Maybe I should say I have weight management issues...

I find it amusing how much people feel like the can interject in your life once they find out you are pregnant. I am pretty sure most of these people will not be concerned once the kid is here. Early this week, the "Office Manager" was appalled by my sushi consumption. I had to tell her that I read all the scientific research that was blown out of proportion to justify all the "forbidden foods" and I was comfortable with my decision...besides, I work in NYC, I have a better chance of being hit by a cab while walking on a sidewalk than catching listeria from my trusted sushi purveyor. Yesterday, I went to Kiehl's to get more of their body lotion, which sidebar works beautifully on my now extra-extra-dry skin, and my regular sales guy was asking me about how I was feeling. I was telling him that I felt great and the only thing that I hated was the train ride to work,out of nowhere, this lady jumps into the conversation and interjects that she wouldn't be working if she was pregnant and she quit her job as soon as she found out she was pregnant 15 years ago. I don't understand why would she get the impression that I care? Did she want a medal? So excused myself to go look for face cream. My new strategy to ward off "experts" as I get bigger is to say that I have a weight management issue :) The funny thing is that if this was 1979 instead of 2009, I could be smoking a cigarette and nobody would care!

Baby Jones at Week 12

Today I went to the hospital to get the first major scan, hence a good picture of baby Jones. He was very active moving his arms and he even flipped around completely and literally showed his @%s...mmm-hmm, he acting up already! I actually think I felt the baby twice in the last week but one can never tell because it's just a flutter...it could have been gas. Once was last week while I was on the train and then yesterday after eating a fabulous Cuban lunch of steak, eggs, tostones and corn. I was especially pleased with the food and maybe the baby was too and decide to do a one-hand somersault.

So the baby is pretty much set, now it's going to spend 6 more months growing and relaxing for him which translates into 1 lb per week and eventually new clothes for me. As we got on the elevator to leave the hospital, there was a newborn on his way out screaming his head off, DH turned to me and asked me if I was ready for that and I was like "that is not going to be our baby." Oh, we are going to have some serious heart-to-heart conversations before he is born as to my expectations about his behavior ;)

On my open projects front, I got two quotes back on all the stuff I want done and they were both scary but there was like $5k difference between the 2. See, this is why I don't like dealing with Mechanics or Contractors...Obama needs to address them once we get health care under control :-/ I will hopefully visit the last hospital on Sunday and then I can check that off my list. I also signed up for 2 project management classes in October so I can take the test to be a certified Project Manager by next summer. Now all I need to do is find a daycare and a 529 plan for baby Jones since I am currently motivated to check stuff off my to-do list. Tomorrow I get to go to Shake Shack with my French class friends, and yes, I will be drinking a chocolate milkshake outside in 60 degree weather...I am just hoping that it won't be too sweet!

Things that I have learned

After many years of thinking that my stomach was my worst feature I am now thinking that a) maybe it wasn't so bad and b) I am sure going to miss it; I will need to go to war with my body next spring to bring it back...you live and you learn. Speaking of learning, I have also learned that empire dresses are really not flattering on everyone (especially not me, fortunately my sheet dresses still fit) and that eating a burrito for lunch will not prevent me from being hungry again in 2-3 hours :-) It was worth the shot but I really did not get any extra mileage from a burrito than I do from my usual lean cuisine lunch. But aside from being hungry on a regular basis, I have no symptoms at all...I almost feel guilty to not have any horror stories because it sounds like like I am bragging when I say I am doing just fine.

In other news, my hospital hunt continues; I really don't like hospitals so I am trying to find the least traumatic option. We visited Mountainside Hospital on Sunday and it is not going to work so we are moving on to Overlook in Summit next week. My old doctor's office faxed my records over to my current doctor without any drama so I am going to send them a edible arrangement to thank them when I get paid. DH is away on a business trip so I get to go home and not cook and work on my other project: decorating part deux. I know, I know, I have been working on this forever...I am now meeting contractors to do the master bathroom, finish the stairs and tile the kitchen. After that is done, all I want is to get new appliances and maybe a new counter top but I am going to have to pay for those things all by my lonesome because DH sees no value in stainless steel or stone countertop :-/ Which leads to the other very important lesson that I have learned: don't ever, ever again commit to buying a house unless a) it is perfect and has everything I want or b) I actually have money in the bank to do everything I want. I have been watching HGTV since college and I blame them for making me do this!

New doctor

I really wish I would have put my foot down and insisted on living in NY 2 years ago, taking the Path train everyday is slowly driving me insane. No matter how great I smell in the morning when I get on the train, I can't help but to feel stale when I get off! I am sitting at my desk right now and I can still smell cigarettes and just general subway stench on me. ok, I am done with my complaining for now.

My appointment this week was uneventful, all my blood test came back normal and I learned that I was a B+ instead of A+ blood type and somewhat anemic; I could identify the baby's head and heartbeat but I couldn't hear the heartbeat because the machine at this office doesn't pick it up so I was disappointed. I did come to the realization that I need a new OB because apparently, you have to pick your doctor based on the hospital in which they deliver. We were totally against St. Vincent's in the city so I made a short list of hospitals in NJ by looking at the boards. Then I checked out their credential's and C-section rates on the BCBS website (apparently NJ has one of the highest rates in the country at 51% so I wanted hospitals with a rate of under 36%). Then I ran them by DH because he has been in most of the hospitals in NJ and he knows which ones are not that clean. So my shortlist of Hospitals is: Mountainside, Morristown, Holy Name and Summit. All have private maternity rooms which would cost me $700 per night at the NYC hospitals, wuh-huh!

I then called up everyone I know in Jersey to get their OB recommendations and I matched them up with my chosen hospitals. Finally, I called the OB office and asked the questions on my list. Full disclosure, my insurance company has a very helpful hot-line where they gave me a full list of questions to ask like: How soon will you come to the hospital once I am in labor? I would have never thought of this question! I have settled on Dr. Winsome Parchment in Maplewood for now because she came recommended by someone who was extremely picky and went to a number of OBGYNs. Also, when I called her office they were the most helpful and did not rush me and she is ranked in the list of top 100 doctors in NJ and has been a activist on natural birth. I am in favor of all painkilling drugs but I really don't want to be forced in a c-section because the doctor has other things to do :-/

So I get to meet my new doctor in 2 weeks and now I have to break up with my ex-doctor...hopefully they will be nice and send my medical records without any drama.

Apparently I am poor and I live under a rock :-/

Ok, I am only half kidding but this is how I felt today because I really don't know anyone whose kid goes to daycare. The women who I have spoken to at work seem to believe that in the event that your spouse cannot afford to keep you at home, the only reasonable alternative is to hire someone for $2k per month to provide in home care.

I also tried to look up daycare recommendations on Urbanbaby.com because I incorrectly thought that a good number of urban moms use daycare. That was a bad idea, any post asking about daycare inevitably got at least one person who said that "women who can't stay home shouldn't have children" or "daycare children are more agressive;" this was on the NYC board! Not Luisiana, not Kentucky...NYC! So apparently working mom's who can't afford nannies are responsible for all the sociopaths and vagrants :-/ They also have all sorts of posts about teaching babies sign language, not getting shots and how eating a can of tuna will kill the baby. Apparently there is an entire subculture built around judging what is the best path to make your child into a functioning member of society. Let me think...my mom rode a motorcycle while pregnant, I grew up in the 3rd world, had shots for more diseases than anyone you know and attended free nursery school...my dh actually attended *gasp* daycare and ate McDonald's every friday. How did we ever turn out to be a married people with a decent jobs, who go to church and pay taxes? Our family were strict, no nonsense, hispanic or downsouth USA people, that's how...a chancleta or a switch prevents a lifetime of issues.

I know that my lack of knowledge in this arena is really my fault because I spent more time planning my next trip than actually planning for baby (in fact, I already know where I want to go for the next 3 years!). But it's ok because I know that I can provide food and shelter and if necessary mental health benefits in the event that being my kid proves to be too stressful ;) Fortunately, DH and I are both very comfortable with daycare...maybe we just don't know any better. I am now on a mission to find just 1 more couple who is down for daycare ( maybe I should get a daycare mom t-shirt made...). A very good friend recommended that I call another young working class couple and bingo they actually know people who like their daycare and get this: they even have a daycare picked out for when they have a kid!

10 Weeks Today!

I am very happy to make the 10 week milestone today because 1st trimester is almost over and hopefully the easy part begins. I have gained additional 1/2 lb bringing my grand total up to 2 lbs for the 1st trimester. I broke the news to my boss today and she was extremely supportive and excited. I told her that I am invested in my career and I would absolutely be coming back. I also told her that I do not want to be put on a "mommy track." She reassured me that she worked full time and worked on her MBA during her pregnancies so she is well aware of a woman's ability to do as much as she wants. I felt so relieved to see that I have a boss who totally get's it! I think that from now on I will just consult with her and not read the message boards...99% of the women want to be SAHM even if they work; i don't knock this if that is your dream but I need to hear from those who are bold and courageous enough to want it all...wuh-huh!

Ok, time for my 2nd afternoon snack.

Starving!

I was reading a book and it says that you tend to eat more with little boys so I have more information to support my theory…today I had a papaya smoothie, a Tamal and Coffee for breakfast and I have already snacked on a banana and oatmeal and I am still hungry! I will be surprised if its not a boy. So far I am only up 1.5 lbs, hopefully I will be able to gain another 1.5 lbs in the next 3 weeks to close out the first trim on track. I love food but eating on demand is really a job!

Older but so not wiser

My 28th year of life begun this weekend on a rainy day courtesy of Hurricane Dan, who ruined my beach day. Rainy day aside, it was still a calm and relaxing day like I hoped...I even got to take a nap! My dearest Fuquita volunteered her digs as the site for my B-day diner where we feasted on Spaghetti and meat sauce with a side of KFC chicken. I surprisingly got a lot of cool presents (i have no expectations for my b-day at my age) and the embryo soon to be known as a fetus got a gift too! I got a fresh new perm, discovered my first gray hair and tried out the Chili's 2 for $20 promotion...it's only aait. Ok, back to paying the bills!