telling

I've had a couple of people ask how we told the family about our little girl on the way.  We told most people over the phone.  However,  since we were about to spend a week with Kyle's family, we waited and decided to tell them in person.  They each unwrapped this little frame to find out.  

papa shachmut welcoming the idea of a grand daughter. :)

I tried.

I didn't want to get up today

I wanted to stay in bed

But with too much to do and so little time, 

I decided to get up instead.

I finally left the apartment

to begin on my errands galore, 

first lunch at BC (with the hubby and me)

but then came the real work in  store.

I needed to clean out our old apartment

...it was the big task on my list for the day

3 flights of stairs, all heat and no air

was a bit daunting with a baby on the way.

But, after an hour of cleaning, 

I was sweaty and tired but done.

I lugged myself down the stairs once more

...maybe now for something fun?

Well fun is not what they had in mind

when they left me such an abomination...

there in bright orange, on the front of my car

was Laura's first parking violation.  

Are you kidding me? I've lived in Boston a year!

I've never been given a fine!

but apparently "parking more than 1 ft from the curb" 

was enough to make me pay this time.  

So, hot, smelly, tired and sad, 

I sat in the car and cried.

The gods of productivity have punished me.

All I can say is, I tried. 

Now I'm back. I'm sitting at home.  

Today was just not my day.

That's what I get for getting things done...

that's the price I pay.  

to do list

I need to go run errands.  I need to go register my car.  I need to get a MA license as well.  I need to go over to my old apartment and take pictures of the furniture we're trying to sell.  I need to register for childbirth classes.  I need to organize thing at home.  I need to do laundry.  I should unpack my suitcase before I have to pack it again...but probably won't until the day before we leave.  I need to vacuum.  I need to call our landlord about leaving our old apartment.  I need to get my breaks checked (and probably replaced).  I need to wash my car so I'm not embarrassed to take it to get my breaks checked.  I need to finish my baby name list.  I need to put lotion on my sunburn.  I need to do dishes.  I need to organize my closet so I have room for my maternity clothes and put away all those pathetically small things.  I need to talk to our building management about the possibility of moving into a 2 bedroom.  I need to send forms to UCA so I can get my MA school psych license. I need to call nwa about why our travel vouchers don't work.  I need to book my flight to AR, but have to wait on the voucher thing. I need to drive and give Kyle his glasses he left at home.  I need to get off the couch.  

I think I'm feeling a little overwhelmed though.  I'm having a hard time getting started.  I had a bowl of lucky charms at 8am...and a bowl of ice cream at 10.  That's the most productive thing I've done so far.  

I need a shorter list.  

back from FL

We're back from Florida!  We had a really nice time with Kyle's parents and Kyra down in Cocoa Beach.  We enjoyed the good weather, surf, and company.  

In trying to think about some of the things I enjoyed the most, one freezeframe comes to mind.  Kyle and I were throwing the football to each other out in the waves.  The whole time Kyle had this grin on his face like somebody had told him a funny joke.  I made my way over to him just to ask him what he kept laughing about.  He said, "I'm just so happy"  He just really liked throwing the football.  It was cute.  

We had a good time.  Here are a few of the pics from the trip. 

 

Disney

Yesterday, we enjoyed a full day at the Epcot and Animal Kingdom parks at Disney.  It was a lot of fun (and a lot of walking).  :-)

Kyle and Kyra braved most of the fast paced rides together and I enjoyed the experience as a whole.  I can't say I was really upset that I wasn't allowed on the roller coasters...its never really been my thing.  We did get to do the safari at the Animal Kingdom, which was kinda fun.  We got to see a baby giraffe...which was, of course, adorable.  

Disney is always a fun experience.  It is magical in some ways.  I love that there is always majestic-adventure type music playing all the time.  I loved seeing all the little kids with their big "First Visit" buttons on and how excited they get when they spot Mickey.  Of course, there is still the overpriced food, heat, and lines to deal with.  But, it's worth going in my opinion.  Anyway, we had a good time and it was nice to spend the day with the Shachmut side of the fam.   After 12 hours of walking, we headed home.  Here are few pictures of the day.

    

 

    

 

Baby Shachmut is a...

Girl!

Kyle and I are happy to announce that we will be having a daughter this December.  :)  

Family and friends are happy and I've already started imagining my little Tiny Tiger in pigtails.  Kyle dreams of her knowing all NFL teams by age 3.  ;-)  

We're obviously excited and happy to await HER arrival this winter.  

Love to all!

communion

I went to mass on Sunday with Kyle and his mother.  We went to the local church not too far from where we're staying.  

When it came time for communion, I went up like always and got my wafer and stood in line for my sip of wine (yes, I know, it's Jesus, but it still tastes like wine.)  I took the cup from the lady serving it and as I was tipping the cup to take a sip...she crossed my belly.  She made the sign of the cross right over my belly button.  It threw me off so much that I forgot to take a drink and just looked up quick like "what?"  

Then I was kinda happy that she could tell I was pregnant, and I thought it was actually kind of sweet for her to bless the baby like that.  The whole thing ended up giving me the giggles.  So, as I sat back down at the kneelers, I leaned over to Kyle and told him that I missed my weekly wine ration because the lady confused me.  Then I tried to pray, but I was really just giggling on the inside.  

I'm seriously like 4 years old sometimes.  

So anyway, now before a meal when we say grace, I'll cross myself at the end and then Kyle will cross my belly.  It makes me happy.

halfway there

Hello from sunny Florida!

(lucky charms and ocean...life is good!)

I have sporadic internet connection down here at best, so I'm taking this moment of opportunity to say Happy 20 weeks!  So far the vacation has been nice.  The ocean is beautiful and the weather has been great.  Unfortunately, Kyle got pretty burned on day one, and I got  little pink around the shoulders...so we're taking it easy.  

Anyway, as mentioned, today marks the halfway point of this pregnancy...which, by the way, is crazy.  I can't believe it's been this long.  The first trimester seemed to crawl by, I thought it would never end, but the 2nd trimester has just flown.  I imagine that has a lot to do with me not being exhausted and queasy all the time.

So, Lil' Poppy is about 10.5 oz in weight now, and depending on what you read, about the size of a small cantaloupe and as long as a banana. I have my growing belly to keep myself entertained most days, and more and more people are starting to notice it.  Of course, I just feel big...but I know the big part is yet to come.  I can feel the baby move more and more regularly, and Kyle felt it for the first time on the plane ride down here.  That made me happy.  

Here is a picture from our 19 week ultrasound.  Yes, we did find out the gender, but you're going to have to wait until my next post to find out what it is!  

19 weeks

Here's the next belly shot for all of you addicts.  :)

This is me at 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 19 weeks.  

recognition

Tonight Kyle and I went out to dinner at the Cheesecake factory.  This is nice for several reason.  One, I don't have to cook and I get cheesecake.  But it's also always a nice time when we can take the public transit downtown and walk around in the pleasant weather.  Also, this is part of my mystery diner gig, so we get reimbursed for most of our meal (always a good thing)

Anyway.  After dinner we walked around the big Apple Store for a while and then came home.  On the train ride home, I started feeling carsick, which never happens.  I think it was because I was full, could smell the leftover food we were taking home, riding on a bumpy train backwards, and was playing a game on my phone.  As the train cleared (our stop is almost at the end of the line) I found a spot next to Kyle, close to the front of the train.  

I told Kyle I wasn't feeling well, and was absent mindedly rubbing my face and stomach.  Then I hear this voice say, "You all right?  You don't look like you feel good."  I realize it's the driver.  Here's how the rest goes:

Me: Oh, yeah, I'm ok, thanks.

Driver: Man, I saw you rubbing your stomach and I was like, oh no, she don't look good.  You gonna make it?

Me: Yeah, I'll make it.

Driver: How far are you?

Me: Umm, well, I'm getting off at South Street.

(At this point Kyle jabs me and says, "that's not what he means")

Driver: (laughing)  No, how far are you?

Me: Oh, about 5 months.

Driver: Wow! Congratulations dude!

Then we were at our stop, so we thanked him and walked home. It was the first time a stranger has noticed that I was pregnant.  Kinda nice, kinda weird.  He was nice though.  

Just thought I'd share.  :)

harbor cruise

This past weekend, Kyle and I went on a 3 hour harbor cruise with the rest of Kyle's school department.  It was fun!  The boat had a downstairs with tables and a bar and an observation deck up top...where we spent all our time.  It was a casual affair and just nice to hang out with some of the other BC folks and see the city from a different view.  

(As an anniversary gift, Kyle bought us tickets to take another night cruise next month.  But that one is a formal affiar on a big fancy boat...cocktail dresses and jackets for the men, live music, dancing and a 3 course dinner.  I love an excuse to dress up....)

The cruise ended at 11pm, so it was about midnight by the time we took the train home.  I was sooo hungry and couldn't wait to eat.  So, at midnight, we stopped in a bar and I got a big club sandwich and fries and a coke...2 blocks from our apartment. Some 1am snack, huh?  haha.  I love the city sometimes!

Anyway, here are few pics.  If anyone comes to visit, the harbor cruises are a good time.  :-)

this is me thinking about the baby.

  

city from the water.

My sweet blue eyed Kyle

life is good.

  

1 year

Wow.  I cannot believe that Kyle and I have been married for a year.  It has been such an adventure that time has flown by!  It feels like our wedding was...maybe 3 months ago.  Yeah, that seems more logical.  

One year ago, I had certain expectations  for our marriage.  I knew we were moving to Boston, I knew Kyle would be a good husband, I knew I would do my best to be a good wife.  But, now, I can say that Kyle has exceeded all of my expectations this year.  He's gone above and beyond to be a really great husband.  I've loved every single moment of it.  

I love being married.  I love that Kyle and I can communicate in a million different ways.  Through words, looks, vibes.  We get eachother.  The more time I spend with him, the more I love what we are together.  I love that Kyle makes me feel that I could do anything.  He gives me confidence.  As cliche as I know it sounds, I truly feel that there is little we couldn't do if we set it as a goal.  I am so very Proud that Kyle is my husband. 

So, for memories sake, I want to list a few memorable things about the past year.

  

Moving to Boston - our first apartment that didn't have enough electricity to run the toaster AND the microwave at the same time - learning about snow - cuddling under blankets watching TV when we couldn't figure out how to work the heater - learning the city together and seeing the sites - making my first pot roast - decorating our skinny wal-mart christmas tree, and loving it - being hired as a full time employee - buying our first red sox shirts and finding a bar to watch the world series in - doing taekwondo together and meeting a new region of friends - moving into our new apartment and loving it - shopping for our first real furniture - eating ben&jerry's ice cream while watching the primary debates - watching Apple keynote presentations together - buying our first computer together - a hug every morning, afternoon, and night - kyle taking care of me, and me of him, when we were both very sick - April fool's day - our growing excitement about this child.

Words cannot express how much I love Kyle, or how overflowing with happiness I am at our life together.  I'm just bursting at the seams with gratitude, excitement, and wonderment at what our lives are...and what they will become. 

 

iPhone 3G

I have a husband who loves all things Mac.  I do too, and I love that about him.  So, what better way to celebrate their latest release?  I made a cake.  

I'm particularly proud of the marshmallow earbuds...the only sewing I've done in...a long time.

Oh, and for those of you who aren't familiar with him.  The bear is Pebbles.  He's a major part of my life and still spends every night tucked under my arm.  :-)

l  

the dmv.

What a frustrating experience.  

After living here for a year, I decided that it was time to register my car and switch my license over to MA.  Well, you can't register without insurance, so we found a good rate with Progressive that made me and Kyle happy. (Finding insurance in MA is a big hot mess in my opinion) Progressive then has to send us a form to take to the DMV in order to finish the registration process and get my plates.  Simple, right?

So, I get the form in the mail.  I go to the DMV.  I'm determined to make this a positive experience.  I wait patiently on a hard wooden bench for an hour.  My number is called and it takes the lady about 20 seconds to say "The name on the title and the form don't match"  Long story short: My grandmother, who was my co-signer, was not listed as an owner on the MA form.  So I have to call Progessive and have them add her to the form before I can register.  

(insert 30 mins of walking around a mall feeling sorry for myself having wasted my afternoon)

I call Progressive.  Through a series of menus I finally get to the person I need to talk to.  They want my grandma's birthday.  I know the day, but not the year.  He says I'll have to call back.  As soon as I hang up, I see it printed on my car title.  (I'm annoyed now).  I call back.  Go through the same series of menus.  Explain my situation AGAIN.  And then this lady explains to me that in order to put grandma's name on this MA form...I have to add her to my insurance policy.  

I'm like, "what?"  She lives half way across the country, she will never drive my car...  The lady says she understands, but its the only way they can add her.  She said it will probably change my rates...would I like a quote?  I said, "sure"

So, while she puts me on hold, I find myself unable to hold back my frustration as sobs just start to come.  I'm angry, tired, hungry, and did I mention tired of waiting in lines and on the phone?    She comes back on and asks me questions like, "how long has your grandmother been licensed?"  I don't know!  Well, I guess the lady could hear that I'd been crying.  She sounded like she was trying to be very nice to me.  She comes back with my new rates...and, guess what? It actually lowered my rates.  

So, I tell her to make the changes, I have to call back tomorrow to add grandma to the form, have them re-send it to me, and then try the DMV all over again.  In the end, it worked out.  But, because I'd already worked myself up and I was still tired, I hung up and just cried and cried.  No reason really.  I felt like a 4 year old who was just up past their bedtime.  I just needed to get it out.  

Kyle was asleep, but eventually I woke him up to share with him the story...and cried while telling him.  Finally I told him, "Just tell me all the really sad things you can think of!  Just let me get this all out!  Go ahead, tell me about something heartwrenching.  Do it, make me cry!" 

...needless to say he just hugged me.  Ah hormones.  

pregnancy list #1

I figure its about time for me to start making lists of things.  This list is dedicated to the things I didn't know about pregnancy...but have found out.  Pregnancy is different for everyone, but these were true for me.   In no particular order.

1.  The 1st trimester went really slowly because I didn't feel great most of the time.  The 2nd trimester seems to be flying by.  This might also be influenced by the end of my work year and being off for summer.  

2.  I used to clip my nails about once a month.  They didn't grow so fast.  Now, I have to clip them once a week.  I swear if you look at them, you can see them move.  

3.  My relationship with food is a frustrating one.  Things you want, you don't want once you get them.  Things you used to love make you sick.  My body wanted nothing that was 1) healthy and 2) cooked by me for at least 2 months.  You feel like you haven't eaten in weeks only to fill up with a few bites...and to be ravenously hungry again 10 mins later.  

4.  The baby gets its nutrients from you.  Baby gets what baby needs.  If you don't take in enough calcium, baby takes it from your bones.  So, really, all those vitamins are more for you.

5.  My hair grows faster now (see #2)  I also have very fine hair on my belly now.  Not enough for people to notice, but sometimes Kyle will "kiss the baby" and says it tickles his nose.  

6.  That pregnancy fatigue you hear about is no joke.  If you know a pregnant lady who is tired.  Let her go sleep.  She really means it.  

7.  Exercising is a second trimester goal.  At least for me, I didn't have the energy to get up and go to bed most nights, let alone go elliptical for an hour.  

8.  Maternity clothes are often overpriced ($68 bucks for a tank top on SALE???)  But you can find good deals.  I like the thrift store treasures, but target and other stores can be reasonable.  Maternity dressing rooms come with little velcro pillows you can strap to yourself to see how you'll look (and how your clothes will fit) when you're bigger.  These can be very entertaining.  

9.  Also, maternity and baby stores often have classes and services for preggo mamas.  Babies R Us offers a range of preparation courses, I found a maternity store that offers free yoga and seminars.  Check your resources and don't pay for classes you don't have to.  Also, childbirth classes are not free and not always covered by insurance.  So, check.  

10.  I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy at this point and it is still sinking in.  It's normal not to feel pregnant all the time.  I think, however, once we know the gender and the baby's movements become stronger and more frequent, things will be sinking in faster and faster.  :-)

4th of July

This was a strange 4th for me.  In some ways, it was more "fourthy" than usual.  We went down to the Charles river (with half a million other people) and listened to the Boston Pops, watched the amazing firework show, and saw more flags, stars, and stripes than ever before.  On the other hand, there wasn't any family around, we didn't have hamburgers or hotdogs or watermelon.  No sparklers or water hoses.  

Kyle and I had a good time though.  We, as mentioned, went down to the river with some friends of ours and their son.  I've watched the Boston show on TV for a long time on the 4th.  I've always appreciated the time they take to choreograph the music with the fireworks.  It's so nice.  And I love the Pops.  So, I was excited about the day.  The weather was nice, about 60 something degrees.  No mosquitoes either.  :-)

Anyway, here are a few pics of the evening and a clip of the show.  

 

 

love and brownies

Yesterday was a very lazy day for me.  Kyle was at work for the first part of the day and I watched a bunch of TLC and did a load of laundry.  That was as much effort as I was willing to exert.  

So then Kyle got home and he fell asleep in his recliner, and I took the best nap in the history of the world.  It was a really great nap.  I woke up feeling like I was all new.  I decided that with my new found energy, I would actually cook dinner.  I can't tell you how long it's been since I've really cooked dinner.  A long time.  

I really just expected Kyle to continue sleeping for a while, maybe watch sportscenter or mess around trying to set up our new wireless network.  But, he surprised me.  He got up to help me cook.  This may seem insignificant, but it was nice.  So, we enjoyed our pork chops and veggies and then Kyle asked "well, whatdoyawannado now?"  

I said something like, "oh, well why don't you just watch sportscenter or work on the computer thing?"  And he surprised me again.  He suggested that we rent a movie.  This NEVER happens.  I love movies, and Kyle watches them with me, but it's not really his thing.  So, for him to suggest it, unprovoked was shocking to me.  So, I said, "really?"  

He surprised me again.  "Why don't we make brownies or have ice cream AND watch a movie?"  ....at this point I'm scanning the apartment to see if anything is missing or broken...maybe a big stain on the carpet or something?  Nope.  Well, we didn't have ice cream or eggs to make brownies, so we went to the store together at 10pm to get ben & jerry's, milk and eggs.  We came home and made brownies.  Kyle looked through the movies online and suggested that we rent either 27 dresses or some other chick flick...

What?  He WANTS to rent a movie and he doesn't want it to be a spy-explosion filled-action flick?  I actually asked him if he was ok.  He suggested that if I wanted, we could watch both chick flicks tonight.  Brownies with one, ice cream with the other.  

I'm a lucky girl.  

Well, we only watched one movie, and only ate the brownies.  It was getting too late to watch anything else and my nap only held me over for so long.  But, I thought I'd share this moment of happiness with the rest of you.  Now I get to have brownies for breakfast too.  It's a good life.  

The South

Before moving to Boston, I was well aware of the stereotypes that came with the territory.  People in the north were rushed, always in a hurry, rude, closed, and drank too much coffee.  People in the south, on the other hand, were friendly, hospitable, slow paced, gossipy and drank too much sweet tea.  

Well, after being in both areas, I can see where these stereotypes come from.  And here's my take on them.  People in Boston, as a collective, are not as "open" as people in the south.  Privacy is a big deal here, which I think comes from having sooo many people living in close proximity to each other.  Here, it would be weird to strike up a conversation with the server at the restaurant.  Not because they'd be rude to you, but..it's just not expected.  This goes for strangers and acquaintances.  People you get to know is a whole other story.  The people I work with are just as nice and caring and selfless as any southern stereotype...but the difference is that they are people you know.  I think people in the south are just more accustomed to warming up to strangers. 

Kyle and I had many laughs at the difference between here and Arkansas this last week.  The first experience was at Chick-fil-A (which is over the top nice anyway)  We drive up and get our breakfast and the people are saying things like "Thank you so much for joining us today, it is our pleasure to serve you.  Have a blessed and lovely day!"  We felt like we were in Disney.  It was just funny to us...Really nice, but funny.  We laughed about walking into any restaurant in Conway and knowing somebody.  I couldn't breathe for about 10 mins after hearing our server at Red Lobster ask somebody if they'd like "fried taters, mashed taters, baked taters, or no taters"  Taters!  It made me very happy.  The accents are so stark when visiting, and there's nothing in the world wrong with them...they're just different.  

Anyway, we soaked up all the sweet tea, mexican food, cheese dip, free parking, humidity, Sonic and company we could soak.  It was great being back.  Very refreshing for me.  It makes me realize how southern I am.  How much I feel like I 'belong' there sometimes.  I mean, we love Boston, it's great...but the south is just so comfortable.  :-)

Traveling

Well, we are back in Boston now after a whirlwind week in Arkansas.  We were able to visit lots of folks, meet new folks, help my parents move into their new local/house/church, Kyle tested for his 5th degree (a whole post within itself) and we ran around doing things here and there.  

Overall, the trip was good.  Busy, but good. 

We had a fun time getting down there and back.  I'll give you the short version.  On the way down, our plane from Memphis to Little Rock (a 28 min flight) was cancelled after we sat on the plane for nearly 2 hours waiting for them to fix a flap on the wing.  Apparently maintenance was off duty and not coming.  All the planes were booked for 2 days solid, so their solution was to put us all on buses and drive us to Little Rock.  Yes.  Buses.  So, instead of getting in at 8pm, it was nearly 1am.  Kyle, being a super huzby, called the airlines and got us partial refunds and better vouchers than those offered in Memphis.  

Coming back was fun too.  Apparently good 'ol Bush was in the area and we had to wait in our plane until Air Force One was safely up up and away.  This delayed our flight, which meant that we missed our connection (and last flight to boston for the night) in Detroit.  Well, I'd always dreamed of staying a night in Detroit.  In the end, it was actually nice.  We got a free night in a nice 5 star hotel, free dinner, a great breakfast and Kyle didn't have to work the next day.  As my sister put, it was like a mini stimulus package from Georgey-boy.  

As already stated, we obviously made it to Boston.  I'm officially on summer vacation now, Kyle is starting summer school next week and so our schedules are changing.  It's good to be back.