For those of you (if there's anybody left out there) who like to watch baby shows or who have had children of your own, will it be worthwhile to dust off the old 2001 video camera and sort of document the first few weeks of life with baby? Technology mandates it being done on the regular digital camera, for ease of editing and hopes of ever doing anything with it, but would the regular camera sitting around the house inspire random visitors, well wishers, and family members to attempt cinematic direction and result in snippets of video that will be amusing 2 years from now?
Or should we sell our camera on Craigslist like Liz and Matt did?? :-) That potential $100-$130 would buy a lot of diapers, or maybe a stroller... or one 12th of a 47 inch LCD flat screen TV.
I like to think that it would be fun, especially considering we're going to have Kelly here for the first week or so as our helper and extra special Aunt, followed by Mummy and Daddy (my inlaws) plus Saby's sister Deepa and her daughters, Leah and Lisa, and possibly a few other aunties and uncles from around this end of the country. It would be extra super special to have record of all these folks being around for the little Spampers to look back upon. But like so many other things, will it ever see the light of day? Liz and Matt still await their wedding video. Poor Melanie has yet to ever see the video we took in late May of 2003 in Real de Catorce. AHHHHH!!!
Maybe that should be a project. Last 3 weeks of pregnancy... go through ALL the old videos, put them (if worthy) on to video tapes (ahhh, for a dvd burner), and catalog them properly. Others... perhaps I'll burn them :-) Like, in a fireplace.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Time Flies When You're Having Fun...
Tomorrow we'll have one month and about 2 days left before Spampy's due date. My due date, Spampy's, ours... to whom does a due date actually belong? (correct usage of "whom"? Anybody, anybody?)
Suddenly this past week or so, everyone is my best friend. The check out girl at Trader Joe's. My dental hygienist. The bouncer at Sam's Club. Each had their own piece of wit or wisdom. The bouncer at Sam's had me particularly worried, because he was looking back and forth, from my receipt to the cart, over and over. Not one to be accused of shoplifting, especially because I was a Sam's Club newbie and wasn't sure of the whole process, I asked what the problem was... and the old man responds with a twinkle in his eye, "you're smuggling out a watermelon." Ahhhhhh, funnnnnnyyyy.
I think some of the best advice I've gotten was while I bought almonds and (heheheh) WINE (for the in-hospital, post-Spampers celebratory toast) at Trader Joe's today. Somehow we got onto the subject of how two of her kids came one week early, and two of hers had been one week late. (She had 5, she said, so was one just on time?) She told me that the early kids were fussy little screamers from the point of being born until they reached what would have been their due date.
INTERESTING!
She asked me how I felt. My standard answer (many seem to expect, "miserable!") is "great... so far so good." She told me that she always tells ladies who are eager to get things going, and get the baby "out", to just wait. Wait for your peace of mind, and wait for the development of the baby. I really liked hearing that, because I had said waaaay back that I wanted to go late. My plan was to let the little bun brown off as long as possible. (no Mocha Spampy pun intended)
Lots of people told me I'll not feel that way closer to my due date. But right now, I really like how everything is paced. I'm not eager to be done, but I'm not dreading the whole birthing process either. Pregnancy is perfectly paced and I'm not going to mess around with nature - nine months (or ten, depending how you count) is the perfect amount of time to adjust and adapt in a relatively peaceful way, without totally changing you life; it's time to stretch without bursting; it's time enough to grow comfortable in your skin, both physically and mentally, without plateauing along the way.
So on Friday I hit 36 weeks, and as we drive up to Kristine's wedding in Michigan I'll only be able to imagine where and what might be happening 2, 3 and 4 weeks from then. We have 2 birthing classes left (more on that later) and beyond that, the only activities planned for July are vague notions of nesting and lots of time in the pool.
Suddenly this past week or so, everyone is my best friend. The check out girl at Trader Joe's. My dental hygienist. The bouncer at Sam's Club. Each had their own piece of wit or wisdom. The bouncer at Sam's had me particularly worried, because he was looking back and forth, from my receipt to the cart, over and over. Not one to be accused of shoplifting, especially because I was a Sam's Club newbie and wasn't sure of the whole process, I asked what the problem was... and the old man responds with a twinkle in his eye, "you're smuggling out a watermelon." Ahhhhhh, funnnnnnyyyy.
I think some of the best advice I've gotten was while I bought almonds and (heheheh) WINE (for the in-hospital, post-Spampers celebratory toast) at Trader Joe's today. Somehow we got onto the subject of how two of her kids came one week early, and two of hers had been one week late. (She had 5, she said, so was one just on time?) She told me that the early kids were fussy little screamers from the point of being born until they reached what would have been their due date.
INTERESTING!
She asked me how I felt. My standard answer (many seem to expect, "miserable!") is "great... so far so good." She told me that she always tells ladies who are eager to get things going, and get the baby "out", to just wait. Wait for your peace of mind, and wait for the development of the baby. I really liked hearing that, because I had said waaaay back that I wanted to go late. My plan was to let the little bun brown off as long as possible. (no Mocha Spampy pun intended)
Lots of people told me I'll not feel that way closer to my due date. But right now, I really like how everything is paced. I'm not eager to be done, but I'm not dreading the whole birthing process either. Pregnancy is perfectly paced and I'm not going to mess around with nature - nine months (or ten, depending how you count) is the perfect amount of time to adjust and adapt in a relatively peaceful way, without totally changing you life; it's time to stretch without bursting; it's time enough to grow comfortable in your skin, both physically and mentally, without plateauing along the way.
So on Friday I hit 36 weeks, and as we drive up to Kristine's wedding in Michigan I'll only be able to imagine where and what might be happening 2, 3 and 4 weeks from then. We have 2 birthing classes left (more on that later) and beyond that, the only activities planned for July are vague notions of nesting and lots of time in the pool.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Ode to Handicapped Parking...
Ahhh, I found my loophole, my chance to take advantage of the system. Not even my midwives knew that pregnant ladies can apply for a handicapped parking pass, at least temporarily. How did *I* know that? Thanks to Windo, who's sister would probably fall into the category of having milked her pregnancies for all they were worth. Ha! Well, thanks to her...
I said to my midwife Margie, "is there any truth to the rumor that I could get a handicapped tag?" She looked at me like I was nutty (which is the pot calling the kettle black, seriously... read on) and I affirmed that a "friend in Michigan" had done it. Recognizing how there are actually a lot of differences between how Michigan and Ohio run, she said she'd try... and wrote me a prescription for a pass, ending two weeks after my estimated due date. When I arrived at the friendly Beavercreek Bureau of Motor Vehicles, they were all set to hook me up. As I peered over the high counter at my friendly clerk Maryann, I watched her eyes look over the paperwork and then heard her mouth mutter, "2002?" Ignore... ignore! Curiosity got the best of me and I asked, "2002 what?" The script had been written to last until "August 4, 2002." Two-thousand-TWO??? Margie is a very sweet, wonderful woman, and I'm very comfortable with the idea of squeezing out my little cantaloupe in her presence, but sometimes I wonder if she has Skittles for brains.
Well, all's well that ends well. Made some phone calls the following day and had them fax over a new script. One check for $3.50 later, and I was walking about 25 steps into Target to buy ice cream, almonds, and a pool noodle. Good times! Normally I park way out to prevent any denting of the new car... now I can park way IN. Hallelujah!
I said to my midwife Margie, "is there any truth to the rumor that I could get a handicapped tag?" She looked at me like I was nutty (which is the pot calling the kettle black, seriously... read on) and I affirmed that a "friend in Michigan" had done it. Recognizing how there are actually a lot of differences between how Michigan and Ohio run, she said she'd try... and wrote me a prescription for a pass, ending two weeks after my estimated due date. When I arrived at the friendly Beavercreek Bureau of Motor Vehicles, they were all set to hook me up. As I peered over the high counter at my friendly clerk Maryann, I watched her eyes look over the paperwork and then heard her mouth mutter, "2002?" Ignore... ignore! Curiosity got the best of me and I asked, "2002 what?" The script had been written to last until "August 4, 2002." Two-thousand-TWO??? Margie is a very sweet, wonderful woman, and I'm very comfortable with the idea of squeezing out my little cantaloupe in her presence, but sometimes I wonder if she has Skittles for brains.
Well, all's well that ends well. Made some phone calls the following day and had them fax over a new script. One check for $3.50 later, and I was walking about 25 steps into Target to buy ice cream, almonds, and a pool noodle. Good times! Normally I park way out to prevent any denting of the new car... now I can park way IN. Hallelujah!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Diapers!
Holy Guacamole... we bought diapers. Well, I bought diapers.
Babies R Us sends out these coupons that you can use for a strange string of days that are far, far away from the date you receive them. Good marketing, Babies R Us... I've been coveting that coupon for almost a month now, pouring over our registry to determine what item would benefit the most from 15% off, making plans around the effective dates and discussing it all ad nauseum with Saby. Attached was another snazzy coupon for $10 off any "two" massive packs of diapers. Massive INDEED...
We now have the first 308 diapers of our baby's life sitting in our front room.
I haven't been getting many hours at work, and I think I'm starting to nest, so over the past few days I have stalked websites about diapers, checking reviews, prices, etc... seems people just rave over Papmpers Swaddlers because they're soft and don't leak. So I bought a 92 ct box of those, size newborn, and a massive 216 ct box of the next size up - 1 - so that our baby's precious waste will be swaddled in the softest sling available, up until 14 lbs.
I've been advised that the best diapers in the world are from Target, from Costco, from Huggies, and from Pampers. Oh, and Sam's Club. They're ALL the best... apparently. We will have to see what size/shape/poop-capacity our baby is in order to determine whose advice is true.
Yeah, diapers are expensive and I am aware that I'm going to be filling up my own landfill. But we are actually toying with the idea of using cloth diapers after a point, especially if we were to travel to India anytime during the infancy (or I guess anytime pre-potty training) of lil' Spampy. When Saby's sister brought her disposable diapered baby to India, my mother-in-law (bless her heart) had to dig a hole on the edge of their property and bury the diapers. No municipal garbage removal... no standardized disposal of trash. At least not in rural Kerala. Unless you wanna be looking at those diapers for the next 5 years, you gotta find a way to get rid of them yourself.
Cloth diapers are not a good scheme for a family not committed to the idea, with a brand new baby who poos and pees 6-8 times a day. Maybe after 7 months or something. (and did anyone ever tell you that good cloth diapers cost upwards of like $20 a piece?) But another consideration is that once a cloth diaper goes on, Saby's ability to change it will probably turn off. I do not foresee him scraping crap out of a cloth diaper, swishing it around in a toilet, and then throwing it in a bin to wait to be washed. How this will actually go: Saby with diaper in one hand, bare-butted baby in the other, baby peeing freely in the wind, Saby throwing up in a bin.
Anyway, for better or for worse we have now what seems like a massive quantity of diapers... I'm sure in a few months we will look back and laugh at how negligible the number 308 really is in the grand scheme of things. We did crack open the newborn size box and took out one diaper, in order to see how small they really are.
They really ARE small. And they smell like heaven. Ooooogie boogie little diapers going around little baby bums and legs... softy sweetie smells like powder delicious diapers, cootchie cootchie cooooooo...
until they fill with caca.
Babies R Us sends out these coupons that you can use for a strange string of days that are far, far away from the date you receive them. Good marketing, Babies R Us... I've been coveting that coupon for almost a month now, pouring over our registry to determine what item would benefit the most from 15% off, making plans around the effective dates and discussing it all ad nauseum with Saby. Attached was another snazzy coupon for $10 off any "two" massive packs of diapers. Massive INDEED...
We now have the first 308 diapers of our baby's life sitting in our front room.
I haven't been getting many hours at work, and I think I'm starting to nest, so over the past few days I have stalked websites about diapers, checking reviews, prices, etc... seems people just rave over Papmpers Swaddlers because they're soft and don't leak. So I bought a 92 ct box of those, size newborn, and a massive 216 ct box of the next size up - 1 - so that our baby's precious waste will be swaddled in the softest sling available, up until 14 lbs.
I've been advised that the best diapers in the world are from Target, from Costco, from Huggies, and from Pampers. Oh, and Sam's Club. They're ALL the best... apparently. We will have to see what size/shape/poop-capacity our baby is in order to determine whose advice is true.
Yeah, diapers are expensive and I am aware that I'm going to be filling up my own landfill. But we are actually toying with the idea of using cloth diapers after a point, especially if we were to travel to India anytime during the infancy (or I guess anytime pre-potty training) of lil' Spampy. When Saby's sister brought her disposable diapered baby to India, my mother-in-law (bless her heart) had to dig a hole on the edge of their property and bury the diapers. No municipal garbage removal... no standardized disposal of trash. At least not in rural Kerala. Unless you wanna be looking at those diapers for the next 5 years, you gotta find a way to get rid of them yourself.
Cloth diapers are not a good scheme for a family not committed to the idea, with a brand new baby who poos and pees 6-8 times a day. Maybe after 7 months or something. (and did anyone ever tell you that good cloth diapers cost upwards of like $20 a piece?) But another consideration is that once a cloth diaper goes on, Saby's ability to change it will probably turn off. I do not foresee him scraping crap out of a cloth diaper, swishing it around in a toilet, and then throwing it in a bin to wait to be washed. How this will actually go: Saby with diaper in one hand, bare-butted baby in the other, baby peeing freely in the wind, Saby throwing up in a bin.
Anyway, for better or for worse we have now what seems like a massive quantity of diapers... I'm sure in a few months we will look back and laugh at how negligible the number 308 really is in the grand scheme of things. We did crack open the newborn size box and took out one diaper, in order to see how small they really are.
They really ARE small. And they smell like heaven. Ooooogie boogie little diapers going around little baby bums and legs... softy sweetie smells like powder delicious diapers, cootchie cootchie cooooooo...
until they fill with caca.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Still feeling carpal tunnel-y, but I write this to say that we've finally gotten our house set up! We have furniture, and food, and most excellent and perhaps surprising of all, cleanliness. I think it's because we actually have room now - life has been simplified quite a bit since the 1 bedroom or even the townhouse days.
If you're reading this from afar, it means, "come visit!".
Getting to be a big, proper pregnant lady with a tight belly and a rolling twisty head-down baby. Watching lots of Jon & Kate Plus 8 to get used to the crying noise in the house... eating massive amounts of veggies... drinking from my big water bottle... doing Rocki's Prenatal Yoga volume 1 at least once every two days, with intentions of swimming on the off days (although that has only happened once to date).
Going today to buy a car seat from Babies R Us, because I have a coupon burning a hole in my pocket that expires June 5th, and also because I'm anxious to buy some baby crap :-) This ends up being the most useful, and in the off chance that baby comes early, at least we'd have a way to bring it home from the hospital!
If you're reading this from afar, it means, "come visit!".
Getting to be a big, proper pregnant lady with a tight belly and a rolling twisty head-down baby. Watching lots of Jon & Kate Plus 8 to get used to the crying noise in the house... eating massive amounts of veggies... drinking from my big water bottle... doing Rocki's Prenatal Yoga volume 1 at least once every two days, with intentions of swimming on the off days (although that has only happened once to date).
Going today to buy a car seat from Babies R Us, because I have a coupon burning a hole in my pocket that expires June 5th, and also because I'm anxious to buy some baby crap :-) This ends up being the most useful, and in the off chance that baby comes early, at least we'd have a way to bring it home from the hospital!
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