the left with the moustache, a Pennsylvania coal miner. Grandpa, with my young Dad and Aunt Marion This photo is a classic in our family, for its contrast of Grandpa looking so 1940s gangster (complete with cigarette and hat brim lowered) and the innocence of Dad and Marion in their sailor outfits holding American flags. Looking through the other photos of distant relatives back home in Czechoslovakia, that sailor outfit turns up on other little boys who were sent the hand-me-downs. Grandpa's three-piece suit belies his day job as maintenance and moving man at the Empire State Building.

And my Dad, with me and Juliet at Buttermilk Falls in the Adirondacks, in classic late 1970s style (check out Juliet's collar.) Happy Father's Day to this generation of Dads, and Dads-to-be in our case!

P.S. Believe it or not, this is my 1,000th blog post!

Think Quietly. Talk Gently. Act Frankly.

2011-06-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

Via Hiving Out. Thanks for the grounding advice. I might put this at my desk at work.

Beat That

2011-06-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

For when I'm back on the running road again (since I took a break with baby on board) I bookmarked jog.fm. A brilliant idea to serve up songs with the beat that matches your mile time.

What's funny is that a lot of the songs that came up for me (no log-in just to browse!) are songs already on my workout mix. e.g. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc and Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks.

This made me wonder, did I intuitively pick songs to match my pace? Or was I pacing myself to my songs? Maybe I should try faster songs to see if my feet would be more motivated?

Until then, it'll be mostly my yoga instructor's playlist for Saturday morning yoga classes. She's a big Sting fan. I haven't heard so much Sting since college.

But She Wouldn't Do It

2011-06-11T20:20:00.004-05:00

It hadn't occurred to me until I read the headline of this NYT piece, women politicians seem to rarely (if ever?) get caught up in sex scandals.

It would be easy to file this under the category of “men behaving badly,” to dismiss it as a testosterone-induced, hard-wired connection between sex and power (powerful men attract women, powerful women repel men). And some might conclude that busy working women don’t have time to cheat. (“While I’m at home changing diapers, I just couldn’t conceive of it,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York Democrat, once said.)

And if the chance to minimize these stupid Weiner-gate scandals isn't tempting enough to want to elect a woman:

"Once elected, women feel pressure to work harder, said Kathryn Pearson, an expert on Congress at the University of Minnesota. Her studies of the House show women introduce more bills, participate more vigorously in key legislative debates and give more of the one-minute speeches that open each daily session. In 2005 and 2006, women averaged 14.9 one-minute speeches; men averaged 6.5."

It's not that I necessarily believe women are more faithful and honest than men (every crate has its bad apples), which is probably why the headline drew my surprise and attention with its odd truth. I was proud of my female politicians though.

Registry Ruminations

2011-06-07T21:35:00.006-05:00

When did this blog become all about expecting a baby? Well, here's the pleasure of having a blog that's really just about me and isn't beholden to any particular theme or storyline; it can meander to exactly where my life is going these days. And right now, all roads are towards parenthood.For the journey we need gear. For a person so small, and so initially immobile, a baby requires a lot of stuff. According to the stern Irish-grandma-type, Babies R' Us employee I overheard briefing a newly registering couple this weekend, "Your registry must have at least 100-150 items on it. If you don't have enough items your friends and family will come to me and be upset, because there will be nothing on your registry left to buy." I was relieved that I'd started my registry online and was spared the lecture.

Scanner gun in hand, and with an expert Mommy at my side (friend Jill, mother of two) I took to the aisles of Babies R' Us to load up the registry. If not for me, if not for my baby, but really for my friends and family who would otherwise be tragically upset. My personal maternity concierge, Jill, printed out the Babies R' Us list of 200-something "essentials" and began crossing items out, highlighting others, and making the sweet note by the "burp clothes" saying, "You!" indicating that my homemade crafts will more than suffice for this essential.

Other members of the Mommy Advisory Council weighed in with their thoughts (thank you Ellyn, Sura and Juliet.) Of course, this revealed strong differences of opinions: baby bjorn versus ergo versus moby wrap, as an example. And Diaper Genie, you are controversial. I am still debating the Moses basket idea. So expensive, yet so limited in its lifespan of utility (only until baby weighs 15 lbs.)

Once the basics were covered (crib mattress, stroller, car seat) I was able to start adding the frivolities. Like the Gyro Bowl that Jason became fascinated with after seeing a television infomercial. It is seriously kind of a marvel.

I knew I'd fallen into the spirit of the game when I overheard myself saying, "Oh, and I'm kind of excited about our swing, it's got little bunny ears!" I stopped and had to roll my eyes at myself.

Later I wondered, when a mother in Africa is expecting, what does she consider necessary to prepare? Even with my registry of a paltry 56 items (barely half of what Babies R Us clerks will recommend) it seems like so much. But then I wondered if week two of parenthood will have me feeling, "There's not enough! We're not prepared!"

And that's when everyone who's already a parent sighs and says, "You'll really never be prepared."

What else scares me about the registry process? Products called the "Woombie Lil' Houdini" where it appears that your child has been placed in a straight jacket.

How old...

2011-06-02T20:24:00.002-05:00

How old does the baby need to be before I can get him one of these?
Follow-up questions:
Would an adult fit in one?
Or, is it enough that our cats might enjoy it?

Hip Huts via etsy.

Just What I Needed

2011-06-01T20:57:00.006-05:00

I could just look at The Animal Blog for hours.
Thank you, internet for exactly what I need after a hectic day that includes arguing with people who don't know what they are talking about and for whom logic and reason are complex subjects defying understanding.

Closet Confession

2011-05-31T21:30:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I think about buying all new hangers, so that they'll match. This must be why I was drawn to this blog post, from former Sassy Magazine editor Jane Pratt's new website. (Yay! Leah, check it out!!) You've seen my closet. I don't organize by sleeve length or collar style; color is my key.

But then I realize that how much wasted money those hangers would be...even if it was only $40. Even if it was $4. Just silly, and obsessive.

The kind of behavior that would inspire others to say, "You really need to have a kid." And since I will be (having a kid) maybe I can at least get him all matching hangers?? No, that seems even more frivolous. If there's any time of your life that you don't have to worry about pressed pants and unwrinkled tops, let's hope it's when you are a baby. (And maybe if you work at the auto shop, animal shelter, or in the landscaping business.)

Cabo Recount

2011-05-29T09:45:00.005-05:00

3 days without our luggage. (Nice job United Airlines, unable to get 2 bags on 1 direct flight.)

2 toiletry items then curiously discovered missing from our luggage, including a new can of Bumble & Bumble hairspray - either thanks to the TSA search (theft? misunderstanding of permissibility of aerosols? negligence?) or United's chain of possession. The contents of my bag had clearly been tossed around quite a bit.

2 pairs of Walmart underwear (see above)

Followed by 1 letter of complaint to be written to United whose stated policy is that they won't compensate you until you've been without your luggage for 72 hours. A policy that indicates you should *expect* them to handle your luggage incompetently.

4 pretty bad movies: Just Go With It with Adam Sandler, Due Date with Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis, The Dilemma with Vince Vaughn, and 2012 - a ridiculously over-the-top disaster movie with John Cusack. I recommend none of these.

2 "Expectant Mother" massages. It was such a joy to lie on my stomach! They didn't even need to touch me and I would have been delighted, just getting the chance for my own "tummy time."

4 1/2 books read: The Other Life by Ellen Meister. Bossypants by Tina Fey, which was not quite as funny as I thought it'd be. (David Sedaris is more my style, I suppose.) The Most Human Human, a recounting of the annual Turing Test competition where judges spend 5 minutes in an instant message conversation trying to decide if they've been talking to a human or an artificial intelligence program on a computer. The computers attempt to trick the judges into thinking they're human, and the humans try to prove in short bursts of small talk that they are human. I grinned and laughed aloud more at this book than Tina Fey's. The Bolter, the biography of five-times divorced Idina Sackville and her adventures in Edwardian England and Kenya. And now on my way through Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I was really impressed that my kindle not only got service in Mexico, but that Amazon doesn't charge any fees for international access to download new books when I finished the four I'd read through. 1 afternoon nap, pretty much every day. If there's any way to store up sleep for the coming sleepless nights we'll have once the baby arrives, we tried our best.

Innumerable offers to purchase a timeshare. We began to claim that we were either unemployed and broke (true that we had received the stay through the generosity of Jason's mother) or that we were moving to Indonesia next year, a suitably far away and tropically-similar destination that would make the purchase of a timeshare in Cabo unreasonable. If you find yourself considering doing the timeshare property tour my advice is to hold out as long as possible as the enticements grow throughout your stay. Upon check-in they offer breakfast and a free drink coupon, by day three it was the breakfast, a free return to the airport, $200 at the spa, and $100 in dining.

1 dinner boat cruise. I joke with Jason that in my family no vacation would be considered complete if we weren't on a boat somehow: London, Amsterdam, the Jersey Shore. Humorously named the "Cabo Rey" it aptly came complete with a dinner show of traditional dancing. 3 hour delay on our flight home. Well done again, United: mechanical problems, a pilot who needed a more detailed passenger manifest, some guy's luggage mysteriously vibrating in the hold, and then sadly, a dog that hurt its mouth during the wait. The dog was ok to fly once the owner had a chance to attend to its injury and offer comfort. (Also 0 sandwiches left for our meal, after they'd been offered to everyone else in the cabin, so we had a nearly frozen chicken breast on top of lettuce for lunch.)

2 days left to enjoy before returning to work, thanks to the Memorial Day weekend. Though Chicago's weather is one big contrast: gloomy with predictions for thunderstorms.

Finally, a photo that will give you a little sense of that 1 baby in my ever-growing belly. We laughed every time Mexican merchants approached us to enter their shops by inviting, "Hello, honeymooners?!!" Might be a little late for the honeymoon, either that or they just took me to be another fat American.

Meet The Baby

2011-05-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

Goofing around one night, I played with a "what will your child look like?" photo morpher found online. (Probably best that I didn't know about this when I was single, should it have become a criteria to run all match.com candidates through.)

Taking this photo of me and Jason in India...The website predicted this as the face of our son.(That is supposed to be a little boy, though Jason insists it looks like a girl. How much can you expect from a free internet toy? At first it did accidentally think we were African-American, so this was an improvement!)

He's also apparently a pirate. I think we'd hoped for more, like scientist, professional athlete, architect or author. I just hope his career doesn't take him to Somalia.

Baby's "Crib" Preview

2011-05-20T09:00:00.004-05:00

This is clearly not a room ready for a child, but it is our nursery. Once upon a time it was my office, and the feminist in me finds it an ironic metaphor that this is the room that baby will be baby taking over.

However, the decorator in me is happy to think about re-working my workroom into a place for a baby boy. Here's what I'm thinking about for baby's room, beginning with keeping the current pale blue wall color (Benjamin Moore Blue Bonnet) and some of the orange accessories like these pillows.In the middle is a boppy cover I found on etsy that embodies a lot of the colors I like for the room: light blue, dark blue, orange and grey. (Boppy is a courteous hand-me-down from cousin June.)

These colors work with the existing rug (grey), the new rug from India, and a few other items I'm adding to the room, including an old milk crate (a possible toy catch-all coincidentally bearing the name of my employer!) and a new Crate & Barrel beanbag footrest. I may already be overdosing the orange, so I'll look for more balancing blue with further additions.The footrest is soft and intended for outdoor use, so I expect it will be durable. I was thinking about bringing in a glider or rocker until reading an OhDeeDoh (Apartment Therapy's kids blog) post entitled "Number One Item Readers Thought They Needed, But Didn't" and it was a rocking chair! Granted the comments spawned a feverish debate. I think we'll start with the existing cozy armchair plus footrest, and if needed there is a Plan B rocking chair I can bring in.

I like those old Animal Cracker tins, and imagine there must be some kind of baby supply that they can house?

For the walls, the current art will stay. I'm now realizing that I apparently have a natural penchant for juvenalia...or maybe my "clock" was already ticking. (Let's all roll our eyes at the cliche.)Clowns and animals, that seems right for baby! Also note the addition of dark blue curtains to add some masculinity to the room. Problematically, they are shorter than the last drapes, meaning I'll have to adjust the height of the curtain rod to avoid the look of flood pant curtains.

This jester wall hanging is a good big brother for the Pinnochio from Aunt Courtney and Uncle Lorenzo. And he was designed and hand-made by Grandma Patricia. (I still have the news clipping from the local paper featuring this guy as the winner of the craft fair contest at the local YWCA. Go Mom!) And it's not too hipster to keep the Modest Mouse poster, right?

So obviously we are still missing some essentials like um... a crib? But that's on order, so stay tuned for updates and a recap of the marital strife that may ensue as Jason and I attempt its assembly. There ought to be a Geek Squad equivalent for Babies R Us, guys who can just come to your home and figure this out for you.

I Broke My Book

2011-05-18T16:55:00.006-05:00

This is a problem you wouldn't have with a traditional paper-and-glue book. After hearing the clatter of it dropping to the floor and then taking a long slide under the bed, I should have known that my kindle was an unlikely survivor. Sure enough, the next night when I turned it on I had a screen that looked like a shattered mirror. *SIGH* And just before vacation too!

However a new Kindle is on its way to me now, as well as padded carrying case to help prevent this from happening again.It's just an odd feeling to not be able to read at night, because I literally broke my books.

C'mon Cabo

2011-05-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

I am eagerly looking forward to slipping my toes into a pair of these very soon.
Especially with this weekend's temperatures wandering in the low 40s, with an overcast grey sky.

A week away in Cabo, including first class seats for the return trip (thanks to frequent flier miles.) It's surprising that I'm not already completely packed.

Another Taste

2011-05-15T21:27:00.006-05:00

I seem to be frequently put in charge of organizing office team outings. Usually it's with a little bemusement, since many team members are pretty ambivalent in their participation. (Attendees to the AIDS 5K walk on a Saturday morning included just the two managers who'd suggested it'd be a great idea and asked me to organize.) Though I'm sometimes reluctant, I'll admit that on the rare occasion that I am not asked for my organizer's opinion, I do get a little offended.

So no surprise that I was consulted for the spring outing, for which I proposed a Chicago food tasting tour. (Readers with a very good memory will recall this was a gift from mother-in-law Nancy a couple years ago.) And it worked out very nicely for our team of 15 on a warm and sunny spring Friday.

We toured the Near Northside, enjoying pastrami reubens, fancy iced tea, chocolate, olive oils and balsamic vinegar, and of course, some Chicago pizza.

Here is the tea from Tea Gschwendner, where we learned that the tea you've been buying at the grocery store is considered the "sawdust" of the tea world. At the Spice House we tasted cinnamon straight up, which was surprisingly good, while listening to a history lesson on the spice trade. Even though I rarely pull my act together for sophisticated cooking, their herbs inspired me... and reminded me of the many yummy spices we've received from Jason's Aunt Cherie and Uncle Charlie, sitting full of promise in my cupboard.At the Fudge Pot, custom molds of chocolate greeted us. Yes, that's a chocolate cheeseburger in the bottom left corner. My favorite stop surprised me, since it was a store I'd never set foot in, Old Town Oils. A store with just olive oil and balsamic vinegar? What could I need there? But after drinking shots of tasty combinations of oil and vinegar I went back the following week for their Blood Orange Olive Oil, to pair with the Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar for the perfect summer salad dressing. (This is obviously not my photo, since the date is 2010.)

The tour won positive reviews from the team, and my tummy.

Thank You Belly Much

2011-05-11T19:42:00.001-05:00

I saw my admin do it the other day. Standing by her side, about to explain to her how to sort an Excel spreadsheet for me, her eager hand sprung towards me, but stopped itself. She caught herself saying,"Oh I almost just touched your belly without thinking...or asking."

Since I've just rounded the corner of starting to really show the baby in my belly this is just the beginning. I'm going to be practicing my Bruce Lee windmill defensive reflexes. Of course, right now I'm much more in Kung Fu Panda shape.Some people might call it selfish, but I don't think it's everyone's privilege to touch me in a way that would be completely weird under any other situation. Though I am intruding beyond my own personal space doesn't mean you can. Uninvited hands off the belly! Coworkers particularly. I am considering poking everyone back, and asking how far along they are. But I confess even this makes me uncomfortable!

Just Thinking of You

2011-05-09T20:15:00.007-05:00

This year brought an odd partnership on the calendar for May.Looking at pictures of my parents from their pre-kid days, you might suggest they were the odd partnership. And it's sort of related.

Sunday was Mother's Day, which I am typically a little cranky over, since the primary person I'd be celebrating isn't around. Although friend Ellyn reached out to remind me that the day may be changing in a personal, significant way as it soon will honor me as Mom too. Jason was a little dubious about celebrating this year, until I explained that this is like my "red-shirt freshman" year for mother's day - on the team but not really playing yet...but still eligible for that scholarship! Putting it in terms he understood gained the promise of a dinner out.

Then today, it was fifteen years since my Dad died. Which took me by surprise, dawning on me as I was sitting in a meeting talking to three other people about FDA submissions and their timing. After staring at the calendar on the wall for nearly 20 minutes it hit me why this date seemed so familiar and notable. So it was easy to feel reminiscent and maybe a little sad for a while, thinking of Mom and Dad.

But then Juliet cheered me with photos of the thief caught in her yard today. Bunny breakfast! With a beverage.The last photo is my favorite, as it has that "Caught on TV" look to it.Nothing like a bunny rabbit to make you smile, even on a gloomy day. (Thanks Juliet and Ellyn - too bad there isn't a Sister's day and a College Roommate day to honor you too!)

Good Humor

2011-05-04T20:19:00.003-05:00

I just saw this on a friend's facebook page.
And suffice to say I can immediately think of which one of my friends would be the unicorns if we were back in Noah's day.
And my friends might suggest I would have been the termites in the wood Noah used to build the ark...any way to get on board as early as possible.

Update: This card is from Sapling Press on etsy, where there are also other amusing cards like this one:

My Most Feminine Skills for Mother's Day

2011-05-03T19:17:00.005-05:00

I feel like I've never impressed by Grandmother more than when I cook or sew. After bringing an apple tart to Easter one year (essentially sliced apples mixed in with sugar and placed on top of puff pastry, which was then folded over to make a crust) I was questioned multiple times, "You made this? You made this yourself?"

Sometimes I wonder if Grandma worries that I haven't picked up the essential female skills that she was well-schooled in growing up: sewing, cooking, child-rearing. In her day Grandma has sewn her own coats, slipcovers for furniture and many a holiday apron. If the apple tart impressed her, I am ready to bowl her over by giving birth!

I am hopeful that she will delight in a small mother's day gift that's on its way to her now: a fabric corsage, made from scraps from other projects.

It was a pretty simple, one afternoon project. For a little big of bling, I added an old earring to the center of the "carnation." And that's her Mother's Day card in the background too.

I am hoping that Gram will like it, and maybe can show it off a little in the senior center.

Freshman Year Philosophy 101

2011-04-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

This was so me in freshman year Introduction to Philosophy.

I Judge

2011-04-27T19:05:00.004-05:00

Everyone does it, you know you do. Standing in the aisles of Barnes & Noble you look at the books on the shelves and you judge them...by their covers.

Funny, with the kindle this practice is a little disabled, especially if you are shopping for your next book on your kindle. The best imagery is a black and white thumbnail image. That's how I ended up downloading "The Apothecary's Daughter" by Julie Klassen. It sounded very Jane Austenesque and a nice break after finishing the detailed historical non-fiction, Cleopatra. I read the new book in three days. I stayed up late reading. I read on the train. Even today at lunch I read the last pages at my desk. When the lunch hour technically expired I just lowered the kindle a little further into my lap and finished the last few pages.

Feeling the sudden regret that it was over and maybe I should have read slower towards the end to make it last longer, I went to the internet. If I could find some commentary on the book, see what the cover had looked like to deepen my picture of the heroine, it would not be over!

I felt a little silly when I did see the cover. Nothing I'd ever pick up off the shelf. It looks like teenage romance! A tick away from having Fabio on the cover if it were more mature. My chagrin and surprise grew more when I learned it was written by an author in the "Christian fiction" genre. Not even a section I'd browse in the bookstore, but it did explain why at one very pivotal moment in the book the characters decided to drop everything and pray.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2011-04-25T19:40:00.007-05:00

It was sort of nice to have the weekend to absorb our news: expecting a boy. Walking through Gap Kids (to get to the maternity section) and Old Navy (also heading to maternity) I passed by the kids clothes. This time I could identify which side I'd be shopping on for the next few years. I think it was curiously the left in both stores. Not embroidered purple sundresses, but camo cargo shorts. No kittens and bunnies, but dinosaurs and monsters.

It was with a tinge of regret that it dawned on me that Hello Kitty will be out for baby clothes, nursery decor and anything else I can put her on. There's just no way to butch Kitty up. Goofy to think of trying to shoehorn this into something boyish.

Jason teased me, "You haven't even had a brother! What are you going to do?!" ("I'm going to be outnumbered!" I moaned inwardly to myself. Someone to ally with Jason in an argument that a burp is a-okay at the table?!) Jason had earlier attempted to antagonize me by saying, "Well, now we know that our child can grow up to be president or a CEO someday!" I shot daggers at him.

It was at the end of the day when I read this sweet blog post, On Having a Boy. Motorcycles, pranks, windsurfing and whisky - the modern day snips and snails? On sharing the news with a co-worker (and mother to a son) today she exclaimed with joy, "Now you know that someone will love and adore you for the rest of your life!" "That's not my husband?" I asked. She replied that her son has responded to invitations to go out by responding, "Sure Mom, but do we have to bring that guy?" (Referring to dad!)

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T18:36:00.005-05:00

These eggs remind me of Grandma's easter eggs, a tradition from the Ukraine which I just learned is called pysanky.
I love how they feel so 'old world' but also sometimes Navajo or modern. More decorating lessons here that seem pretty accessible, maybe for next year!

99% Sure

2011-04-22T18:42:00.004-05:00

The doctor said the "outdoor plumbing" spotted on today's ultrasound confirms it, and the nurse was 99% certain: it's a boy!

All the organs are looking good too: four heart chambers, two kidneys...

Bumpin' Along

2011-04-21T21:00:00.005-05:00

If there's one thing I find a little curious and sometimes TMI is the "bump photo" phenomenon. Women taking weekly photos of their bellies to see their tummy grow and grow. Sometimes with shirt pulled up.

I'm not totally into it, but I will confess to looking carefully at pictures of my mom in the third quarter of 1975 to see her belly with me inside. But the decision to partake in this ritual should be "mommy's choice" so I smiled when a fellow expecting mom reported on a message board that she's taken to posting photos of old men's beer bellies on her Facebook whenever friends and family demanded a belly picture.

A blogger I've started reading, Dear Baby, features regular pictures not of her belly per se, but how she's navigating maternity fashion. It's good inspiration and much more my own style.

She makes maternity look good, even in cell phone pics from her office bathroom.

To show friend Sura how I was enjoying her recent gift of hand-me-down maternity clothes I grabbed my own pic at work today. (As a side note, it's seriously inconvenient that maintenance has decided to shut down the bathroom closest to my office, so I have to trek across the floor to go to the bathroom. Was Building Maintenance not informed of my pregnancy??!)

So here's your "belly photo," although there's not too much to show and share yet. It's more evident in person, and definitely just going to get bigger. *sigh*

Rain, Rain

2011-04-20T21:46:00.004-05:00

I'd like to see the sun again, sometime soon. Lately the days have been rainy and overcast. It sounds particularly poetic and tragic when the weather updates on my office building's hallway plasmas say "broken clouds."

It's just depressing.When is spring coming???!! Or better yet, how many days until we go to Cabo??!

(Umbrella installations from Hiving Out.)

Literally "Nesting"?

2011-04-18T20:16:00.005-05:00

The weekly pregnancy updates I signed up for were warning that my sleep was going to get more and more uncomfortable. I've already lost the pleasure of rolling onto my tummy in the morning. And the sciatica... ugh.

So, as goofy as the pictures looked online, the reviews suggested a maternity body pillow might be worth it. Look at this woman, though big and pregnant, she is dwarfed in her big pillow. And that pillow, it's like a nest. She isliterally nesting! (Like those eagles in Iowa.)

I asked a mommy friend where Jason was supposed to sleep if I brought this onto our bed. She slyly replied, "It's not really about him anymore, is it?"

When Jason told me, "You got a really big box from Amazon today" I knew it had arrived. And the pillow is sooo comfortable. When I was testing it out Jason helpfully suggested, "Why don't we get up so that we can adjust the rest of the pillows around it better?" Naively I agreed, "Oh, good idea." I got up, he rolled into the pillow, closed his eyes and crossed his hands contentedly over his chest, pretending to fall asleep. "Hey!!!"

I think he may need a pillow too.

Attn: Shipping & Receiving

2011-04-16T19:37:00.007-05:00

With a baby on the way, many packages have also been on their way to us.

It's a little bizarre and sobering to have baby things start to infiltrate our house. "It's" on its way. (Of course, "it" has already been inside for months...inside of me, no less!)

Pinocchio arrived all the way from Italy, courtesy Aunt Courtney and Uncle Lorenzo. Turns out Uncle Lorenzo and Pinocchio grew up in the same part of Italy.And what's funny is that when I first thought to take a photo of the Grandma Nancy-sponsored wardrobe, it was half the size of what it is now. She's doing a lot with green and yellow, until we find out the gender. I like the little feet. (Giraffes and ducks.) It was with a little bit of sentimentality that I remembered the baby sandals crocheted by my mother (probably 15 years ago or more) that I'd tucked into our safety deposit box.Even cousin June has gotten into the act by generously shipping a number of items that she's no longer using.Two big boxes full of stuff that we haven't even unpacked yet, since the baby nursery assembly is still dependent on the guest room redecoration. (Temporarily stalled as we line up a painter.) But thank you, June! Already such a thoughtful cousin.

Gallery gazing

2011-04-11T19:47:00.006-05:00

What do you think of a gallery wall for the guest room? It's kind of trendy. Probably why I like it, but also find myself a little conflicted. I should get over it, because it occurs to me that I've already done it anyway in the workroom!

I like the idea of gathering a collection of small framed art (cheap, likely source-able from Etsy and even thrift stores) and objects. Very Barnes Collection style, where the Renoirs hob-know with African masks and old skeleton keys. For guests it might be an intriguing accent to spend some time with when they've retired to bed at night (and are maybe waiting for their fellow guest to finish in the bathroom.)And to stick with the Philadelphia theme, what about oil-painted Tastycakes? Butterscotch crimpets!! (From mgenomgeno on Etsy.)Also, after learning that large artwork can be super expensive if it's anything beyond a poster in a Bed, Bath & Beyond frame, I keen on the 'whole is larger than the sum of its parts' idea.

Easter Trimmings

2011-04-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

Easter is not for a couple more weeks, but the season makes me think of shopping for new Easter shoes and spring hats.
More kid photos are due to a recent project Juliet and I undertook to scan our family pics. Prepare yourself to see a lot more of my childhood now that it's all electronically at hand. One of my favorite memories is going to the craft center with mom to pick out silk flowers to add to our Easter hats. Early fashion design experience.
I still find myself drawn to Easter shoes, even knowing I'd maybe wear them just once and they'd be destroyed in the dirty Chicago puddles.(Cole Haan)And how about an equally impractical bone-colored bag to match? (Wouldn't last a day on the El or Metra!)(Also Cole Haan.)Adorable earrings top it off. (DanaCastle on Etsy.)
And since shoes, handbags and jewelry are likely the only things with a consistent fit for the next few months, we'll just stop there.

Make Way for Baby

2011-04-06T20:06:00.006-05:00

Part of getting ready for baby involves moving my (just decorated!) workroom to share space with our guestroom. (Ugh, the feminist in me finds it all too ironic that it's my office that goes away to make room for child-bearing!)

That's why I'm really overhauling the guest room. That's also why I've been going through many of the things in our house in an effort to de-accession items from the collection. (A "free" ad on craigslist earlier this week prompted over 50 replies in less than 12 hours. More on that adventure later.)

Found in the excavation, was this classic item: the pattern for our donut bed! The "donut bed" was essentially two twin mattresses on the floor, surrounded by by a big foam pillow. The donut. No matter where you sleep, you have a pillow. Roll all the way around in a big circle and your head will always have support.

My guess is that this was Mom's crafty solution (she sewed it herself) for a toddler-safe bed, since its first appearance correlates with Juliet's arrival on the scene. And my likely eviction from the crib.

Me in the donut bed, circa 1977. "Pandy," panda bear appears in the background. Maybe I should reconsider the bed for the guest room?

Time to Share

2011-04-05T21:10:00.005-05:00

It's probably a little overdue to share some news I've been keeping quiet...at least on the internet.

Jason & I are expecting.(I sure hope that most of you reading this heard it first from me or Jason, if we've had the chance to tell you personally!)

Right now I am growing; re-evaluating my closet for what options fit; dealing with random "side effects" of pregnancy; taking pre-natal vitamins; seeing more of my doctor than I've ever seen; and consulting with any friends who have added "mommy" to their titles.

Jason is mostly watching, but also kindly scooping all the kitty litter. (It seems like this is best perk of pregnancy...besides the eventual baby, of course. Pregnant women can't scoop litter for fear of toxoplasmosis.)

To cover the FAQs:

1. How have you been feeling?
First trimester was all nausea, all the time. But fortunately no actual sickness. I had kind of thought morning sickness was just about waking up, throwing up, wiping off your chin, and getting on with your day. Not so!

Without an appetite for much, but feeling better with any food in my stomach, the first trimester was weeks of eating like a frat boy. Pizza, onion rings and other things that tanked that whole fitness plan success pretty early.

Second trimester opened with tension headaches. Enough to send me to the mall for a chair massage one weekend.

2. Are you going to find out what you're having?
We're hoping it's a baby. ;)
We are finding out the gender, mark your calendars for the late April ultrasound.

3. Do you have a preference, boy or girl?
Jason will readily say boy. But I'm already that smug pregnant lady that says, "As long as it's healthy!"

4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Are you showing?
Sort of. The number of eligible pants drops every morning I poke around in the closet. Sister and "mommy" Juliet took me shopping for some maternity wear so I could enjoy the comfort of hidden elastic waist bands as early as possible. Upon seeing the maternity jeans, Jason commented, "Do they make these for men? They look really comfy!"

My first complaint about maternity clothing is to question, "Do they realize pregnant women work?!" Most of what I find are jeans and cargo shorts, which are really not work appropriate. And what a challenge if you like brown pants!

The second question is, "How silly can maternity t-shirts get?" Really.

Soooo happy to see you!

2011-04-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

This might make you cry it's so sweet and adorable: dog sees its mom after she returns from Afghanistan.After our two weeks in India, our cats sauntered into the room with barely a raised eyebrow that we were back. But we'd like to think that maybe they missed us at least 1/100th as much as this dog missed his mom.

We Should Have Such Problems!

2011-03-31T20:49:00.004-05:00

On occasion, Jason and I will catch each other arguing or worrying over some dilemma.

And then we realize that's it the kind of problem we won't remember having in three months. It's hardly really fair to define it as a "problem."

How many days should we stay in Cabo? (Something *still* TBD, Nancy.)

Why can't we find a good night for dinner with Joel and his wife?

Are the housecleaners going to be able to come before our expected house guests arrive?

Does Piper's eye look funny again? (No, she's just creepy like that sometimes.)

My co-workers never push in their chairs!

What is her problem with putting meat in a recipe once in a while? Why so many vegetables?

When is he going to get those clothes out of the dryer! I have laundry to do!For a chance to laugh at yourself and your problems, Jason introduced me to reddit.com's "First World Problems" thread.

No Pepsi is not okay.

I can't eat out of the vending machine because I only have 20's.

I'd like to shop at the farmer's market, but I never feel like getting up early on the weekend. (Guilty!)

Every day someone at work brings in donuts or cake and it's making me fat.A good dose of perspective. Not stuff like 'the village well has run dry' or 'they are bombing the rebels, but it's close to my house.'

If our biggest problems are laundry and scheduling, we are far more than good.

Thoughtfulness

2011-03-28T20:03:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it is about the smallest of graces. A touch of thoughtfulness that shows you paid mind to others.

It's about pushing in a chair!

I can't say it at work, but I'll say it here, my manager never pushes in their chair. Ever. And of course, they sit at the head of the table, closest to the door, in most of our meetings. When the meeting adjourns they stand up, the chair goes out, and they walk away. The team wrestles past the chair in our way to exit the room.

My manager is smart, seems to be of generally good breeding...but this chair thing is persistent. How do you teach someone a basic good manner when they are already 30+ years into life? And your boss. (Answer: You say nothing, but sometimes when you're in a mood, make a minor show of pushing in every chair as you exit, hoping they might notice.)

A corollary I'll also volunteer for meeting room kindness is that if you arrive first, take a chair farthest from the door, leaving the closer chairs open for those that arrive after you. It's simple and makes so much sense once you notice the later-comers awkwardly squeezing past four seated peers to get to the farthest seat in the room.

Just simple graces, makes everyone's life a little easier. And it doesn't even cost a thing.

A Problem I Didn't Know I Had

2011-03-22T22:08:00.003-05:00

Thank you Hefty bags. I have been living with an undiagnosed problem, and I had no idea. White trash bags, how could I have accepted this mess?

I'm going to guess that the "Blackout bag" was based on some consumer research where people volunteered that they had this issue. I think those people have too much time on their hands.

They must live in pristine homes where there is not a speck of dust anywhere, and therefore they begin to obsess about what's in the trash can and its unacceptable appearance.

Why not just use a garden trash bag?

If There's One Thing...

2011-03-16T20:03:00.003-05:00

If there's one thing that comes with marrying a prince, you'd kinda think it would be a big fancy wedding where someone else picks up the tab.

The whole marrying royal thing suddenly seemed a lot less appealing when I read that Kate Middleton's family is making a six figure donation to the wedding to Prince William. (Six figures of British pounds no less!)

Of course, that might just cover the flowers, or maybe the dress? (Designers sketch ideas for the dress here!)

The cost of our wedding might not even cover the tips for the valets.

Guest Room Ideas

2011-03-14T20:09:00.008-05:00

After spending some time noodling and putting pictures together on my powerpoint idea board, I am circling around a final idea for the guest room!

It's getting time to tell the current guests that they may need to find another resting spot for a little while. The paint options are on the wall and it's not going to yellow. Although the name is adorable, "Little Dipper," the color just glows in a crazy kind of way. Instead, it's going to be "Sweet Pear" a bright but calming green. After bringing home the paint chip Jason pointed out I'd picked pretty nearly the same color that is already in our kitchen and guest bathroom. I know I can live with it already!

Here's the whole plan, anchored by the cream bedspread and curtains that are already in the room.I'm excited to order the FLOR carpet tiles, in faux bois.Those fabrics will be going on big European pillows to disguise the headboard Jason hates, and I admit I don't love, but don't see the point in paying lots to replace. The West Elm bedding reminds me of my favorite sheets growing up too. I wonder if I'll be sleeping there since I'm thinking I'll love it so much!

Better than Old 30 Rock Re-runs

2011-03-09T21:16:00.003-06:00

I'm used to half-heartedly plugging my earphones into the armrest on flights to watch a 30 Rock episode I've already seen. It's just the inflight routine.

I had to curiously search out the pages of the airline magazine that offer descriptions on the movies when American Airlines announced the inflight movie would be "Waiting for Superman." What a terrific surprise, a documentary!

"Waiting for Superman" focuses on public schools in America and the tension between union rights and striving to improve the curriculum quality and teacher talent. And ultimately the students who work hard, want more, but face slim chances of getting into the best schools because it's a lottery. It's enough to make a liberal conservative as it points out how ridiculously poor performing teachers maintain their jobs, thanks to tenure. But it's balanced in spotlighting educators who maintain their idealism that education can improve.

I recommend it. It's topical with the controversy over unions in states like Wisconsin. My ticket to the movie cost over a hundred dollars, since it was my airfare, but for you it's out on DVD. (And kudos to American Airlines for considering documentary content for the in-flight entertainment. For once I didn't feel like that time in the air was time lost into thin air!)

Home Sweet Home

2011-03-06T14:44:00.006-06:00

After two, long, tiring weeks of travel crashing on the couch at home and catching up on Tivo never felt so good. Funny though it may sound, the last ten days of business travel were far more exhausting than our whole trip to India.

Vegas gave me a headache, with the smoke in the casino (people still smoke?!) and realizing that I hadn't been outside once in four days. This sounds very crankypants, but I didn't sleep well all week. The perk of the trip, however, was getting to connect for dinner with friend, Sura. When we'd earlier been lamenting how much business travel we each had coming up, it was Sura who was smart enough to ask, "Where are you going? Maybe we'll be in the same place at the same time." And we were!

I realized I'm more of a New England person than a Vegas showgirl, since it was Boston I liked better. I saved an extra day by going straight from Vegas to Boston, instead of pit-stopping in Chicago for 24 hours to frantically do laundry and re-pack. With two of my oldest friends in Boston, it was a chance to see both: Aaron and Leah.

To give you a sense of how far Aaron and I go back, here's the comparison of us back then, and us now. I'm on the right in both photos, and very glad that I grew into those cheeks. Yikes. I can also later do a separate commentary on the hats my mother put me in as a baby. This look is very colonial scullery maid. (Click to enlarge.) The stroller in the middle is now filled with Aaron's son, which gives this a very "circle of life" feeling.

With Leah, it was a realization not only that we'd known each other now for 20 years, but that it'd probably been 10 since we'd last seen each other. But like the experience of catching up with my fifth grade best friend, Andra, as many years later I've realized that some friends are just like old shoes. Your slip right back in completely comfortably. The ironic part is that Leah and I spent about ten minutes talking about how much we both like Andra (someone Leah's never actually met!) which makes me wonder if Andra and Leah aren't part of the same pair of shoes. (And that would probably be a Jessica Simpson pair.)

These visits made the trip more entertaining, but I am soooooo glad to be home.

Brief Hiatus Likely

2011-02-20T14:02:00.003-06:00

I'm leaving shortly for two back-to-back business trips, in two contrasting places: Vegas and Boston.
Vegas promises to be chilly (temps in the 50s) and I expect just as little (in terms of degrees) from Boston. I'm hopeful of meeting up with a couple of friends along the way.
Just wanted to let you know, since my blogging will probably suffer to business dinners and early morning meetings (7 am calls with the Central Time Zone are not appealing!)

Escape

2011-02-16T21:49:00.005-06:00

I am just thinking that it would be very nice, at this time of year, to take a little escape.And take just a beachy tunic, some fun summer sandals and a ruffly swimsuit.
This happens every year: the point where I am just tired of winter and ready for spring. Today was also kind of a glum day too. Work has been a particular chore this week and I'd just like to leave. Don't tell!

Two small consolations:
1. tomorrow's weather forecast nearing the 60s that promises to melt the feet of snow that surround us still. I'm hopeful that a path will be finally cleared for our dumpster to exit the parking lot.
2. next week I'll be in Las Vegas for a sales meeting. Let's hope for sun and stealing some time by the pool...without any coworkers to see me. It's not an escape when your boss is asking you about rescheduling the creative presentation and how it will impact the budget. (This has happened before, while I was really trying to listen to the 'Hop on/Hop off' bus tour in Vienna.)

Best Airplane Music

2011-02-14T20:47:00.004-06:00

After I've read my magazine, and tried to keep my eyes open for a book, I will pop my iPod earbuds in and try to find a comfortable wedge into my airplane seat.

I like flying at night. My last two flights have been particularly nice since they were both through the dark, enveloping, inky blue skies, but also very empty flights. Each time I moved from the aisle seat which I usually stake out on crowded flights to lean my head against the portal-shaped window.My favorite music for this moment, on a nighttime airplane ride is Bebel Gilberto's bossa nova. Music that captures the feeling that you are moving very slowly, gliding across the clouds, when in reality you know that you are moving faster than any other form of ground transportation. But still, it seems like the lights below are the same ones from 15 minutes ago.

When I feel like it I switch to the Cure, "Pictures of You." Also perfect for moody reflection.