Week 12 & Prenatal Yoga

I forgot to include this picture about 2 weeks ago at Rachel & CC's birthday. Ms. Lenira is due next month. I'm in my Chinese NY outfit beside Tameeza (who's working on getting pregnant) and Sara G who's getting married Labor Day weekend.

I couldn't resist a picture of AG in his morning glory. It's been a rough week for him and he deserves so much more than me posting this picture ;). But how can I resist those curls and those eyebrows?

As for an updated picture of the belly - here it is. It's funny when people tell me they can barely see a bump when I feel so big already. I must have been in better shape than I thought.

Above is a bowl of steaming Pho... I've been eating Pho for the last 3 consecutive days and am now sick of it... but I know it'll lure me back. Pho has such a strong smell and taste, but subtle at the same time. The beef is thin enough that it doesn't make me sick, and the fresh basil, cilantro and lemon appeal to my discerning taste. I've even gotten AG into Pho. We found a great place in South SF, next to our dim sum find and only 10 minutes from our house. I also realize now why I'm still not cooking at home and eating out all the time. What I want to eat changes from moment to moment. The internal process goes something like this: hrm... I'm hungry and should eat but I don't x, y or z. After agonizing on the list of what I don't want, I still haven't figured out what I do want. 30 minutes to an hour goes by and I'm starving and end up having to make a decision bc I have to, and not because there's something that I really want to eat. So, preplanning is out of the question and cooking requires more preplanning than ordering out.

Here's not a very attractive picture of my underarms, but one I took yesterday because I wore my prenata yoga outfit and went to my first class. Hrm, I've gotten so lumpy. It was more than interesting to be in a small confining room with 14 other pregnant women all at various stages from 7 to 36 weeks. I'm not used to so much hormonal energy and I'm not a girly girl. I mistakenly thought the practice would focus on strengthening muscle tone and flexibility in preparation for the birth. Instead, it was more female/girly girl holding hands focu, more spirituality, breathing, and inward focus towards connection with the baby. For the first time, I focused on Baby G not as an embryo or a fetus but as a living being. I don't know why I hadn't consciously thought of Baby G in these terms until now. I talk as if I do, but I really hadn't until last night. It was an emotional realization.

On another note, work has been crazy but challenging. The scope of my responsibilties have expanded and I'm doing more of the vendor and strategic management of accounts. I'm in the thick of things (business and technology) and that's what's made a lot of difference for me. Even though it's been crazy, I'm liking it a lot more. My manager and I are on the same page for my career path... that I'll be able to hire people to do more of the negotiations while I'll be responsible for the strategic course, the vendor relationship, and understanding the big picture. This is what it's like to actually like what you do.

Heartburn 101

So pregnancy has given me 2 new experiences, frequent urination and heartburn. The former started about 4 days ago and the latter happened last night. I've been fortunate up to now not to have to make hourly bathroom trips. Not the case anymore. Now I'm getting up at least twice (if I'm lucky) a night. Yesterday AG and I were at Kaiser at our prenatal class, and even though I had just gone to the restroom, I could barely contain myself while waiting in line to give blood and provide a "clean catch" (as they call it). And I'm not drinking more water than usual (but I should).

But the more painful experience happened last night just before I headed out to the new mall to meet up with Padma for dinner. It started as a tight knot in my stomache that grew to small cramping pains in the chest. As the pain got more intense I started worrying about a possible miscarriage. By the time I met up with Padma and we were sitting down and ordering, I was doubled over in spasms of pain. It felt as if someone reached into my stomache/chest and was squeezing and twisting and punching a knot in there. Silly me, Padma reassured me that it was heartburn, a very bad case of it. I had never experienced heartburn in my life. Supposedly my earlier lunch of greasy chicken nuggets and super greasy onion rings were the culprit. I couldn't believe how painful it could be. Fortunately, the waitress recommended ginger ale, and within minutes of drinking it, the clenching pain began to fade and within another 15 minutes, it was gone. What a good piece of information to have. I've read so many things about pregnant women and heartburn, but misidentified acid reflux as heartburn. I'm sure that this won't be my first case of it (since I also love spicy food - another culprit), but I now have a cure.

The Tummy Tube

What a nice surprise to come home yesterday and see a package for moi! It's a tummy tube and a very cute maternity yoga outfit for my prenatal yoga classes, which are to begin next week at 12 weeks!

I've been wanting a tummy tube for a couple of weeks now since I've not been able to button my pants due to Baby G. And I'm wearing it today with my favorite pair of jeans. What a smart invention. Thanks Chris and Al! You are so sweet, and the yoga outfit is adorable and perfect timing. My first set of maternity outfits.

Later that evening I met up with Kerry for dinner at Weird fish on Mission at 18th. Most of their foods come from sustainable, and organic farms. We even tried the deep fried pickles. A little on the salty side. I had a weird salad, hot cumin endemama's and 2 fish tacos with mango salsa.

Week 11 - Hunger Pains

On Friday, I had an intense drive to find dim sum. Maybe I needed the protein. In my delirious state of hunger, I had forgotten that it was the weekend of the Lunar New Year and everyone was at the local Dim Sum palace. Thankfully, since I was eating alone, I was seated immediately and for the first time in the longest I could remember, I could barely wait for the servers to bring out the food. I was so hungry, my stomache actually hurt.

It's a good thing that dim sum has immediate gratification. I was reading in Jenny McCarther's "Belly Laughs" about how she was ready to kill a server while waiting for the bread to come out. I finally understood what she was talking about. It was such a shock to my system to want food, let alone to want food that badly, when in the last 3 weeks I had been avoiding it. After lunch, I felt so satiated, it was almost a high driving back into the office. AG and I went to Dim Sum again on Saturday. I guess I couldn't get enough. We found a great little place in South SF. Again, I was so hungry I couldn't talk and I think I scared AG a little as I was turning green in the car while he was driving.

Sunday we celebrated the Lunar New Year much differently from last year. It was just us and the pups. Leisurely morning, drive to grab lunch and then a nap afterwards. Watched some terrible movies and had dinner with Ronnie and Nicky in the evening. Monday AG and I took the pups to Dolores park for a good hour, sat in the sun sipping (hot chocolate for me) coffee before AG took off to spend the next 24 hours at work moving his office.

On Friday, I gave my dad the news and he was surprisingly ok with it. I just never know with my family sometimes. But I'm relieved that there's no issue. My mom will be back on the 27th - I'll give her a couple of days to recover from Vietnam before dropping the bomb.

Valentine's 2007 and Week 10

Yesterday AG and I got dressed up on a school night to check out Heineken's new restaurant - yet to grand open - on Clement and 26th (2512 Clement) called Clementine's. Very cute, to service Spanish, Italian and French tapas? Not sure. But definitely not Mediterranean nor Japanese says Heineken.

Caught up with Margo Keylargo and Mr. Maddison. Both have had a very rough 6 months.

We have also decided that it's finally safe to let the cat outta the bag and the little bump aka Baby G will be joining us September. Of course my parents don't know yet. But most of our close friends and AG's family do know.

As you can see, Baby G is already showing. That bump is not from having a big meal.
I wanted to be able to start blogging about this experience and provide a window for family members and close friends to know how the pregnancy is progressing. So to catch most people up on what's been happening:

The not-so-great-things about pregnancy (so far):
1. Have been nauseous the last 2.5 weeks. Haven't actually thrown up but dry heaved a couple of times in the morning (which is always fun).
2. Smell of food has made me green. Haven't been cooking, couldn't go to restaurants, eating only fruits. I can smell sugar from AG's candy bar from the passenger seat. Keen sense of smell - is interesting.
3. Bloated - potruding bloated stomache is quite uncomfortable even before eating, and after meals it's almost painful.
4. Restless, interrupted sleep - the Trooper is uanable to get everything done when she's unable to recharge the batteries. This has been more difficult on me than the not eating.
5. No drinking - parties and late night events don't sound as fun - when you're the only one who's sober.
6. Irritability, little patience - hormonal changes + lack of sleep + little food + bloating = grouchy me. Haven't gone postal on AG - but little things do seem bigger than usual.
7. Vitamin pills - I have to take 6 huge pills (they are organic and vegetable based) per day.

Things that have been awesome about pregnancy:
1. Nausea gone - only lasted 2.5 weeks (which is awesome compared to most women).
2. Bloated mostly gone - now it's just the belly.
3. Sleeplessness gone - getting deeper, longer sleep (except for occasional 4am whining from Sienna).
4. Drinking - not so bad when I found out that wine tastes like vinegar.
5. Irritability, little patience diminished - better sleep + more food + no bloatedness = happier me.
6. AG has stepped up and taken great attention and care of our well being - it's sweet.
7. Focus - has shifted from "living-life-day-by-day and enjoying-whatever-comes-along + partying many nights a week" to "long-term and figuring-out-how-to-create-home-life-social-balance on my-own-terms." (9-5 schedule is not part of the 5 year plan)
8. Realizing that we're creating life - and Baby G is both a part of AG and I. This one is easy to acknowledge but is difficult for me get my head wrapped around the science and biology of it all. Thanks to Grandma Karen, we now have 10 books about babies of which 4 are baby name books, one Jewish Baby Book, and some cool ones on the science/biology of creating life.
9. Glowing skin - my skin has never felt or looked better. I don't usually wear foundation, except for going out, and now I don't wear any going out at all either. Difference is, it looks like I do.

The interesting things about being pregnant:
1. I used to love meat and thought I'd be eating more meat when pregnant. Not so. I find most meats unbearable at the moment and enjoy tofu, veggies and lots of fruits still.
2. I am a McDonald's and fast food hater. I used to get nauseous just smelling the oils at Micky D's. I am now guilty of haven eaten there twice, in one week. It's the french fries, I can't help it. I've had french fries cravings for awhile now, and even though I hate that they use hydrogenated oils, they have the best tasting fries.
3. I'm already showing a bump at 10 weeks and actually both AG and I noticed the bump closer to 8 weeks. Thought I'd be like my Asian friends who didn't show until week 20.
4. I've had pickle cravings, but not sure if they are really cravings since I love pickles before. But I've not had the sugar and ice-cream and odd combinations... not yet anyways.

In summary, both AG and I are thrilled and excited about this new set of changes in our lives. I am a little bit more than mortified about the prospect of more needles and hospitals and the birthing process. I worry sometimes that I'll be too busy to maintain some semblence of myself and my social calendar (b/c my community is so important to me), and I dwell too often on whether I'll make a good parent. But mostly, I daydream about: (1) the crazy and colorful outfits I'm gonna put on Baby G, (2) the special bond between Baby G and us; (3) the tenderness of AG with Baby G; (4) the happiness Baby G will and has already given to us and our families/friends; and (5) the development of Baby G growing up in a unique community with diverse cultures and beliefs.

Another Day in SF

Saturday morning AG and I woke up and had a leisure morning. Fed the pups, then took BART down to Embarcadero and walked to the Farmer's Market. It was slightly misty and drizzling, but had fun checking out the stands and selecting brunch from the various awesome vendors.

AG ordered a mocha from Blue Bottle, which I've heard such great things about. And after agonizing over all the choices, and tasting all the free cheeses and fruits, we ordered a turkey and salama sandwhich. Yum. We ate outside on the pier. On our way home, we stumbled upon a huge anti-war rally - which lifted my spirits even more. Got home, and watched tv for awhile before I headed over to Shelaine's to help out for their party.

AG left last night for New Orleans, and I woke up with a ton of energy and so many things to do before he returns. First and foremost, I had to have another turkey/salami sandwhich - which you see above. It was huge, I was barely able to fit my mouth around it. All worth it, cuz now it feels like lead in my gut.

Friday Rain

Here's a picture of my new haircut. Melissa saved my hair. I was ready to cut it all off. She's such a great listener. We sat and talked about my lifestyle, what I want etc. Really, I just wanted an overhaul on my hair, with something edgier and funkier, but still have the ability to keep it low maintenance. She knows that short hair is a lot of maintenance for me b/c my hair sticks out all over the place when it's short. So she cut off 8 inches but with lots of piecy parts that are fun to play with. This is the next day wake up look - without any combing and it still looks good, I think. I'm darn happy with the cut. Her costs are way up though, it's the most I've ever paid for a haircut - $130 total oh but so worth it.

And a picture of the dreary day from my office, looking out at the rain...

Pan's Labrynth

After work AG and I went on a date, checked out the new cinema at Century Theaters on Market/Mission across from the Metreon. I had stopped by the Mediterranean place on 16th and grabbed a couple of schwarma's for dinner with popcorn and cokes for dessert.

The Theater is beautiful, of course it's brand new - only 4 months old. With big comfy leather seats that recline and the cupholder pulls up to allow couples to cuddle, and a huge screen, I am so much more inclined to return to this Theater.

The movie was fantastic! I had very little knowledge of the story before we sat down. The trailer had me at the first image of dark, magical, goth visions of Pan. Director Guillermo de Toro wrote and directed this horror/fantasy set in the background of the Spanish Civil War (reminded me of Narnia, but done 500 times better). The tension between reality vs. fantasy, and magic vs. terror was well balanced. I felt pulled into this world immediately. It's a fairty tale for adults. I would not take children to this movie. AG had disturbing visions and dreams that night. It's been such a long time since a fantasy movie was done so well, probably Lord of the Rings. Highly highly recommend this movie, also note that it was nominated for 6 academy awards.

Let's cut it off

Ok, it's a new year and I'm ready for a change. I've had this long hair for over 4 years, and it's been great. Lately though, I havent been doing anything with it and it looks long and drab. With the eye surgery, I'm not able to wear any eye make up for a month and I feel and look like an old woman. I need something fresh and new - so I made an appointment to see Melissa, my old hairdresser in Marin. She's super exepensive, and I only go to her when I want to make some drastic changes. I'm not sure how short I'll go, it will depend mostly on her suggestions. Usually I tell her what I'm in the mood for, and I give her full reigns to do whatever she likes. I've never been disappointed.

Why I like going to Melissa, even though she's expensive is, she's creative and provides great suggestions. She's always given me a great cut that lasts. She understands my lifestyle and my need for a low maintenance cut.

Also, the woman's got phenom memory power. The last time I was there, she remembered everything about me, I mean everything from my love life to my work.

LASIK

I had my operation yesterday. Ugh, it was a lot more uncomfortable than I thought or than I was told. It's becoming more and more clear that I metabolize everything very quickly. So at the Dentists' office, the novocaine usually wears off halfway through the procedure. Thankfully, I always tell my Dentist (who doesn't really believe me), until halfway through, I raise my hand - per our agreed upon signal, and he gives me another shot.

Same thing with this operation I think. I could feel the cut on my eyes during the first part of the procedure where they cut the cornea to create a flap. Wasn't as bad but still could feel it. The 2nd part was much more difficult as it last a lot longer and my eyes were so teary from the pain, that I had a difficult time continuing to look into the bright lights and the red dot (laser). By the end of the procedure, my eyes were burning, the vicodin had worn off and I was in pain. Thankfully AG took great care, brought me home, blocked off all possible lights. I felt like a vampire.

When I was able to ingest the 2nd vicodan, it was much better. I woke up 5 hours later - took off the bandages, and although my eyesight was still blurry, I could see better, and possibly the same as if I had my glasses on. This morning, at my post-op appointment, they confirmed that I was 20-15. Better than 20-20. Still healing, it could get better, could get a little worse, but thankfully it's all over.

Elaine has hers right now as we speak. Oh boy, I hope hers goes better than mine.

Dancing, beach....

Then off to cheesy bars and clubs we went, dancing on tabletops and bars.

We made it home after 2am. The next morning, I meanly woke up the girls at 8:30 to head back to SF and hang out with the other crew.


Spent the night after watching baby turtles swim out to see. Then back to PVR for one more night and day before coming back to cold SF.

Saturday night out

But first we had to have dinner. Oh my. I took them to Old Town to a place AG and I had been. Of course we had to have the SEAFOOD Special. Lobster and steak. Oh and the waiters ran around trying to find any excuse to wait on us. Lots of attention with 8 beautiful women unattended.

We were serenaded to... in English and Spanish.

And the Chef had a special dessert for the Bride to Be: Chorrizo Negro!

Beach burn ceremony

We started off the evening on the beach.
With lots of love, good intentions, advice and something to burn for our bride to be. Lots of laughs and lots of good advice, not just for Sasha but for all of us....

The sky was lit up and we were ready to send Sasha off this night.

Beautiful people

Aren't they all beautiful? Stayed until Saturday morning, where I upped and headed back to PVR to meet with the Bachelorette party....

San Francisco, Mexico

Oy! How lovely to fly from SF to SF, Mexico. Came in at midnight on the 4th to warm welcomes from Brimeeza, M&M, John & Amy and Colleen. They had been partying it up here for the New Year's and since my flight came in a couple of days earlier than the Bachelorette's party... I decided to visit my friends and check out this place.

Spectacular - 4 story 6 bedroom/6bathroom Villa de Magico. Which it was indeed. We had both views of the ocean and the jungle. AG and I were just here in October, but vacationing is so much more fun with a group of friends. We had a lot to do. Lots of wonderful meals together, including a scrumptious meal at an Argentinian restaurant Mar Plata, where we ordered up a storm to celebrate Bri's birthday.

NYE 2006 Part III & IV

We knew we wanted to spend the rest of the evening with these two. So we got to Saha's and hung out until they closed. We were along for the ride, had no idea what the plan was except that we were just hanging out wherever they took us.

Our trust was completely rewarded. Mohammad drove us to a party on 6th Avenue - part of the Trance crew and it was one of the best parties we've been to. The energy was amazing, the music was random but very good, the freaks were out and everyone was cool. We even met two new friends of theirs, Alex and can't remember the other one's name. Marmee and I danced for hours and by 6am we were ready to head to the next last part of our trip - Breakfast in Bed at the SupperClub.

At the Supper Club until noon. I cannot believe we stayed out until noon! Our MO has always been to head home by 4am and snuggle in bed together. But this year, everything was fresh - we trusted our instincts and our friends and were so happy for it. We couldn't have had a better night - this is on the top of the best NYE. Reminded me so much of the year AG and I mixed things up a bit and camped with Numinosum where we met Mohammod/Marmee, Salim/Nafysa and all the brown girls. It's opened up a new crew for us and we are mixing all of our friends together.

AG and I are so thankful for our life. Our friends are fucking amazing... our life together is fucking amazing. And to sum up my intent for 2007 - Be healthier, wealthier and wiser.

2007 is the year of the boar, and I'm ready to make some forward leaps.