Say "birdie"!

Two things just occurred to me:

Will I need to post a new blog picture when #2 is born? And, more importantly, how are we ever going to get #2 to flip the bird on film the way AB did?

With AB, it was pure instinct. You can't force that type of attitude in a one-day-old.

Moderation

Since alcohol during pregnancy was a recent topic of conversation here, and since a lot of similarly worded Internet searches bring folks to this site, I thought I'd post this, which I saw in this week's Post:

Even moderate drinking may affect a child's intelligence.

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 611 pregnant women and the children they bore; about 53 percent of the participants were black, and about 47 percent were white. At age 10, the children were given a standardized IQ test. Among the black children, those whose mothers drank moderately (two to six drinks a week) while pregnant scored lower on the IQ test than did children who had no prenatal exposure to alcohol. This association was especially strong for those who drank during the second trimester. Among the white children, no association between drinking and IQ was found.

* * *

CAVEATS Women in the study were classified as having low socioeconomic status; findings may not apply to other women. The authors indicated that the absolute effects of prenatal alcohol use on cognitive development were small but would have "real-life consequences for children." They also wrote that the difference in effect between racial groups was not related to differences in the rate of drinking and probably was "mediated by genetic differences, although social and environmental effects cannot be completely ruled out."

It was the headline that threw me. I guess I have different definitions of "moderate" drinking, depending on whether the drinker is pregnant or not. When I saw the headline, my brain defaulted to "moderate drinking while pregnant," which in my mind is no more than a drink a week, and certainly not almost a drink a day (6 drinks a week is "moderate" according to the study).

Now that I think about it, even when I think about moderate drinking in general, I still think no more than 4 drinks in a week.

Cranky

Joel Achenbach (whom I have to thank for virtually introducing me to the wonderful Corndog) had an interesting piece in the Post magazine this weekend on global-warming skeptics. He also had a follow-up chat today. One of the anti-GW arugments he referenced in his article, which was picked up again during the chat, was this (I'm quoting from one chatter who also found fault with the argument):

"How can they predict something 50 years down the road if they can't tell me if it's going to be a hot summer THIS SUMMER?"

This argument ticks me off to no end. An economist can't tell you what a particular stock is going to do on a particular day, or in a particular month (or he can try, but very well might be wrong), but he can without hesitation tell you that in certain industries, your investment will increase over time. The climate is similar in that it's damn near impossible to predict minor happenings or aberrations, but much easier to see bigger, long-term trends.

And another thing... I don't like the way I look in any of my maternity clothes. And my bras itch. And the dog keeps scratching his ear and licking his feet. And my pockets hurt.

I am going to hell

Tonight at dinner, I was drinking a delicious Fruit2O (strawberry) and finished the plastic 16 oz. bottle. When I put the cap back on the empty, AB asked, "I have that?" I said sure and handed it to him. As he was holding it, I said, "You know, if you hit yourself on the head with it, it won't hurt."

He smiled and proceeded to bap himself repeatedly on the noggin. Hahahahaha. I am so evil.

Also, I cut his hair today for the first time, using this, which cost about $18. His previous haircuts have cost that, if you include tip. The cut I gave him isn't perfect, but it'll do. And I'm thrilled about the money (and time) I'll save doing it myself.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Via Blonde Justice:

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

I wish I were in Dublin. It's been too long. Would love to drink Murphy's Stout fresh from the tap.*

Had a ridiculously productive day, but still had time to hang out with my friend H. I knew H and I would be friends when we wound up sitting next to each other at law school orientation, and the first words out of her mouth to me as her eyes scanned the room were, "Wow, look at how white we all are." Yeah, I thought, I can be friends with this chick. (She's subversive in a cool way.) So today we talked about our friends, and work, and (what everybody in our age group talks about these days) the real estate market. It's reassuring to know that no matter how busy I am, I can still make time for my friends--and they can make time for me.

That being said, I hope I will see the light of day this Memorial Day weekend. Hope everyone has a fun time, and that any trips are hassle-free.

* Although, to be honest, the Murphy's is better in Cork.

What was I just saying about saving more money?

OK, so if you'll ignore the 6th bullet point in the previous post and instead stop reading at the second one...

And if you'll read Kristen's comment on that post, you'll pardon me for buying the following on iTunes tonight:

1. "A Little's Enough," "Good Day," "It Hurts" and "The Adventure" by Angels & Airwaves.


2. "Never Leave Your Heart Alone" by Butterfly Boucher


3. "New Slang" by the Shins


4. "Time is Running Out" by Muse


5. "Dead Streets" by Monotypes


6. "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol

Could've been worse. At the last minute, I deleted from my shopping cart songs by the Charlatans UK and the Jesus and Mary Chain. OK, no more new songs until July.

I've succumbed

... to the random bullets of crap.

• How can I possibly love child no. 2 as much as I love AB? I mean, I know I will, but I just love AB so much. He's so great. Over the past two years, NSAH and I have both, at random times, turned to the other and said, "He's such a good boy." As I type this, I am looking across the room at our console table--specifically, at all of the dinosaurs on top of our console table, which are all positioned upright and staring right at me.


• How often can you listen to songs on iTunes before you get sick of them? It took me months to finally tire of the Fray's "Over My Head" and Aimee Mann's (no longer) new album. Now I'm on to the next batch of oft-repeated songs.


• I really need to hit the gym this weekend.


• I can feel the baby kicking right now. It kicks a lot every night as I'm sitting still, working. I still can't feel it from the outside, though, with my hand on my stomach. It's just messing around with my insides. Cool.


• I really want to see the new X-Men movie this weekend. I've been so good about avoiding spoilers, but I'm afraid I'll give in to temptation and read too much.


• I really, really need to be saving more money. I wish the interest rates were better in my credit union account. Or that CDs paid out like they used to.


• AB is at a stage now where he loves hearing stories. I don't mean stories that we read from books, I mean stories about us, about the people he knows. One of his favorite stories is about how Small Dog came to join our family. When I tell stories, I try to emulate my dad. He is a great storyteller. Wonderful, funny stories. He was never afraid to work blue (he'd mention "poop" and have kids rolling on the floor, cracking up), and he always anthropomorphized the family's dogs. I've yet to mention poop in any of my stories, but I often have dogs speaking to one another or to the humans in the story.

Jane says...

As seen at Set Free:

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're Jane Eyre of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte!
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
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| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

After seeing the other possible results, this was definitely the most appropriate one for me. (I mean, Beth March?! Who is that decent, that selfless? No offense to my friends and readers. You're great and I love ya and all that but... Beth March? Seriously.)

Everybody knows it sucks to grow up

This is a list of the concerts I would be attending in the next few months if I weren't avoiding smokey venues or, alternatively, really busy at work (in the past week alone, I've missed Laura Viers and Wheatus):

Angels & Airwaves
The Stills
KT Tunstall (w/ Teitur)
Snow Patrol
Eels
Gomez
Hotel Lights
Ben Folds (who gave me the title of this post)
Elvis Costello
Belle & Sebastian (w/ Broken Social Scene)

Adulthood can suck at times. I'm not a total loser, though--I'm going to two concerts this summer. And if Dr. Corndog comes to the area for a performance, I will make time to attend!

On the adulthood-doesn't-suck-so-much side of the coin, the unborn one has been kicking a lot lately. So that's pretty cool.

No fun for you!

[This will be mildly incoherent because I am still suffering from work-fried brain.]

When I saw the Post's Tuesday Health section and saw the "pre-pregnant" article, I freaked out--generally, for the reasons others were freaking out. (Please read Bitch Ph.D.'s initial post and comments, as well as the follow-up.) Once I stopped freaking out, I started thinking more about the advice that doctors (and laypeople) give pregnant women, at least in the United States. Especially since a good chunk of the people who find their way to my blog (when they aren't trying to figure out whether a certain actress is preggers) are searching for pregnancy and non-alcoholic beer.

Don’t smoke.
Don't eat soft cheese (no brie, not even that great queso blanco at my favorite Tex-Mex places).
Don't eat sushi.
Don't drink caffeine.
Don't drink alcohol.
Don't eat tuna.
Don't take certain medications (including Accutane).

Some doctors will allow a little leeway on some of these. For example, my current OB told me I should limit my caffeine intake to one drink (i.e., 12 oz.) a day, which seems reasonable enough to me. I've read about other doctors who say even 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day during pregnancy is fine. My doc also told me that, while I should avoid alcohol, it wouldn't be horrible if I wanted to have a glass of wine or champagne for a special occasion (I think beer at a sunny ballgame is a special occasion, but tomato/tomahto). I've also read that, if you are going to have alcohol, you should drink it slowly, and on a full stomach.

I am just so interested in the flat-out prohibitions, though, given how recent they are. And how American-centric they are. Do we honestly think that European women completely give up wine while they are pregnant? (I've talked to Western Europeans--the answer is "no.") Do I think that Japanese women stop eating sushi? Well, I actually don't know the answer to that, but I'd love to. And as to the newness of these prohibitions: women of my mother's generation and older drank and smoke with more frequency during pregnancy than women of my generation do. I've (unscientifically) polled my friends, and most of them had mothers who drank and/or smoked at some point during pregnancy--if not through the whole thing--and they without exception turned out healthy, strong and smart. So how do I reconcile that with what many doctors (and people who stick their noses into my business) say about what I can and cannot do while I am pregnant? I'm not saying I’m going to start drinking a vodka tonic with lunch every day while handling raw chicken, but I just find it interesting.

And lo, the summer drought begins

But hooray for reruns. If I haven't seen 'em, they're new to me!

In honor of the finale of one of my favorite shows (and in honor of the fact that my brain is fried and I couldn't post anything of substance if I wanted to):

Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You?

You are Christina Yang. You are incredibly determined and very blunt... yet somehow very likable
Take this quiz!

Which Grey's Anatomy Character are you?

You're Cristina Yang! You completely rock, no matter what anyone says. You're matter-of-fact and no-holds-barred. You know what you want and don't usually deviate from your set course. But maybe you need to lighten up a little and go with the flow? And hey, if you've got something going on with someone, communication is a good thing! Another hint: don't be so cold, luv. It's too intimidating for you; not really working out.
Take this quiz!

Grey's Anatomy: Which intern are you?

You are Dr. Cristina Yang! You thrive in a competetive environment and are a fast learner. You can be a little too aggressive, cut-throat, and arrogant, but you succeed at whatever you put your mind to.
Take this quiz!

(I actually think I'm more of a twisted combination of Christina, Meredith and George. And given the choice, I'd rather be Bailey.)

Priorities

Some things are worth missing your favorite television show's season finale for.

This, for instance.

And thank heavens for Tivo.

I gotta say it was a good day*

Had a wonderful day (lots of sleep helps, I imagine). Didn't do much in the morning, but AB helped me run some errands, and he was very good. We went to the CVS to buy some Mother's Day cards and presents for his grandmothers, and then we went to the bank. AB actually likes accompanying me to the bank, because he knows if he's good, he'll get to have a cookie (they put out a big tub of cookies next to the coffee every day). I also got takeout lunch from a place we've been dying to try, and the food definitely did not disappoint. We'll probably have the leftovers tomorrow.

This afternoon we caught a wonderful puppet show, if you could call it a "puppet show." NSAH and AB and I were all entranced. And here I must brag for a minute. Even though it was a "no-shushing" performance (i.e., kids were encouraged to "participate" in the story-telling), AB was very quiet and opened his mouth only to announce what animals were appearing on stage. And (more bragging) he was quicker to announce the animals than a lot of the other kids sitting around us, who were at least a year or so older than he. So he was very good and very quiet. And, as is his movie-going m.o., he sat still on my lap through the whole performance. Love that.

Anyway, I think there are only a couple more shows left on the tour, but if you happen to live within driving distance of Purchase, NY, or Wolfville, Nova Scotia, you definitely must go see it. Very cool effects, I must say.

AB was good after the performance, too. We went to a family cookout, and he got to give my mom her Mother's Day card and presents (which she loved). Of course, I think she loved them because he actually picked them out for her. He also picked out the bag, which is why we handed her her Mother's Day card & gifts in a monster-themed gift bag. Nice.

And, for the first time in I-don't-remember-when (maybe since a week after we switched him from the crib to the bed?), he went to bed without the barest fuss. He gave me a sweet "bye, bye mommy" as he shooed me out of his room.

I'll let you know if Mother's Day is any better, but I can't imagine how it could be. Today was great.

* With apologies to Ice Cube. No, T. No, no. Cube.

The cure for a crazy work week?

Ten and a half hours of sleep on Friday night/Saturday morning. Seriously.

Crashed before 10 p.m. last night (after watching a few episodes from our new "Dr. Katz" DVDs). I woke up a little bit at 6:17 a.m., when AB was making noises. But NSAH checked on him, and it turns out he'd dropped something out of his bed and just needed it back. The three of us went back to sleep, and I didn't wake up again till 8:20. Hooray.

Just to let you know I'm still alive

(but still swamped):

This afternoon on his drive home, NSAH called me from his cell phone to say he was ordering pizza for dinner tonight. Angry Boy was in the car with him, babbling away, and for a while I couldn't figure out what the kid was yelling about. Then NSAH was quiet for a second so I could hear better, and I heard the following:

Why can't WE be FRIENDS?
Why can't WE be FRIENDS?
Why can't WE be FRIENDS?
Why can't WE be FRIENDS?

He was yelling War at the top of his lungs. (It's the Muppet Show's fault--he also sings Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" all the time now, because that's on an episode, too. My little protest singer.)

It's all about me

Seeking Solace tagged me, but I decided to put a little twist on it.

I am I am, I am Superman, and I can do anything.
I want you to want me.
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on.
I hate myself for loving you, can't break free from the things that you do.
I love your way, every day.
I fear nothing besides myself.
I hear the secrets that you keep when you're talking in your sleep.
I wonder wonder who, whooooo, who wrote the book of love.
I am not dead, this is how rumors get started.
I sing the body electric.
I can see it in your eyes, you keep staring at the floor.
I need you, like the flowers need the rain.
I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life.

How swamped am I?

I'm fuckin' Yoda, that's how swamped I am.*

I had a post in my head yesterday afternoon about how things were easier before I was pregnant in that I could stay up later to work. You know, I'd spend the weekend having fun and then stay up late into the wee hours of the morning Sunday night/Monday morning fnishing work. And my post was going to lament about how I just can't do that anymore because I'm too tired these days.

Nope. Last night was a 2 a.m. bedtime for me, and I really wasn't overtired today. Tonight will be another late night. I foresee many late nights over the next few months, actually. But I was just at the doctor, and my blood pressure is still a kickass 100/60... so far, so good. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

* Sadly, I'm more Han Solo than Jedi Master.