If Andrew saw me blogging right now, I'd get in big trouble. My mom is picking us up in less than an hour, neither of my babies is dressed, nor am I. But, I just had to share the great news....
Baby 1 - 2 years, 7 months - slept in her own bed from 10:00PM - 9:45AM (we woke her up!)
Baby 2 - 16 weeks - slept soundly from 11:00PM - 9:30AM
How great is that??????
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Non-Dramatical Way to Give Birth, Part 2
After a 3 month hiatus, the cloud of the Mommy Brain has mostly lifted and I am happily attempting to blog again (I can hear the applause echoing from your living rooms to mine!). My first birth story was a bit hit (see Archives, May 2008), and a joy to revisit, so I am giving my most recent popping a whirl. Once again, I add the following:
Caution: Detailed (but humorous) account of giving birth follows below. Read at your own risk.
As evidenced in several blogposts below, I had had enough. I was ready for this pregnancy to end, for my little boy to arrive and for our new normal as a fabulous foursome to begin. Shortly after resigning myself to the unpleasantness of a second induction, I contacted my amazing doula, Fabulous Vicky. Our conversation started the same way as every prior one had begun, "Hi! It's Harley. I'm still pregnant..." This time, though, Fabulous Vicky didn't laugh. She said, "Ok, well, we're running out of time. Tonight's the night for castor oil." It was time to pull out the big guns. And by big, I mean gross and slimy. "If you take it tonight, you will have a baby tomorrow. I am pretty sure of it." I was sold. The pitocin/epidural must have been hell for me to agree to sip a cocktail of spicy ginger tea garnished with 2oz of thick, fuzzy castor oil. It was really the only option left. I called Dr. R to get the go ahead to drink the potion. He said, "It's an old wives tale. It won't do anything except keep you on the toilet all night, but go ahead and give it a shot." So, I did.
We gave our parents the heads-up regarding our plan and told them to be on call for the following day. However, Baby Boy had been due 'any day' since January 15th, so this heads-up was met with placating "OK"s and "Great"s.
We had a lovely dinner and evening, then at about 11pm I made the potion. It tasted of spicy ginger tea, but the texture was...unforgettable. After each thick and fuzzy sip, I wiped my tongue with a washcloth. I kept reassuring myself that this short-lived unpleasantness was far more preferable to the evil pitocin, and that inner monologue got me through the hour it took to drink the potion. The deed was done.
We waited. We cleaned the kitchen. We got ready for bed. I knew that I needed to try and get some sleep, especially if labor was imminent, but I was too wired. Andrew convinced me to come to bed and agreed to watch a movie while I tried to fall asleep. I quickly chose our HBO On-Demand movie, the classic Dirty Dancing. Mindless fun. I stuffed myself into too-tight jammies, propped myself up on about six pillows and settled in to watch the flick. I fell asleep shortly after Penny's botched abortion and woke up during the Kellerman's end-of-summer show. I felt funny. Crampy. But I had drunk the potion a few hours earlier, so that was no surprise.
There was no success in the bathroom, but the cramps started to feel more like contractions. I was cautiously optimistic. I called Fabulous Vicky and said, "I think this might be it!" We arranged that I would call her back either way by 5:30am and she planned to head into the city. She reminded me to get some sleep as it would likely be a long day.
Andrew was awake at this point watching Baby and Johnny have the time of their lives. "What should we do now?" he asked. I thought for a second, then another contraction hit. "Watch Dirty Dancing, again." He agreed, but wasn't thrilled. We started the movie from where I fell asleep the first time. By the time Baby and Johnny were doing lifts in the water, I fell asleep. I woke up contraction-free at 5am just as Johnny was taking Baby out of the corner. I called Fabulous Vicky and told her not to waste her time coming in - no baby was being born today in this household! She wasn't convinced, but agreed to stay home and remain on-call. She suggested that I try to jump start my system by taking a shower and having a bite to eat. I did, but to no avail. After eating a vegan grilled cheese, still pregnant, and contraction-free, I put on some mindless TV and crashed on the couch.
I opened my eyes at 8:07am and, for the first time ever feasted my eyes on the Today Show. Apparently, I hadn't been missing much, it was boring, so I closed my eyes again. About 3 minutes later, I realized why I had woken up in the first place- my belly was throbbing. Could I really be in labor? Did the potion really work?? Andrew was getting out of the shower and asked, "Do I have to go to work today?" I responded, "No, honey, I don't think you do." "Really?" "Maybe...Ow!" I ran over to the computer and pulled up the wonderful ContractionMaster website and started tracking the "Ow"s. Scarily, they were lasting about 90 seconds each and were 3 already minutes apart. I still didn't believe I was finally in labor.
I called Dr. R shortly after 9am and, with alarm, was instructed to go to Labor and Delivery immediately. My mom was stuck in traffic, so we called Uncle Brian and begged him to leave work, hop in a cab and come babysit for Lilah until my mom arrived. He agreed. Uncle Brian arrived 20 minutes later and saved the day! I convinced Andrew that we should walk the 10 or so blocks to Lenox Hill. It took awhile because we stopped about every 2 1/2 minutes so that I could breathe through a contraction.
Upon arriving at the hospital, we bumped into Dr. Y (Dr. R's partner). She said that she'd never seen anyone happier to be in labor and let us know that Labor and Delivery was waiting for us. I felt like a star! When we got upstairs four nurses greeted us and whisked us into a labor and delivery suite. They must have heard of my stardom ;) We knew that it was going to be a great day because the suite we were assigned to was the same room where we had Lilah. A good omen.
The nurses were totally different this time than they were at Lilah's birth. No one pressured me to wear a hospital gown or to sign an epidural waiver or even to get an IV put in. Nurse Gloria was assigned to us and she was easy breezy about the imminent arrival of a doula. She was probably just happy to have someone to help shoulder the burden of a crazy, non-medicated mother-to-be!
I changed into my birthin' jammies and was promptly examined by an intern. It was shortly before 11am and I was 5cm dilated and 100% effaced - go me! Grandparents were on the way, Fabulous Vicky was parking her car, and I was feeling OK. Really, it wasn't too bad.
Fabulous Vicky and her magical birthing ball arrived a few minutes later. She set up her iPod with soothing music and heated up her aromatherapy tray with the delicious scent of vanilla. Then, perfectly on cue, the contractions changed. They became painful, really REALLY painful. Fast and furious. The counter-pressure on my back was no longer relaxing. I started to feel like I was losing control and had no idea what to do with myself. Fabulous Vicky suggested taking a shower and I was up for trying anything. "By the time you are done in the shower, you'll be ready to push," she predicted. Andrew and I were skeptical, but hopeful.
I was in the shower for awhile, but really have no idea how long. Fabulous Vicky and Andrew positioned the shower head on my back, neck, hips, side - they tried anything and everything to try and ease the seething pains in my belly. At some point I said to them, "I can't do this anymore. I think I am ready to push." So, we ended the shower and requested that Dr. R come in to check me.
From this point on, my memory is a bit hazy. What I do know is that the following events occurred over the course of only 20 minutes. A very loooooong 20 minutes!
I remember that my mom arrived at the hospital and was excitedly asking at the door, "Can I just pop my head in and say hello?" I yelled out the door, "I don't want to say hello to anyone right now. We are not on vacation, I am having a BABY!" (Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to snap, but, seriously, "Can I just pop my head in?" Didn't you hear me screaming??).
I remember that Dr. R examined me and I was 7cm dilated. He asked if he could break my water and promised me a baby if he did. I let him. He examined me again and said, "Now you're 9cm. I'm going to wash my hands. You're going to have a baby in about 10 minutes." I liked the sound of that.
I remember that everyone was trying to get me to lay down and push, but I had a better idea. I turned around and tried to climb off the back of the hospital bed. I was getting out of there! I yelled, "I don't want to be pregnant anymore!!!!" Dr. R replied, "You wont be in about a minute. Now turn around, sit down and push!" I was very upset at Dr. R's insensitivity yelling at me like that - couldn't he see I was in pain and just wanted to forget this whole baby thing. I mean, really!
At some point, Andrew escaped the madness and brought my mom inside for the pushing stage. When I saw her and Andrew walk back in, I started to cry. This was really happening. Baby Boy was coming out. And, oh my god, I thought that I felt pushing pain with Lilah but this was truly excruciating! I was seriously about to poop out a watermelon without drugs - what was I thinking??
Moments later, just when I didn't think that I could bear another 10 seconds of squeezing, Dr. R calmly said, "Harley, stop. Look. Your baby is here." I looked down and saw that his tiny head was already out. Dr. R slowly and carefully took his little body out of mine. It felt like this graceful movement was happening in slow motion. Andrew describes it as 'slowing down time.' Instantly, the pain went away. Dr. R placed the baby on my belly, Andrew and I locked eyes and we cried for a minute. Happy tears. "This is Jack everybody. Our son, Jack."
Jack was born at 1:03pm, after a mere five hours. Well, 40 weeks, 3 days and 5 hours, but who's counting?
Caution: Detailed (but humorous) account of giving birth follows below. Read at your own risk.
As evidenced in several blogposts below, I had had enough. I was ready for this pregnancy to end, for my little boy to arrive and for our new normal as a fabulous foursome to begin. Shortly after resigning myself to the unpleasantness of a second induction, I contacted my amazing doula, Fabulous Vicky. Our conversation started the same way as every prior one had begun, "Hi! It's Harley. I'm still pregnant..." This time, though, Fabulous Vicky didn't laugh. She said, "Ok, well, we're running out of time. Tonight's the night for castor oil." It was time to pull out the big guns. And by big, I mean gross and slimy. "If you take it tonight, you will have a baby tomorrow. I am pretty sure of it." I was sold. The pitocin/epidural must have been hell for me to agree to sip a cocktail of spicy ginger tea garnished with 2oz of thick, fuzzy castor oil. It was really the only option left. I called Dr. R to get the go ahead to drink the potion. He said, "It's an old wives tale. It won't do anything except keep you on the toilet all night, but go ahead and give it a shot." So, I did.
We gave our parents the heads-up regarding our plan and told them to be on call for the following day. However, Baby Boy had been due 'any day' since January 15th, so this heads-up was met with placating "OK"s and "Great"s.
We had a lovely dinner and evening, then at about 11pm I made the potion. It tasted of spicy ginger tea, but the texture was...unforgettable. After each thick and fuzzy sip, I wiped my tongue with a washcloth. I kept reassuring myself that this short-lived unpleasantness was far more preferable to the evil pitocin, and that inner monologue got me through the hour it took to drink the potion. The deed was done.
We waited. We cleaned the kitchen. We got ready for bed. I knew that I needed to try and get some sleep, especially if labor was imminent, but I was too wired. Andrew convinced me to come to bed and agreed to watch a movie while I tried to fall asleep. I quickly chose our HBO On-Demand movie, the classic Dirty Dancing. Mindless fun. I stuffed myself into too-tight jammies, propped myself up on about six pillows and settled in to watch the flick. I fell asleep shortly after Penny's botched abortion and woke up during the Kellerman's end-of-summer show. I felt funny. Crampy. But I had drunk the potion a few hours earlier, so that was no surprise.
There was no success in the bathroom, but the cramps started to feel more like contractions. I was cautiously optimistic. I called Fabulous Vicky and said, "I think this might be it!" We arranged that I would call her back either way by 5:30am and she planned to head into the city. She reminded me to get some sleep as it would likely be a long day.
Andrew was awake at this point watching Baby and Johnny have the time of their lives. "What should we do now?" he asked. I thought for a second, then another contraction hit. "Watch Dirty Dancing, again." He agreed, but wasn't thrilled. We started the movie from where I fell asleep the first time. By the time Baby and Johnny were doing lifts in the water, I fell asleep. I woke up contraction-free at 5am just as Johnny was taking Baby out of the corner. I called Fabulous Vicky and told her not to waste her time coming in - no baby was being born today in this household! She wasn't convinced, but agreed to stay home and remain on-call. She suggested that I try to jump start my system by taking a shower and having a bite to eat. I did, but to no avail. After eating a vegan grilled cheese, still pregnant, and contraction-free, I put on some mindless TV and crashed on the couch.
I opened my eyes at 8:07am and, for the first time ever feasted my eyes on the Today Show. Apparently, I hadn't been missing much, it was boring, so I closed my eyes again. About 3 minutes later, I realized why I had woken up in the first place- my belly was throbbing. Could I really be in labor? Did the potion really work?? Andrew was getting out of the shower and asked, "Do I have to go to work today?" I responded, "No, honey, I don't think you do." "Really?" "Maybe...Ow!" I ran over to the computer and pulled up the wonderful ContractionMaster website and started tracking the "Ow"s. Scarily, they were lasting about 90 seconds each and were 3 already minutes apart. I still didn't believe I was finally in labor.
I called Dr. R shortly after 9am and, with alarm, was instructed to go to Labor and Delivery immediately. My mom was stuck in traffic, so we called Uncle Brian and begged him to leave work, hop in a cab and come babysit for Lilah until my mom arrived. He agreed. Uncle Brian arrived 20 minutes later and saved the day! I convinced Andrew that we should walk the 10 or so blocks to Lenox Hill. It took awhile because we stopped about every 2 1/2 minutes so that I could breathe through a contraction.
Upon arriving at the hospital, we bumped into Dr. Y (Dr. R's partner). She said that she'd never seen anyone happier to be in labor and let us know that Labor and Delivery was waiting for us. I felt like a star! When we got upstairs four nurses greeted us and whisked us into a labor and delivery suite. They must have heard of my stardom ;) We knew that it was going to be a great day because the suite we were assigned to was the same room where we had Lilah. A good omen.
The nurses were totally different this time than they were at Lilah's birth. No one pressured me to wear a hospital gown or to sign an epidural waiver or even to get an IV put in. Nurse Gloria was assigned to us and she was easy breezy about the imminent arrival of a doula. She was probably just happy to have someone to help shoulder the burden of a crazy, non-medicated mother-to-be!
I changed into my birthin' jammies and was promptly examined by an intern. It was shortly before 11am and I was 5cm dilated and 100% effaced - go me! Grandparents were on the way, Fabulous Vicky was parking her car, and I was feeling OK. Really, it wasn't too bad.
Fabulous Vicky and her magical birthing ball arrived a few minutes later. She set up her iPod with soothing music and heated up her aromatherapy tray with the delicious scent of vanilla. Then, perfectly on cue, the contractions changed. They became painful, really REALLY painful. Fast and furious. The counter-pressure on my back was no longer relaxing. I started to feel like I was losing control and had no idea what to do with myself. Fabulous Vicky suggested taking a shower and I was up for trying anything. "By the time you are done in the shower, you'll be ready to push," she predicted. Andrew and I were skeptical, but hopeful.
I was in the shower for awhile, but really have no idea how long. Fabulous Vicky and Andrew positioned the shower head on my back, neck, hips, side - they tried anything and everything to try and ease the seething pains in my belly. At some point I said to them, "I can't do this anymore. I think I am ready to push." So, we ended the shower and requested that Dr. R come in to check me.
From this point on, my memory is a bit hazy. What I do know is that the following events occurred over the course of only 20 minutes. A very loooooong 20 minutes!
I remember that my mom arrived at the hospital and was excitedly asking at the door, "Can I just pop my head in and say hello?" I yelled out the door, "I don't want to say hello to anyone right now. We are not on vacation, I am having a BABY!" (Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to snap, but, seriously, "Can I just pop my head in?" Didn't you hear me screaming??).
I remember that Dr. R examined me and I was 7cm dilated. He asked if he could break my water and promised me a baby if he did. I let him. He examined me again and said, "Now you're 9cm. I'm going to wash my hands. You're going to have a baby in about 10 minutes." I liked the sound of that.
I remember that everyone was trying to get me to lay down and push, but I had a better idea. I turned around and tried to climb off the back of the hospital bed. I was getting out of there! I yelled, "I don't want to be pregnant anymore!!!!" Dr. R replied, "You wont be in about a minute. Now turn around, sit down and push!" I was very upset at Dr. R's insensitivity yelling at me like that - couldn't he see I was in pain and just wanted to forget this whole baby thing. I mean, really!
At some point, Andrew escaped the madness and brought my mom inside for the pushing stage. When I saw her and Andrew walk back in, I started to cry. This was really happening. Baby Boy was coming out. And, oh my god, I thought that I felt pushing pain with Lilah but this was truly excruciating! I was seriously about to poop out a watermelon without drugs - what was I thinking??
Moments later, just when I didn't think that I could bear another 10 seconds of squeezing, Dr. R calmly said, "Harley, stop. Look. Your baby is here." I looked down and saw that his tiny head was already out. Dr. R slowly and carefully took his little body out of mine. It felt like this graceful movement was happening in slow motion. Andrew describes it as 'slowing down time.' Instantly, the pain went away. Dr. R placed the baby on my belly, Andrew and I locked eyes and we cried for a minute. Happy tears. "This is Jack everybody. Our son, Jack."
Jack was born at 1:03pm, after a mere five hours. Well, 40 weeks, 3 days and 5 hours, but who's counting?
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Non-Dramatical Way to Give In
Dear Baby Boy,
OK, fine you win. You can stay in there until modern medicine says 'no more'! You have until Friday, so enjoy it while you can.
So, I give up. No more acupuncture. No more homeopathic stuff. No more begging. No more pleading. No more going to bed every night thinking 'please let me wake up in a pool of fluid or in absolutely agonizing pain.'
I will wait until Friday and get induced. I will brave the evil Pitocin for you like I did for your sister. I will risk the epidural and the possibility of a C-Section. I will do this for you because you are obviously your mother's son and want to do things on your own terms and I understand and respect that.
So, live it up in there kid. It's fine.
xoxo Mommy
OK, fine you win. You can stay in there until modern medicine says 'no more'! You have until Friday, so enjoy it while you can.
So, I give up. No more acupuncture. No more homeopathic stuff. No more begging. No more pleading. No more going to bed every night thinking 'please let me wake up in a pool of fluid or in absolutely agonizing pain.'
I will wait until Friday and get induced. I will brave the evil Pitocin for you like I did for your sister. I will risk the epidural and the possibility of a C-Section. I will do this for you because you are obviously your mother's son and want to do things on your own terms and I understand and respect that.
So, live it up in there kid. It's fine.
xoxo Mommy
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Non-Dramatical Way to Beg Your Unborn Child to Come Out
My due date has officially arrived. I am still pregnant. Still big as a house. Still waddling. Still having fairly regular painless-yet-annoying contractions. Still getting bigger. Still can't really shave my legs. Still can't see my toes.
I have done many things in a seemingly fruitless attempt to smoke this kid out, including but not limited to: getting several acupuncture treatments, taking Evening Primrose Oil and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea daily, successfully begging my doctor to sweep the membranes, losing my plug, forcing Andrew to rub the appropriate acupressure points every night, and getting a pedicure with extra massage (good idea, Jul!). I am still pregnant.
This kid is way too happy in my belly and all that I can think about is: what does this mean for his future? what does this mean for the future of my belly's elasticity?
As Lilah says every night, "Come on out and play toys with me, Baby Boy!" We're waiting for you. We're ready for you. You can come out now, please.....
I have done many things in a seemingly fruitless attempt to smoke this kid out, including but not limited to: getting several acupuncture treatments, taking Evening Primrose Oil and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea daily, successfully begging my doctor to sweep the membranes, losing my plug, forcing Andrew to rub the appropriate acupressure points every night, and getting a pedicure with extra massage (good idea, Jul!). I am still pregnant.
This kid is way too happy in my belly and all that I can think about is: what does this mean for his future? what does this mean for the future of my belly's elasticity?
As Lilah says every night, "Come on out and play toys with me, Baby Boy!" We're waiting for you. We're ready for you. You can come out now, please.....
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Non-Dramatical Way to Share 25 Random Things About Myself
1. I am a perfectionist to a fault. Many times I just can't get projects started out of fear that they will not be perfect upon completion, this list included...
2. Law school taught me to be a really decent writer. In fact, it actually taught me to appreciate and love writing. However, because of my perfectionist thing, I have a lot of trouble sitting down to start write anything. Andrew says that I do better when I dictate my thoughts (usually to him) and then do heavy edits of the dictation. Anyone in need of a dictator?
3. I am a voracious reader! I love surrounding myself with my many and varied magazine subscriptions and always need to be reading a book and have one on deck. There is nothing like curling up with a good book, finding the time to do so is a bit harder.
4. I am terrible in the kitchen, inept actually, and I really have no desire to learn to be better. That said, I make awesome toast and sandwiches! Lilah's current favorites are humus avocado, vegan grilled cheese, and hazelnut spread with mixed berry jelly. My kid thinks that I am a wonder in the kitchen - how funny is that??
5. I love shopping, but most of all I love a bargain! There is nothing like scoring a $350 Michael Kors purse for $100 (it was a gift, actaully. Thanks, Mom-Mom!) or a $200 diaper bag for $75. I am currently obsessed with online (invitation only) sample sale websites such as Haute Look, Rue La La and The Mini Social. Check out my blog for more on this: DontBeSoDramatical.blogspot.com.
6. My house must be stocked with Viva and many sizes Ziplock bags at all times. Viva is the wonder towel and I use it to clean everything. Ziplock bags are the most useful little things. Nothing makes me happier than a crisper filled with cut fruits and veggies in individual Ziplocks. Lilah and I are sharing a Ziplock bag full of green beans right now - yummy! (Please note that I am not in any way affiliated with Ziplock nor do I get commission for the amount of times it was mentioned in this Note).
7. I hate waking up before 10AM. When I was pregnant with Lilah, everyone offered lovely snips to the effect of 'kiss your late morning sleep goodbye,' but my kid showed 'em all! Lilah, rise before 10AM, practically unheard of! As I write this, the fear ripples through me that Baby Boy will not be quite so cooperative. Uh oh! What have I done???
8. Lilah's lullabies are quite eclectic and mostly consist of show tune showstoppers. A surefire settle down song is 'My Husband Makes Movies.' Time will tell whether my princess and Barney loving toddler is a musical theatre diva in training...
9. My favorite movie is Beaches and I am not afraid to admit it! The movie has the perfect blend of friendship, kitsch, drama and characters sporadically bursting into song. Mock away, people.
10. When I was a little girl, I hated bedtime - shocker, I still hate bedtime! Anyway, back in the day I used to beg my brother to come and sleep in my room with me and I kept him awake for hours chatting about who-knows-what. Thanks J for being the best!
11. I miss spa days. I long for a 2-hour mani/pedi/brow wax at Kim's on 9th Ave, facials from Yana, and my hour long Sam C. massages. I especially miss when the AEA insurance covered those massages and only required a $10 co-pay and tip. Now, if I am lucky, I escape for a mani/pedi/brow wax quarterly and an annual facial and massage. This lack of time for the true spa experience makes me understand the cheesy old commercial tag line 'Calgon, take me away...'
12. I am allergic to just about everything, especially pets. I love cats, but my allergies prevent me from petting and snuggling with them. I really, strongly dislike dogs and am kind of scared of them, actually. When I was 8, my aunt was attacked by her dog and it totally scarred me. The only dogs that I am cool with are little white dogs like Bijons or Malteses. Andrew thinks that is totally weird and wacky and he is probably correct.
14. I really don't like flowers. Perhaps my dislike of flowers is due to my allergies, or perhaps it is due to my clean aesthetic. I enjoy a beautiful garden as much as the next person, but my real issue with flowers is when they come indoors. Flowers look pretty indoors sometimes, if arranged simply and sparsely. I once told my husband that a single red rose is a way to make a romantic gesture without flaring up the sneezes and I meant it. But, to me, a better way to make a romantic gesture is to watch the kid for an evening so that I can run out and get a mani/pedi/brow wax. Aaaah, sheer bliss!
15. My favorite number and lucky number is 11. I was born on 3/11, Andrew was born on 11/19 and Lilah was born on 11/17. I lived on 47th Street (4+7=11) and then on 38th Street for many years (3+8=11). The last digits of my home phone number are ...65 (6+5=11) and my work number are ...5060 (5+6=11). I can go on and on. Perhaps these are just coincidences, but I'm a believer.
16. I love word games, particularly Scrabble, and can play it for hours! My mom got me addicted to Scrabble as a kid and we have had many a Scrabble marathon over the years.
17. Along with loving Scrabble, I love all board games! Pre-parenthood, Andrew and I hosted regular games nights at our apartment and I really miss those evenings. Pre-Andrew, my love of board games almost got me arrested. True story, Shugs and I were visiting Artie and Danny in LA many years ago and decided to have a Taboo! night. We put some party snacks on the table and started to have our fun. About an hour into the game, there was a pounding at the front door, "Open up, police!" We were like, oh my god what happened? Well, WE happened! Apparently our Taboo! playing was a bit too loud and rowdy for the neighbors and they called in a noise complaint about our 'party'. The ironic thing was that we were completely sober!
18. In college, my roommates and I were obsessed with watching re-runs of Quantum Leap which aired nightly on two different channels. One of us even purchased the Quantum Leap cassette tape with the theme song and lots of Scott Bakula singing. So, one day one of my roommates and I (Brian) drove from Binghamton to Manhattan with a friend to see a show ('How to Succeed...') and then we drove back to school that night because we had an early rehearsal ('Dancing at Lughnasa'). On the way back home, we were really tired and popped my copy of our super-cool Quantum Leap cassette tape into the car stereo. Somehow, the tape got stuck in the cassette player and for 3 very long and tired hours we were stuck listening to it. At one point, the roads completely empty, I began to steer the steering wheel to the beat. Suddenly, a police car appeared in my rearview mirror with its lights flashing. Crap! The officers got of the car and shined flashlights through the driver and passenger-side windows. I rolled down my window. "Can I help you, sir?" I asked knowing that I had not been speeding. "Where are you coming from and where are you going to?" "We were in Manhattan seeing a show and now we're headed back to school in Binghamton." "Did you know that you were swerving, Ma'am?" Oh, I'm sorry. We were singing." The officers continued to shine their lights and eye us up and down. Finally, the dude at my window responded "Well, please stop singing and get their safely!" Now you know my two brushes with law enforcement!
19. I had to ask my husband for help because 25 is a lot of random things to write about myself.
20. Andrew says that every time I sneeze (which is quite often due to the aforementioned allergies) I cover my mouth with my hands and then run my fingers through my hair and he thinks that is totally gross. In fact, as I write about it, it sounds totally gross. But, in my defense, I don't run my boogers through my hair after I sneeze, I simply run my fingers through it to fix it after the sheer force of sneezing multiple times messes with the 'do.
21. I love organizing things - rooms, closets, drawers, baskets, binders, the refrigerator, cabinets, etc. To help me achieve organization heaven, I also love office supplies. I especially love pretty office supplies like those you can find at www.SeeJaneWork.com. Andrew mocks me for putting boxes within boxes and bags within bags, but it makes me so happy to not just organize, but perhaps over-organize. He prefers to throw things in a drawer and let them float freely about. That's why we have separate drawers.
22. I really don't enjoy wearing tights. They feel too costume-y to me. All those years of performing and wearing tights, sometimes even wearing three layers of tights for quick changes, soured me to wearing tights in the real world. I vowed never to subject my little girl to the binding effects of nylons. When we attended a winter wedding last December (mazel tov cousins Lisa and Jason!), I was left with no other choice but to put the kid in tights. So, I went to Denny's and bought her the cotton knit tights rather than get her Capezio -like dancing tights. To my surprise, she liked them! In fact, on really cold days we now use them as a second layer on her legs. She calls them her "soft pants." Who knew?
23. Speaking of binding, this Note would not be complete without discussing my IBS. I have debilitating IBS which basically means that I perpetually feeling like I have rocks in my belly. If you ever think that I am full of crap, I am. Literally.
24. I love being a wife and mom, but strongly dislike being pregnant. I secretly hope that the relief of finishing this Note will cause my water to break so that I can finally meet my little boy.
25. I wrote this over the course of two days. That is way to much time to devote to a Note on Facebook and is indicative of both my addiction to the Facebook and my issue with perfectionism.
Update: I finished the Note and I am still pregnant. Darn it!
2. Law school taught me to be a really decent writer. In fact, it actually taught me to appreciate and love writing. However, because of my perfectionist thing, I have a lot of trouble sitting down to start write anything. Andrew says that I do better when I dictate my thoughts (usually to him) and then do heavy edits of the dictation. Anyone in need of a dictator?
3. I am a voracious reader! I love surrounding myself with my many and varied magazine subscriptions and always need to be reading a book and have one on deck. There is nothing like curling up with a good book, finding the time to do so is a bit harder.
4. I am terrible in the kitchen, inept actually, and I really have no desire to learn to be better. That said, I make awesome toast and sandwiches! Lilah's current favorites are humus avocado, vegan grilled cheese, and hazelnut spread with mixed berry jelly. My kid thinks that I am a wonder in the kitchen - how funny is that??
5. I love shopping, but most of all I love a bargain! There is nothing like scoring a $350 Michael Kors purse for $100 (it was a gift, actaully. Thanks, Mom-Mom!) or a $200 diaper bag for $75. I am currently obsessed with online (invitation only) sample sale websites such as Haute Look, Rue La La and The Mini Social. Check out my blog for more on this: DontBeSoDramatical.blogspot.com.
6. My house must be stocked with Viva and many sizes Ziplock bags at all times. Viva is the wonder towel and I use it to clean everything. Ziplock bags are the most useful little things. Nothing makes me happier than a crisper filled with cut fruits and veggies in individual Ziplocks. Lilah and I are sharing a Ziplock bag full of green beans right now - yummy! (Please note that I am not in any way affiliated with Ziplock nor do I get commission for the amount of times it was mentioned in this Note).
7. I hate waking up before 10AM. When I was pregnant with Lilah, everyone offered lovely snips to the effect of 'kiss your late morning sleep goodbye,' but my kid showed 'em all! Lilah, rise before 10AM, practically unheard of! As I write this, the fear ripples through me that Baby Boy will not be quite so cooperative. Uh oh! What have I done???
8. Lilah's lullabies are quite eclectic and mostly consist of show tune showstoppers. A surefire settle down song is 'My Husband Makes Movies.' Time will tell whether my princess and Barney loving toddler is a musical theatre diva in training...
9. My favorite movie is Beaches and I am not afraid to admit it! The movie has the perfect blend of friendship, kitsch, drama and characters sporadically bursting into song. Mock away, people.
10. When I was a little girl, I hated bedtime - shocker, I still hate bedtime! Anyway, back in the day I used to beg my brother to come and sleep in my room with me and I kept him awake for hours chatting about who-knows-what. Thanks J for being the best!
11. I miss spa days. I long for a 2-hour mani/pedi/brow wax at Kim's on 9th Ave, facials from Yana, and my hour long Sam C. massages. I especially miss when the AEA insurance covered those massages and only required a $10 co-pay and tip. Now, if I am lucky, I escape for a mani/pedi/brow wax quarterly and an annual facial and massage. This lack of time for the true spa experience makes me understand the cheesy old commercial tag line 'Calgon, take me away...'
12. I am allergic to just about everything, especially pets. I love cats, but my allergies prevent me from petting and snuggling with them. I really, strongly dislike dogs and am kind of scared of them, actually. When I was 8, my aunt was attacked by her dog and it totally scarred me. The only dogs that I am cool with are little white dogs like Bijons or Malteses. Andrew thinks that is totally weird and wacky and he is probably correct.
14. I really don't like flowers. Perhaps my dislike of flowers is due to my allergies, or perhaps it is due to my clean aesthetic. I enjoy a beautiful garden as much as the next person, but my real issue with flowers is when they come indoors. Flowers look pretty indoors sometimes, if arranged simply and sparsely. I once told my husband that a single red rose is a way to make a romantic gesture without flaring up the sneezes and I meant it. But, to me, a better way to make a romantic gesture is to watch the kid for an evening so that I can run out and get a mani/pedi/brow wax. Aaaah, sheer bliss!
15. My favorite number and lucky number is 11. I was born on 3/11, Andrew was born on 11/19 and Lilah was born on 11/17. I lived on 47th Street (4+7=11) and then on 38th Street for many years (3+8=11). The last digits of my home phone number are ...65 (6+5=11) and my work number are ...5060 (5+6=11). I can go on and on. Perhaps these are just coincidences, but I'm a believer.
16. I love word games, particularly Scrabble, and can play it for hours! My mom got me addicted to Scrabble as a kid and we have had many a Scrabble marathon over the years.
17. Along with loving Scrabble, I love all board games! Pre-parenthood, Andrew and I hosted regular games nights at our apartment and I really miss those evenings. Pre-Andrew, my love of board games almost got me arrested. True story, Shugs and I were visiting Artie and Danny in LA many years ago and decided to have a Taboo! night. We put some party snacks on the table and started to have our fun. About an hour into the game, there was a pounding at the front door, "Open up, police!" We were like, oh my god what happened? Well, WE happened! Apparently our Taboo! playing was a bit too loud and rowdy for the neighbors and they called in a noise complaint about our 'party'. The ironic thing was that we were completely sober!
18. In college, my roommates and I were obsessed with watching re-runs of Quantum Leap which aired nightly on two different channels. One of us even purchased the Quantum Leap cassette tape with the theme song and lots of Scott Bakula singing. So, one day one of my roommates and I (Brian) drove from Binghamton to Manhattan with a friend to see a show ('How to Succeed...') and then we drove back to school that night because we had an early rehearsal ('Dancing at Lughnasa'). On the way back home, we were really tired and popped my copy of our super-cool Quantum Leap cassette tape into the car stereo. Somehow, the tape got stuck in the cassette player and for 3 very long and tired hours we were stuck listening to it. At one point, the roads completely empty, I began to steer the steering wheel to the beat. Suddenly, a police car appeared in my rearview mirror with its lights flashing. Crap! The officers got of the car and shined flashlights through the driver and passenger-side windows. I rolled down my window. "Can I help you, sir?" I asked knowing that I had not been speeding. "Where are you coming from and where are you going to?" "We were in Manhattan seeing a show and now we're headed back to school in Binghamton." "Did you know that you were swerving, Ma'am?" Oh, I'm sorry. We were singing." The officers continued to shine their lights and eye us up and down. Finally, the dude at my window responded "Well, please stop singing and get their safely!" Now you know my two brushes with law enforcement!
19. I had to ask my husband for help because 25 is a lot of random things to write about myself.
20. Andrew says that every time I sneeze (which is quite often due to the aforementioned allergies) I cover my mouth with my hands and then run my fingers through my hair and he thinks that is totally gross. In fact, as I write about it, it sounds totally gross. But, in my defense, I don't run my boogers through my hair after I sneeze, I simply run my fingers through it to fix it after the sheer force of sneezing multiple times messes with the 'do.
21. I love organizing things - rooms, closets, drawers, baskets, binders, the refrigerator, cabinets, etc. To help me achieve organization heaven, I also love office supplies. I especially love pretty office supplies like those you can find at www.SeeJaneWork.com. Andrew mocks me for putting boxes within boxes and bags within bags, but it makes me so happy to not just organize, but perhaps over-organize. He prefers to throw things in a drawer and let them float freely about. That's why we have separate drawers.
22. I really don't enjoy wearing tights. They feel too costume-y to me. All those years of performing and wearing tights, sometimes even wearing three layers of tights for quick changes, soured me to wearing tights in the real world. I vowed never to subject my little girl to the binding effects of nylons. When we attended a winter wedding last December (mazel tov cousins Lisa and Jason!), I was left with no other choice but to put the kid in tights. So, I went to Denny's and bought her the cotton knit tights rather than get her Capezio -like dancing tights. To my surprise, she liked them! In fact, on really cold days we now use them as a second layer on her legs. She calls them her "soft pants." Who knew?
23. Speaking of binding, this Note would not be complete without discussing my IBS. I have debilitating IBS which basically means that I perpetually feeling like I have rocks in my belly. If you ever think that I am full of crap, I am. Literally.
24. I love being a wife and mom, but strongly dislike being pregnant. I secretly hope that the relief of finishing this Note will cause my water to break so that I can finally meet my little boy.
25. I wrote this over the course of two days. That is way to much time to devote to a Note on Facebook and is indicative of both my addiction to the Facebook and my issue with perfectionism.
Update: I finished the Note and I am still pregnant. Darn it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Insider Shopping Tip for Parents 2
Here is the link to another great online designer sample sale website which caters to moms and babies called THE MINI SOCIAL. Just like the other sites, this one is invitation only. So, if you are interested here is the link:
1. Go to http://www.theminisocial.com
2. Click on 'Sign Up Now'
3. Fill in your information to register and be sure to include my email address HAbrevaya@aol.com so that your invitation can be verified
Also, you might already know about BABY STEALS www.BabySteals.com but just in case you don't, let me be the first to tell you that it is awesome! Every day they offer a 'steal' of one baby or maternity product at 50-80% off until it sells out, much like Woot. They don't offer a loyalty or rewards program but it is still a fabulous website with great deals!
Enjoy!
1. Go to http://www.theminisocial.com
2. Click on 'Sign Up Now'
3. Fill in your information to register and be sure to include my email address HAbrevaya@aol.com so that your invitation can be verified
Also, you might already know about BABY STEALS www.BabySteals.com but just in case you don't, let me be the first to tell you that it is awesome! Every day they offer a 'steal' of one baby or maternity product at 50-80% off until it sells out, much like Woot. They don't offer a loyalty or rewards program but it is still a fabulous website with great deals!
Enjoy!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Insider Shopping Tip for Parents
So, everyone who knows me is aware that I love coupons, referral programs, loyalty programs and incentives. If you want my business and want me to be a loyal customer, show me a little lovin' please!
My newest obsession is Diapers.com. Any new customers who enter my referral code (or email address) when placing their first order at Diapers.com will get $10 off their first order and I get a $1 credit every time you order. How generous is that? If you want to take part:
1. Go to http://www.diapers.com
2. Enter referral Code: HAAB6497
3. Start shopping
What is especialy awesome about Diapers.com is that there is free 2-day delivery for orders over $49 (especially helpful for NYC moms!). Also, they take manufacturer's coupons and formula gift checks so long as you mail them in and they are not expired. Here is the link for more info Help Center - Diapers.com.
Enjoy!
My newest obsession is Diapers.com. Any new customers who enter my referral code (or email address) when placing their first order at Diapers.com will get $10 off their first order and I get a $1 credit every time you order. How generous is that? If you want to take part:
1. Go to http://www.diapers.com
2. Enter referral Code: HAAB6497
3. Start shopping
What is especialy awesome about Diapers.com is that there is free 2-day delivery for orders over $49 (especially helpful for NYC moms!). Also, they take manufacturer's coupons and formula gift checks so long as you mail them in and they are not expired. Here is the link for more info Help Center - Diapers.com.
Enjoy!
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