Why i started blogging again

After a 1 year hiatus I felt the need to start writing again for 3 reasons:

1)For my daughter. Should she decide to travel the path of being both a mom and a career woman, I want her to have the insight on my own roll and tumble years. Everyone is talking about the work-life balance challenge but concrete, actionable plans for handling it seem to fall in the quit or put your nose to the grindstone and survive or find a family friendly career ( teacher or nurse are perfectly good options I know but I wanted to be a Business Analyst!). I don't even know if "balance" exists or if it is like Santa Claus but I am trying to hold on to the notion that I can have both and be a sane person. And I am actively plotting how to make that happen. Even if I fail, I expect that she will learn from my failures and stand on my shoulders.

3) My experience may be of value to somebody somewhere. I have benefited from reading other people's blogs and stories. I hope by sharing my insight and stories I am contributing to the collective wisdom and paying it forward.

3)To figure things out and hold myself accountable! Writing is a great way to analyze your life and I do the best at meeting my goals when I tell everyone about them. I am currently lacking in the musing over my goals with friends department so the Internet will be audience until I miraculously free up more time in life.

Has anyone seen Zoe Jones?

So my due date has come and gone and still no Zoe. I told her this morning that I had really hoped that she would show up on time and I even mentioned the fact that she has tons of newborn clothing that she is outgrowing as we speak but no go. So now we are in the daily phone calls and e-mail territory from everyone wanting to know that she is born yet...even random coworkers in Florida :o) We are trying to reassure everyone that they will be notified upon her arrival.

Since I have unprecedented time on my hands which I cannot use to go away on vacation and daytime TV is only amusing when I have just one day off, I have been trying to keep myself busy and out of the house. Yesterday I found a fabulous nail salon where I got a hot stone pedicure. Today I went to the Liberty Science Museum with my sister but it was so wack that I decided to go to the Taqueria and then the mall instead. Tomorrow I get to indulge in having my hair done in the middle of the day followed by some sushi in Edgewater with a girlfriend...I can't wait!

Please feel free to post your suggestions for things to do with my new-found free time :)

The waiting game

So now I get to play the waiting game....I am thinking that a 3 mile walk is in my future to speed things up a bit. Yesterday I managed to take care of lots of mini-projects around the house like organize and label pictures (i have had that on my list for years!), change out light plates and assemble my new lamp. I am still waiting for Todd to put together the bookcase...if it wasn't so darn heavy I would just carry it upstairs and assemble it myself. I have also brought all my projects at work to a good stopping point so I basically have busy work to do for the next week. So the pace of my life is really slow right now but I am going to try to make the best out of having some me-time because it will be non-existent in the next couple of weeks.

Apparently DH has ideas in his mind as to what exactly I am going to do while I am off ... he was talking about me buying the mango that's on sale instead of the pre-cut one since I will have time to cut up fruit when I am off! I had to nip it in the bud and remind him that I am not evolving into nobody's Betty Drapper :o) I might cook more than 3 times per week but I am not a housewife and I will continue to earn a paycheck even if I just so happen to be at the shore hanging out with an infant. I could see why he has those fantasies though; I would love to have a housewife too (but honestly, a butler would probably work just as well for my needs)! Alas, I never wanted to be one myself and I warned him repeatedly about that long before marriage ;)

On a random side note, I must say that I need to start booking a winter or spring break in my future...almost everyone I know has gone of somewhere and it sounds like so much fun to vacation in when it's cold here! I will add that to my new year resolution in 2011 since I am reaching real grown folk territory.

A peak at my pictures

I hesitated up until the last minute but in the end I decided to go for the professional pictures because it's the first time and I am not sure if we will go down this road again so I should have good pictures to document what I looked like...even if they were taken at 9 months :o) I am pretty happy with how they came out...now I just got chose a few and figure out where I am going to put them!

Decorating continues and the countdown begins

This weekend I made an attempt at continuing to decorate my guest room. The only thing that is currently missing is pictures for the wall, the changing table and bookcase (dh wants is waiting for his dad to help him assemble...I could have done it by myself but I will try to play the helpless pregnant woman role on this one). I think the pictures for the wall will have to wait because I haven't found what I want yet. I did not want anything too fluffy in my house so I found these 2 inspiration rooms that are simple and modern:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/nursery-tours/nursery-tour-baby-ms-modern-nursery-on-a-budget-044981

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/my-room/my-room-cameron-toronto-110798

Here is what it is shaping up like thus far-I put only newborn clothes in closed, the 3-6 month stuff is in the drawers and everything else is in the attic.































So in yoga class this week it looks like it's just me and another girl who are next. All of the 39 and 40 weeks ladies have delivered. I have started having the braxton hicks contractions in the middle of the night which manage to wake me up at 2 or 3 every morning for 15 minutes. It turns out that contractions are nothing but glorified cramps! All along I was expecting something dramatic like I can see my stomach actually "contracting" but that is just not the case. I used to have really bad cramps in my younger days so I have a repertoire of comfortable positions and I just drink water...hmm, I wonder why can't I just take Aleve and go back to sleep?

Dh asks me if I want to go to the hospital every time I get up and I tell him to go back to sleep because I have already verified with the doctor that unless I get 4 in 1 hour there is no need to make any phone calls. At any rate, despite his best intentions, there is nothing that he can really do for me...I know myself and I know that its all a mind-game when I am in pain and I don't want to talk. He seems a bit nervous, which is so weird because he has been cool through the whole thing (no teary eyes, no wanting to come along to every single Dr. appointment, thank God!!!). Fortunately, I am not nervous or worried at all; I have no idea where I got this confidence from but I 'got this.' I did start packing my bag this just in case and I had a talking to with Zoe so I am fully expecting for us to make it through the next 2 weeks ;)

TGIF and let the decorating begin!

It's Friday again, wuh-huh! San Antonio was insightful from a work perspective but totally a bust as far as places to visit go. It somehow managed to be more boring as a destination than Memphis...it was a ghost town every night because nobody lives downtown. I had a burger for lunch every day since I was in Texas but none of them really measured up to the burgers in New York (?!?). So all-in-all, I highly recommend that you not go to San Antonio on vacation nor should you under any circumstances move there ;)

This is a big action packed weekend because as you know I have over-scheduled myself. Tomorrow morning I will be up bright and early running errands and in the afternoon I will get the whole room decorating thing out of the way. I started washing all the 0-6 month clothing that I thus far I have gotten the dark colors done. People have been incredibly generous with new and used clothing so we have a total of 30 outfits and 15 onsies with dark colors and probably twice as much on the light side.

DH wanted to know why I haven't bought clothes with my own personal touch (was this really my dh asking me about why I didn't spend money???). I wanted to buy her a few things but it feels like being wasteful because she has so much clothes that she can only fit for 6 months. I have been buying stuff for the room and necessities like baby Tylenol instead of clothes and I only have like 10 basics left to buy like the breast pump, cloth diapers and swaddle blankets. Then after that I have "nice to haves," the stoller (yes, I consider it a luxury not a necessity, hehe!), the pack n play and books, that can wait until after we have settled our hospital bills. But he is right, so I am going to buy her a "coming-home" outfit on Monday.

The good news is that I am taking a day off on Monday to have some alone time at my favorite spa that may even lead to some shopping at one of my favorite stores...my alone time will have to be planned in the future so here is to my final carefree days :o) Hmm...maybe I should plan something with DH as well to celebrate our last days of DINKs (Double income, no kids).

6 weeks to go!

This weekend I am heading out to Texas for a business conference. I was really hoping that it would be my break from the winter but it's snowing in Texas! So there goes my fantasy of lounging by the pool at night...sigh. I do plan on exploring the River Walk and enjoying my hotel room nonetheless. I honestly love traveling for work as long as I go to good places ;)

My co-worker just came back today after 6 weeks and she looks as she did before she got pregnant! She said she only nursed for a week but it all came off on its own in like 3 weeks. I don't know that my body snaps back that well so I will be wearing a band home from the hospital. I actually took my measurements last night to place my order and it appears that my waist has gone from 31 inches pre-baby to 42 inches at 34 weeks. It is my understanding that my stomach will be pretty much the same size as it is today right after delivery just really mushy so the band should help support my muscles (if I ever had any) and organs as they shrink back down.

This weekend my very brave friends ventured into where no Jones has been before: the attic. Yes, we have managed to live in our house for more than 2 years and avoided the attic the entire time. Attics are creepy and I was especially worried about scared of children living in the attic (too many movies). Apparently I am the only person who worries about this and needless to say, all the 2 year old baby clothes have been safely stowed in the attic.

Since I am finally in the final stretch things will move along quickly and before we know it I will be back to my normal self. I really wish we would settle on a name but I know that DH is going to be difficult about it until the last minute. I was lamenting to my home-girl last night about how the baby is coming just in time for me to NOT have the summer off. It has been my dream for 13 years to get just one summer off...I see the irony as another great example of how God has a sense of humor ;)

Just Checking in

As promised, here is a picture of the great wall of diapers.


I have been making lots of progress on my to-do list this week: Taxes are done, files are cleaned up and I Costa Rica Hotel booking is almost set. DH doesn't understand why I someone else couldn't handle the Costa Rica trip and I see his point but I also know that is far less aggravating if I just handle it; besides, if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it ;)

I am officially 8 months along...it's really happening! I haven't given much thought to labor nor do I intend to take a class (too late anyway to sign up) but I am using my Jedi mind tricks to make the 5-8 weeks that remain easy. I can now fit all my maternity shirts (lesson: I should have actually waited until I really needed them and then I would have gotten them on clearance!). I am still feeling good and my apetite is starting to come back although I really do not have any room to eat yet. I could use a nap during the day but then again EVERYONE would love to have a nap during the day, world peace and not to have to work for a living...

I saw a quote this weekend that read " some people don't have a life until they have children and some people have a life and add children." I love the concept of Zoe fitting into my life and not becoming my life :o) Although I still have my "what did I get myself into" moments, I have no doubt in my mind that my life will continue to be this great adventure. If I ever start to become dull, you have my full permission to stage an intervention.

Let it Snow!

I am hoping for snow tomorrow so that I can stay home and get stuff done on my to-do list (so geeky, I know). I have 4 boxes of baby clothes to sort through and a box of baby toys in addition to working my Costa Rica trip and taxes. I am going to focus on getting my taxes and Costa Rica taken care of because I still have plenty of time to actually convert my guest room.

We did get our "pallet" of diapers...48 boxed containing 160 diapers each! DH managed to stack them up really high in the garage...I will try to get a picture when I get home today

I don't think I do a good job at 'acting' pregnant... my male co-workers make weekly comments about me not really being pregnant because I am too happy. I also made another lady almost choke on her coffee when someone asked me about movement and I said it looks like 'alien' to me when she moves :o) I dont' like people feeling sorry for me and I like to be silly...my bad son, my bad.

My new year progress continues!

All is well in my little world. As of today in week 30, I can still wear heels, run up stair and walk fast. I can't however finish my food because my stomach has zero room...so it gets exponentially bigger every day but I have no room to eat, ain't that something?
Zoe's room is making some progress as my mom dukes ordered her crib today. This weekend I am going to get the matress and the glidder from Target because I totally want to take advantage of the sales at Target. Also, I went to a photo studio in BK whose work I really admire during lunch yesterday and they shocked the hell out of me by saying that a 11x 14 print would cost $400. They do the type of photography that I love, you can see it at : http://www.robertofalck.com/. When I told DH about my little Brooklyn adventure he looked at me real perplexed and wanted to know why I couldn't just go to Sears. So there you have it, I have Park Slope Boutique taste but Sears money and such is the story of my life :o)

I had the talk with my boss about maternity leave and it looks like they will be bringing in a consultant to fill in while I am gone. I have spoken to this consultant before and she seems qnice but it's always weird to have someone else doing your job; I guess I will have to relax and go with the flow. I have been working consistently since I was 15 years old so being off for 12 weeks is monumental and scary all at the same time...too bad I never got to take this type of time off to travel but it's in my future, I know it!

I have also been working on my big Costa Rica Family vacation for July which I am very excited about. So far we have 8 rooms confirmed and a possible 4 more; so it's going to be most of the cruise people from last vacation plus some fun new faces. I got confirmation that all rooms are available and I am booking hotels this weekend. Next week I can concentrate on planning out the group activities and the party. Fuquita and I were on the phone last night trying to figure out what will be in season in July so that we can get our mouth ready!

This weekend will be crazy busy with stuff going on from 8:30 in the morning on Saturday until well into the evening. I also have to do a massive shopping expedition to Target and Trader Joe's after work tomorrow. On Sunday, I will be trecking out to Westchester to pick up boxes of hand-me down clothes for Zoe. My co-worker is having a boy and they had made a substantial investment in girl clothes for their 1st born so looks like I will be home free for 3 years. I have no idea where I am going to put all these clothes but I am going to not look a gifted horse in the mouth.

Simplifying my life

If you have ever spent a lot of time at my house, you know that I run my home life and my work life pretty much the same way: I have a system, schedules or to-do list for everything. Due to upcoming important new demands on my time, I started working on improving my home system last year to create more free time in my life. Here are some of the things that I did:

-Got rid of clothes that don't work enough, books that I have read and don't plan on ever reading again and all of my papers from graduate school...good ridance!
-Changed the software that I use to manage my budget to Mint.com so that my budget mostly manages itself and all of my bills are automatically paid each month.
-Made a deal with DH: he does all the cleaning and I do all the grocery shopping and cooking. This works pretty well except he doesn't get under every nook and crannie like I prefer so I am going to find a cleaning person to deep clean once per month starting in February.
-Sucked it up and spent an extra $100 to take NJTransit and reduce my commuting time by 15 minutes each way.
-Closed down my IRA and consolidated all of my retirement into one company and just 5 funds (Thanks Lady Ebo for the inspiration!!).
-Cut down my grocery shopping to 1x per month at Target and TJ and 2 orders per month at Shoprite.com. I cook 3x per week so I can plan a month worth of meals (12 meals) and just add in breakfast stuff, fruit, snacks for DH and cleaning supplies :o).
-Bought a fabulous application for my i-phone that has really helped me track my errands and phone calls.

I don't know if any of this stuff will work for you but it might give you some ideas. My goal is to spend the smallest amount of time possible on housework and errands and have more time for family, friends and myself in 2010 :)

Now I just have to simplify getting stuff together for Zoe...I went stroller shopping with my fellow diva this week and it was ummm a challenge.Maybe there is something wrong with me because everyone else in the store seemed to be very into all the gear. I love, love, love to shop but baby stores just have a million versions of the same thing. So I did what I do best, I went online and searched for strollers with extendable handles that will last until she no longer needs a stroller and I came up with 2, please tell me what you think and I will order something in the next month or so ;)
http://www.bumbleride.com/collection2009/flyer-tech-spec.php

http://www.maclarenbaby.com/us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=162&Itemid=88888908

Friday Morning random commentary

A funny thing happened on my way to work today...I got on the train and realized that I had no wallet! I had not train pass and no money at all...how reliant I truly am on my wallet. So I had to call DH and have him drive my wallet to Penn Station New York so I could get to work and back home today. It didn't feel funny at the moment but now I have to shake my head and smile because I am the only person that ends up in these scenarios.

One of the things I really wanted to get done this winter was to finally get my wedding album done. The owner of the studio that I contracted with is a looser and went out of business so I never got my album. I was able to find the photographer who actually did my pictures and he is willing to do the album for the small amount of ...$1750. Yup, that's right, $1750. That will get me 30 pages with 60 pictures. He is a great guy and I have no doubt that his work is worthy but unfortunately my work isn't compensated at that level and it takes me some time to earn that much money. Whoever thought of making weddings into a business was plain ol' genius!

I am really looking forward to the weekend because I have been feeling cranky the last few days...like I literally told the online customer support person at best buy "I really don't' want be transferred, please cancel my order and I will do it some other time!" I usually have lots of patient for customer support people but I just can't be bothered. I think I just need some time to just chill and do what I feel like doing. I am going to go to Yoga and the beautician tomorrow and then I am just going to relax at home taking down my Christmas tree. On Monday I am off but I have a pretty lengthy doctor's appointment after which I totally plan on going to look at a stroller. I am still on the fence as to whether I really need a stroller but I am going to take a look and see how motivated I feel ;)

Christmas break

I feel extremely lucky to have a job that actually closes down the last week of the year so I can chill. I was in pajamas until 11 am today and I only left my house to drop of some returns at the Post Net store...it felt so utterly decadent! Aside from reading through the New York Times and watching daytime TV, I managed to finally order my summer cruise pictures from Kodak Gallery and I completed my Target Registry (it's public now). I think the Registry has more stuff than I absolutely need but not so much that my house will be overrun by stuff. My cousin has promised to come help me transform my beloved purple guest room into the room that I will let Zoe borrow while she is underage ;)

Christmas was great with lots of relatives from out of town and delicious of tamales and black cake. We also had a big breakfast for like 3 days straight but unfortunately the recession brunch did not take place this year due to a scheduling conflict. So for the rest of this week, my plans are to check references for daycares, figure out the July Costa Rica trip, work on my wedding album ( I totally plan on getting it done before valentine's day) and getting a pedicure to start of the new year on the right foot. I am also giving some thought to getting pictures taken...I really just want one good picture for Zoe to have. So I am not sure if it's worth the money or if we could have a DIY moment.


The year and decade is almost over and I am not sure if anything will happen to update you on before then. I have no doubt that 2010 is going to be just as action packed and filled with the unexpected so I am going to rest up and get ready!

Said bye to the dress and 22 week photo

My crazy time is almost over so I should have much better updates in weeks to come. Today I finally went to donate my wedding dress to charity so I was a little sad to see it go but it is going to a good cause and I won’t be using it again. In retrospect, while I loved the dress, I sure wish I would have stuck to my plans and been practical about how much I spent. It’s ok ; my confidence in my own gut instinct has grown a lot in the last 2 years, which is great because I totally need it now.

Here is a picture of me at 22 weeks…I know am posting it 3 weeks after the fact but a sister has been busy! I have gained 1.5 lbs since this picture so you aren’t missing much ;) I totally killed some KFC extra crispy last week…for the first time in the 10 years we are together I asked Todd for fried chicken, what a milestone!

Surviving the crunch time

So today I just had to order pork fried rice and chicken wings. Now lets keep in mind that I eat this stuff once per year in real life so it's highly unusual for me to even think about it. Earlier this week, I went through the trouble of making turkey casserole and green beans (which DH totally killed) only to decide that I didn't feel like eating it. Finally at 9pm, DH convinced me that Zoe might be hungry even though I was not hungry and luckily I had Masala chicken in my freezer which I was able to eat. So I think my theme for pregnancy week 23 is all things Asian! Perhaps on Friday I will go for some sushi to round out my Asian food week. This fickleness is making it very hard for me to grocery shop though because I have no idea what to eat from one week to the next.

As expected, my week has been crazy but I am staying just one step above the fray. Also, my presentation on Data Governance got a enthusiastic review thus far...let's see how it fares in my meeting tomorrow. While all the madness is going on at work, I also have a contractor at home painting the stairs and tiling the entryway; more contractors are coming in next week to put carpet in the bedrooms so I need to relocate all my clothes out the closet. This weekend I have 2 events + I need to decorate the Christmas tree. Did I mention that I haven't completed my Christmas shopping? My shopping has mostly consisted of randomly ordering stuff online...I am getting quite the pile of boxed in my living room. But it's all good, come January (God permitting) I will have my life back in order! Allegedly I am supposed to feel tired in the last 3 months, so I am proactively managing all my projects to lead a "normal" life by then. I can sorta see how this could happen because despite my best efforts, my cardio workout just keeps getting harder to complete every week at the gym...it feels like I smoked a whole pack of cigarettes before getting on the elliptical machine (who are these women who run up until their due date?); my goal is to make it 2x per week to the gym until my due date even if I can only workout at a level 1 by the end and to keep up with my yoga as exercise and drugs are my only plan for an easy delivery.

And to finish off this week's update, my favorite statement for this week was "oh you are almost in your 3rd trimester? you are going to double your size in the next few weeks!" I love, love all the awkward comments that I generate ;)

Mental Break

I am currently working on a data governance presentation but I am kinda tired so I decided to take a mental break by updating my blog ;) The thanksgiving break while fabulous is now but a distant memory as I make my 3 week push at work and at home to get ready for Christmas break. At work, that involves no less than a dozen meetings per week plus all the required prep and debriefing work. In my 11 am meeting yesterday, the AVP for our group got a worried look on his face when he saw how I fazed myself out of the project plan in the spring...it's great to be needed, I hope it results in a promotion because the baby needs a college fund!

The baby, aka Zoe unless DH comes up with a better name, has new shoes! Yes, a diva has come through with Jordans and crocodile driving shoes. In addition to that, she has an assortment of onesies courtesy of another diva, shirt "en Francais" and a tunic and mini skirt courtesy of my of my girlfriends extraordinaire. I am still buying her a week's worth of onesies and white sock. I just don't want to buy a whole bunch of stuff since she will double in size the first year and I don't like clutter in my house (in fact, I just got rid of a bunch of stuff this weekend, it's like therapy!).

I did go online to target and I created a registry with the things that I actually plan on buying ( i am going to check the thrift stores in the fancy neighborhoods too!); at some point I will make it public for anyone who actually wants to see whats on my list. The whole baby shower thing came up again at thanksgiving and I was really surprised that my mother would bring it up since she has a sweet 16 and a 50th b-day party to plan for next year; I thought it would be a big relief that I don't even like baby showers! Full disclosure: I attend baby shower for the 1st kid and I may even have to help plan one at some point because most couples do want one. What about DH? he doesn't like parties and indulges me by attending events but he did find the prospect of free stuff appealing, hehe! I spoke to my grandma and aunt in Costa Rica and they were totally in agreement with me, maybe I get my ways from them because I pretty much get an incredulous look even from men when I tell them that I am not having one ;) My plan is to finish paying my Amex by February (the bill is not as scary as it used to be thank God!) and then I will have a"baby shower" by myself in March by spending some QT at Bliss and going to dinner at my favorite french restaurant which I love and seldom get to visit ;-)

OK, I feel work calling me back. Tonight it will be fun times at the Jones' house as I drag DH through the seasonal decluttering of his office and tomorrow night my house will be all set to decorate for Christmas! On Friday I am going to my favorite German bar after work with my co-workers as we do the first Friday in December every year. On Saturday I plan to have a day by myself (yoga, followed by beautician and then HGTV!) and then on Sunday I have church, play date with former co-workers and then dinner in the city. So much to do but as my girl Maya Angelou would say: Life loves those who live it!

What day is it anyway?

Because I work in Academia, the assumption is always that every single thing in the world must be done before we leave for winter break in December. Due to this artificial deadline, it has been nonstop at work, all day, every day; in fact, I am eating my lunch and responding to e-mails simultaneously while typing this ;-) This weekend I get to go to NC to visit some friends and I am tres excited...it'll be like a 2 day vacation! Last weekend was tough because a very dear friend of the family went home to glory. She and my grandma have been friends for 55 years and I absolutely loved everything about her...I hope my grandchildren will feel the same way about my friends. She was hoping that I would have a girl...

So I am at the half point today, exactly 20 weeks (5 months) and things are looking good. Weekly Chiropractor and Yoga have done wonders for my hips so I am almost pain free. I have gained 2 lbs this month and I feel like my trip this weekend will give me 1 more lb before I see the doctor next week ;) I think I am going to need maternity shirts by Christmas because my belly is starting to push out. I went to the consignment store yesterday and I really hated how all the tops looked on my boobs, the minimizer bras that I bought 3 months ago are now holding on for dear life...I need a trip to Nordstroms to talk to the bra whisperer! My love affair with mayonnaise continues...last week DH brought home a blimpie's ham 12 inch sub for himself and I completely devoured half of it while he has playing NBA live; it's really embarrassing to eat what was in essence a sandwich the size of my daughter standing in the dark kitchen but i couldn't stop myself! DH had lots of jokes on me but he wasn't mad. I think this will pass in another week or so...last month I just had to have baked beans and now I am not in the least bit interested.

I can't wait until Christmas break in 4 more weeks! I think by then I will be ready to brave the kiddy section of Target and actually buy the stuff on my list.

The mystery is over!

Today I finally got to have the mid-term ultrasound. I made sure and had a good breakfast with eggs, toast, Orange Juice and Coffee so that the baby would be up and moving because I have no idea if I will get another ultrasound before its over and really, 20 more weeks is a long time to wait to finally learn the gender. To my delight, it worked like a charm and the baby was up and moving and we were able to get a good shot to confirm that it's a girl! She weighs 10 ounces and is coming along nicely.
She was all over the place and she attempted to put her foot in her mouth. She was also scratching her head so perhaps she even has hair! I don't actually feel any of this stuff so I am guessing that I can only feel when she does something crazy. This also proves once and for all that one cannot guess the sex :-/ I was prepared for a boy because I lost my love for sweets, there is overall a shortage of girl births and I just never got any girl "vibes" but alas it is a girl as DH has hoped for all along. To get my mind to transition into a girly frame of mind, I had to go to the mall and purchase the onesie above for my daugther to make her official in the house :o) I am looking forward to having lots of fun, taking her to Paris and teaching her everything I know... until she is a teenager, at which point she will call herself "dating" some guy that we will inevitably dislike. So here is what she is looking like from the outside (yes, I am at the gap getting some jeans on sale!)...not a real bump yet but we are getting there.

T minus 1 week

The wait is almost over, if all goes well, the Jones fetus will be "the boy/girl formerly known as it" next week! More good news, in my weekly chiropractor visit today it appears that my legs are now even again. My hip area still hurts but I am making progress in my stretching and I am going to be taking a weekly yoga class starting next Saturday. I was laying on the floor doing stretches while pretending to watch the world series with DH and I guess the baby got annoyed at me. So when I laid back down on the couch and rested my hand on my belly, I actually felt the baby push my hand! It was a distinct "get off me" push; I guess somebody got a little weight on them now and want to assert themselves...all 6 ounces of themselves ;)

DH was supposed to be going on a guy's trip to DR next week but alas the flights never came down in price. The cheapest flight that we could find was $745 3 weeks ago, right now they are $994. He was moping around the house and mentioned that he thought he was his last chance for a guy's trip and I had to ask "where did you ever get that idea?" He was under the impression that people with children don't go on trips. Of course I squashed that right there because I totally plan on going on my annual girl trip + my trip with DH + in 5 years I will institute a "family" trip. I wonder if he thought I was going to suddenly morph into a sanctimommy? Note to DH: I don't believe in being a martyr so I will continue to live my life and not put it on hold until I am 48. He seemed really relieved and he even smiled when I mentioned that I got him all covered for his 30th b-day trip next year with the guys...I can totally handle a 5-month-old all by myself + I have fabulous babysitter roster if needed ;)

Tonight I get to watch the Denver Nuggets beat the poor 0-4 Nets. I am very excited though because we actually got good seats (like row 1 good!) for cheap on stubhub...probably because the Nets are so bad right now. It should still be fun even if its just DH and I at the game ;)

The joys of commuting

As a rule, anytime it rains is just a bad day to commute. To magnify the drama that is my rainy day commute to work, first , I had to go to a doctor's appointment at 8:15 in the morning. As I am getting dress, I realize that the tank is almost on empty so now I have to come up with a gas station strategy. I get into the car and as I start driving my number of miles to 'E' starts to drop immediately from 27 to 24 (maybe the windshield wipers are to blame). By some miracle I manage to make it to the gas station that is 2 block away from the doctor with 17 miles to go...phew that was close!

I get to the doctor's office and fortunately the baby is oblivious to all that is going on in my world; heartbeat is 152 and the doctor congratulated me on gaining 3 lbs this month. Just when I thought I was of the hook, they needed yet more blood to look for yet another rare disease or defect that the baby could potentially have! It's a good think that I am not predisposed to worrying because the names of all the things that I have been tested for are just downright scary, the latest being "Spina Bifida"...like can 1 human being have this many potential issues? So I walk reluctantly to the back to have my blood drawn and I warn the lady that I am not a good bleeder. She is "confident" that she has found my vain and the needle goes in...and nothing happens, not enough blood! So she pulls it out and makes me chug 4 cups of water and announces that she will try the back of my hand! It worked but that really hurt :(

So now my hand hurts and is 9am and I decide that going home and parking and trekking to work is just annoying so why not drive to Jersey City and spend an extra $10 on a garage to make it to work faster? 1 hour later I figure out that it's a bad idea because everyone else has the same idea so it took 1 hour to drive 10 miles. By the time I get to parking garage, those 4 cups of water are really, really, really ready to come back out so I have to find a restroom. The attendant is nice enough to let me use their restroom but someone is in there and I have to wait. Finally the door opens and a middle aged Asian man come out and I already know before it hits me...this bathroom stinks, &$%k!! But I have to go so I run in and try to get out as quickly as possible (sidebar, somebody at my office blows up the bathroom every single morning and it ruins my morning everyday, looks like I can't get away from people who don't know to use their own bathroom for #2!!!).

I finally get on the train where I have the pleasure of standing packed-in and there is a girl in-front of me with her fur hoody in my face; why would she need a down jacket with a fur hood on a 60 degree day? Of course, it also stinks because the train has a permanent stench and its permanently packed with people. As I get off the train I have to wonder if I was particularly mean to someone and create bad karma for myself? But I decide that I just need to work harder and maybe just maybe I'll make enough money to live and work in the same zip code one day ;)