Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Best of Grant, pregnancy, imminent parenthood

Here's a text conversation we just had:

Me - Two things (1 much cooler than the other): 1) I think I smell like pee since I sneezed and peed my pants a little and 2) I thought I had gained over 40 lbs bc I did the math wrong! I've gained 31! That's not bad!

Grant - That's great! We can blame [our baby, name redacted] for both!

Me - We're such good parents already!!!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Best of Hormones

Here are just a few things that have made me cry in the past week:

1) Being so excited that my Dad was coming to visit.
2) Realizing that him visiting would mean that he would leave, and crying over that, BEFORE HE ACTUALLY GOT HERE.
3) Being so tired.
4) My Dad getting here.
5) Accidentally sneezing on Grant's face.
6) A parking attendant in DC who was mean to me.
7) Finances (or lack there of).
8) My Dad actually leaving.
9) Grant telling me he hates it when I put something cold on his bare skin.
10) Thinking I am no fun (i.e. a fun-hater)

Okay, who wants to come live with us?

Friday, September 9, 2011

Best of Surprises

It's a boy! We went in for the 20 weeks ultrasound yesterday, and I was SURE it was a girl. So sure that Grant also thought it was a girl, but he was just riding on my coattails. And we were both -- wonderfully -- wrong. When we went in, Grant told the radiologist that we wanted to know the sex, because our doctor told us they wouldn't necessarily reveal it. She told us that she would try, but no promises, because sometimes the babies aren't willing to share. But as soon as she put the wand on my belly, Littles showed his stuff! She laughed and said we were definitely having a boy, and then he kept trying to show it to us -- in case there was any doubt -- the rest of the appointment. He is so cute! I'm sure he will be brilliant and stubborn and clever and sweet, and I'm already one of those moms apparently, because I'm about to show you his picture! I think he is the cutest thing ever and I've never even seen him in person yet :) During the appointment he got a little squirmy, and then kept trying to suck his thumb (but only ended up hitting himself in the head repeatedly). He's determined, too!

The last question Grant asked the radiologist was if he could tell if the baby was left-handed (Grant's really pulling for another lefty). She looked at us like we were crazy (and, let's be honest, we are), and Grant is taking that as an affirmative for the left-handedness.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Best of Losing My Mind

It's official, Grant and I are having a baby! Woo-hoo! It's also becoming apparent that I am losing my ever-loving mind. Here are the most recent examples of my pregnancy brain:

1) I lost my driver's license for about 6 hours on Saturday. It was in my back pocket!
2) I try to send texts to my husband, but tweet them instead. Very Anthony Weiner circa a few months ago.
3) I forgot what else I was going to write. Seriously, there have been more and I CAN'T REMEMBER THEM.

If I only had a brain...

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Best of Reading

In college, I had two really hard professors in political science, and I revered both of them. One of them, George Thomas, taught me constitutional politics and always really challenged me. I remember him telling me that his favorite book of all time is The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky, and that he would reread it over each holiday break. I have no idea why, almost 10 years later, that I would finally pick up that book (for the 3rd time) on my honeymoon and bring it home, and then decide to try to read it on my own (almost non-existent) holiday break. (I can barely pronounce Karamazov or Dostoevsky - but at least it seems en vogue to refer to the book as "The Brothers K.")

I started reading it, and I'm still reading it, and I will be reading it for a long time. I have finally gotten used to the Russian names and nicknames, but I still don't feel like I get lost in the book yet (which is the point of reading during holiday vacation, at least to me, but this may be why I'm not a constitutional politics professor). I am trying to read more classics, and I think I succeeded at that this year, but I am also trying to make sure I read a book a week, and that was not happening with TBK (even shorter and easier to say!).

What's a reader to do?

I picked up another book that I wanted to read during Christmas break, The Instructions by Adam Levine. Instead of being over 700 pages like TBK, it's over 1,000. And the writing is being compared to David Foster Wallace. Umm, it's also not an easy read, but I've at least found myself lost in the Apatakisic world.

My current reading material reminds me of the summer I spend reading Infinite Jest. It was WORK. And in the end, it was worth it. I've never read such accurate depictions of depression and addiction, and that really hit home. In the forward of the version I read, Dave Eggers talks about how sometimes a reader needs to work and put in time and effort:
"And yet the time spent in this book, in this world of language, is absolutely rewarded. When you exit these pages after that month of reading, you are a better person. It’s insane, but also hard to deny. Your brain is stronger because it’s been given a month-long workout, and more importantly, your heart is sturdier, for there has scarcely been written a more moving account of desperation, depression, addiction, generational stasis and yearning, or the obsession with human expectations, with artistic and athletic and intellectual possibility. The themes here are big, and the emotions (guarded as they are) are very real, and the cumulative effect of the book is, you could say, seismic. It would be very unlikely that you would find a reader who, after finishing the book, would shrug and say, 'Eh.'"

I guess my subconscious is agreeing that I need to do the same, hence TBK and the Instructions.

Grant is also struggling to get through a book right now, so we established a reading night. This may be the best part of marriage yet! Wednesday night is book night, which means I read a cool 100 pages yesterday, exercised my mind, got myself sufficiently sleepy, and had a really good night's sleep.

I wonder how well I'd sleep if I'd exercise physically, too? Eh, let's talk about that later - NEXT YEAR. (Get it?)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Best of Conversations

Grant picks me up from work.

C: Hi, George!

G: Hi, Fred!

C: Who's Fred?

G: If you call me George, then I'll call you Fred.

C: It's just like Harry Potter!

G: I don't know who you're talking about.

C: You know, the Percy twins, Fred and George...

G: You've still lost me.

C: Okay, remember Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley? They're his twin brothers.

G: The REDHEADS?! They are not my people.

C: STOP IT! YOU SOUND EXACTLY LIKE DRACO MALFOY!

G: Whoa. You are a little too into Harry Potter.

(If only he really knew - just a few weeks you guys!!!)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Best of Babies

Tonight, Baby Abey and [somewhat] Baby Henry met each other for the first time. They were both very cautious, touched noses once, and then we all learned something very primitive. When Babe-ra-ham was eating a sucker (with the wrapper on), and not sharing with Henry, Henry cried. When Henry was eating Abraham's leftover dinner, and not sharing with Abey, Abey cried. And then they lost interest in each other. I think it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.