random stuff

On Sunday I was walking along 57th Street.  I was cold but I couldn’t get my coat to button up since I am now officially fat.  I was sucking in as hard as I could so that there wouldn’t be a two inch draft along my middle.  I stopped on Madison to fix my dress and when I opened up my coat some dude said to his wife/girlfriend/friend, ”She needs to slim down her middle.”  Only about the 4th time he said this did I realize that he was talking about me.  Was it the conspicuous way he kept turning around to look right at me while he said those hurtful words?  I’m not sure.  Of course, by then they were half way down the block.  I almost waddled after them brandishing my frozen fist in air wanting to yell, “Hey Mr. I’m 5 months pregnant… what’s your excuse?!”  I know I’m pregnant… but it totally gave me a complex. 

Can you believe I’m in month 5 now?  This pregnancy is blowing by so fast my head is spinning.  At the 16 week checkup, the dr said she was 99.9% sure it was a girl.    Now I want to name her Chloe but Dr Evil hates it.  Dr Evil is gloating because of his super powers but he’s a wreck… because he’s about to have a daughter.  It’s funny. 

You know what else is funny?  How different it is carrying a second child versus a first child.  Dr Evil wouldn’t let me lift a finger when I carried Colin.  Last week I carried 5 bags.  Sure, he was carrying Colin, but still… FIVE bags!  One of which had a dozen apples in it!  

rant

I hate all you people who stand/wait on the handicap ramp and don’t move over even though you see me heaving my 50 lb stroller and baby toward you.  And then I have to hop the curve.  I also hate you people who insist on walking up or down the handicap ramp even though you see me schlepping the stroller/baby.  Heaven forbid you take one small step up or down the sidewalk and allow those who actually need the ramp to use it.  I also hate you people who walk in large clusters shoulder to shoulder taking up the entire sidewalk.  I hate you people who clutter the sidewalks at a slow leisurely pace.

but on a brighter note, I love New York in the fall. 

I am now at the end of my first trimester.  I barely feel pregnant… but I definately look fat.  Nausea has been bearable, but thanks to Colin, my innards are all stretched and saggy and because of that, as soon as my uterus started to grow, my stretched and saggy innards all got pushed up towards my stomach.  I looked 4 months pregnant at 6 weeks.  Joy.  With Colin, everyone was like “Wow!  You don’t look pregnant at all!”  This time around everyone keeps telling me how ”healthy” I look, and we all know what that means.

  “What a healthy looking dog!  He must have a healthy appetite”

I can’t wait til I can feel the baby kick cuz right now, like I said, I’m just a disgruntled, fat person.  I also can’t wait til we find out if it is a boy or girl.  I don’t know how people can wait til the baby is born to find out.  My friend decided to that, and I feel cheated, even though it’s not my baby or my decision.  I really wanted to know if she’s having a William or an Elle.  As for myself, I can barely wait 20 more days, let alone 6 more months.  According to Dr Evil it is a girl…

Sex-Man – he can determine the sex of your unborn child

Has he ever told you about his superpower?  He can will the sex of a baby.  I know, I know… it sounds ridiculous… but it’s hard to contradict a man who’s 6 for 6 or something.  He says he has willed me a girl.  At first, he wouldn’t even will me a girl.  He said he needed a back up son.  How effed up is that?  It’s effed up to me!  It’s effed up to Colin!  Plus, Dr Evil is so busy at work he says he doesn’t have time to drive a daughter to the library and then back to the convent every day.  I need a daughter.  Every mom should be blessed with a son and a daughter. 

Wish us luck.  Although Dr Evil swears we don’t need luck.

knocked up

So I’m barefoot and pregnant again.  When we talked in the past about spacing our kids we always agreed that we wanted the babies close in age.  EDA is April 6 so Colin and baby will be about 21 months apart.  I should be thrilled.  And I guess, I am now.  But to be honest, when I first found out I was pregnant, I started freaking out.  All of a sudden it was way too soon to have a second.  I mean, seriously, what were we thinking.  Things with Colin are just starting to get easier.  He’s walking on his own.  He’s starting to communicate.  He’s sleeping through the night!!  He’s practically self-suffiicient (not).  But now, our world is going to be once again, flipped inside out with a new baby.  No more sleeping through the night (Although I haven’t slept through the night in 13 weeks).  No more eating out.  No more going out… wait, we haven’t gone out since Colin was around…. regardless, it’ll be tough!  And scary!

But the worst part is I’m not going to Hawaii!  This coming birthday I turn the big 3-0.  I convinced my parents and Dr Evil to go to Hawaii during the week of my birthday.  Now I can’t go cuz I’ll probably deliver some time that week.  Boohoo!  When I look back I know I’ll be so much happier with the memories of my new baby than without… but right now… I’ll lament in my Hawaii-less sorrow. 

Now that I’ve had some time to accept the fact that there is a baby on the way with or without my consent, I’m getting excited.  What do you think of Caitlin for a girl or Dylan for a boy?

Remember the hundreds of photos we took of my pregnant belly when I was carrying Colin?  We haven’t taken even one this time around.  Not even born and already neglected. 

Once upon a time…

Dr Evil and I were in love.  He used to call me cutie pie.  He’d walk beside me and hold my hand.  Life was good. 

Then we had a baby. 

Life is still good.  But now Colin is Dr Evil’s cutie pie.  And I’m just pie.    Left in the dust to push the empty stroller, while Dr Evil and Colin walk hand-in-hand ahead of me.

Sometimes at night, he’ll say, “I love you, cutie pie.” and for old-times sake I’ll reply, “I love you, too” with a big grin.  Then he’ll turn to me and say, “Not you, Pie!”  Where’s the love?

Yay my new phone is here!  Yay! Yay! Yay!

My new niece!!  Click here.  I know everyone’s seen it… but see it again!

Dancing Colin
When Colin poops in the morning, his potty is always in the same place… near his books… and the printer.  lately, he turns the printer on and while it boots, he dances.  Silly.

Ball Bouncing Colin
Colin always has the best time with appa

Colin the Bully
I get why his cousin Ryan gets frustrated playing with him

All Grown Up Colin
Every milestone is bittersweet.  I love watching him grow but I can’t believe how fast it goes!  Luckily we’re still at the stage where he wants to give lots of kisses!  I hear that ends quickly. 

So my attempt to start a separate site ummamama isn’t working out too well… maybe because I don’t blog enough.  Whatever.  Maybe I’ll use just susiesuperstar.  Here’s my recent blog:

cellphones

Colin
loves cell phones (as all babies do).  He’ll put the phone up to his
ear and pretend like he’s on it.  It’s adorable… sometimes.  He
thinks everything is a phone… or he just likes it when we say
“Yobosehyo” when he does it.  Maybe he likes the praise/attention. 
Whatever.  My favorite is when he sticks the banana in his ear.  He
looks like his dad. 

I gave him my old phone to play with.  He loved it
for the first day.  The novelty has since worn off and he knows that that
phone is not in commission… I don’t get it though.  When he plays with my phone, I turn my
keyguard on and volume off so the buttons don’t even beep.  So why does he
insist on mine?  Like with the remotes… we gave him two remotes that we no
longer use but he wants the ones he can’t have. 

Sometimes he wants
demands my phone while I’m using.  This sucks because he’ll fervently
push the buttons while I’m on the phone, and more often than not, he’ll hang
up on the person I’m trying to talk to.  Lately when I put Colin on the
pot to poo, he needs something to do, whether it’s the NY Times
crossword or just reading the latest bestseller, but today he wanted my
phone.  I stupidly obliged.  I should have known better but I was half
asleep for Pete’s sake (who’s Pete?).  As Colin is pushing buttons,
calling all sorts of people I don’t want to talk to (I forgot to turn
activate the keyguard), in one deft move he plunges his hand holding
the                                                                 v phone straight down.  I yelped and grabbed his hand but when it
emerged from between his pudgy little legs, to my dismay, there was no
phone.  It lay there in a pool of fresh, yellow pee… buttons (and
ear/mouth piece) down.  I ran to the bathroom to wash the phone in the
sink.  I knew I’d probably do more damage than good, but how can you
not wash a pee-soaked phone?!

So now, if you call me I won’t be available to answer because my phone is in the ICU (on my bed) drying off. 

bodyparts

Colin
has learned a few body parts.  Ear, head, nose, eyes, feet, belly
button, belly, and of course… penis.  Colin’s ped cracked me up
because she was like, “Did he find his penis yet?”  I laughed and said,
“Yes” to which she replied, “Once he finds his penis, he’s never
letting go.”  hahaha

shithappens

I have to say, Colin and I are awesome.  In the last two weeks, Colin’s only shat in his diaper 3 times.  Once when he was taking a nap on my watch.  There’s nothing I can do about that.  He woke up and I put him on the potty and noticed he smeared poop all down the back of the potty.  Then he pooped when some people were sitting for me.  Then he pooped in his diaper a couple days ago when the ajumma was taking care of him.  Today was rough because he was a bit constipated but about an hour ago he finally pooped.. in the potty.  Now I just have to figure out how to train him so we can eliminate the diapers.  Kind of hard when he can barely talk.  He says eunnnna but not necessarily when he has to poop.  What to do what to do?!

My ajumma is good because she loves Colin and she always does what makes him happy…. which is not always what is good for him.  She cares more about making sure he doesn’t cry than making sure things get done… the way I want things.  I admit I’m probably overbearing and overly/needlessly demanding at times (what mother isn’t?), but I do believe that I am pretty flexible too… and so when she doesn’t follow simple instructions it bothers me.  Like when he poops through his clothes… for pete’s sake, spray the stain remover on it… don’t just stick it in the washing machine and not tell me so it sits there and cakes for a week!  And when I say he needs 2 naps for a total of 3-4 hours a day or else he’s cranky and doesn’t sleep well at night… then please… oblige.  Should I fire her because she doesn’t fully please me?  The thing is she is good with him… and he likes her.. she plays with him and makes him laugh.  What if the next nanny doesn’t even play with Colin… what if she just watches tv, or reads the bible, or talks on the phone? 

Should I just suck it up and deal?

AAHH!  I can’t stop procrastinating!  When I get really nervous about a test… I avoid it.  Til the last possible minute.  Perhaps this isn’t the greatest strategy…

I started a new site.  I thought I’d keep a separate blog for Colin.
ummamama  <clicky

China

Here are some pictures of Zoe in China.  Dr Evil gave Zoe to me on the day he proposed.  She was part of the scavenger hunt.  She came with me to China (since my husband and baby couldn’t).  We had a wonderful time and got some great photos.  Unfortunately they are all only of her.  She didn’t take any of me because she doesn’t have opposable thumbs.

At JFK Airport.  Making new friends.  left to right:  Bob (aka Bobblehead Bear) and Flat Stanley

SHANGHAI

Jazz club

Jade Buddha Temple

Yu Garden

Good kitty!

the lady’s room

Enduring more abuse from collegues.

Got Coke?

Jackie Chan hearts Zoe

Calling Colin

Meeting

Giving speech

BAD KITTY!

BEIJING

flight to beijing

baggage claim

riding dragon statue

in the Imperial Palace

Making friends

It’s very difficult to get a photo with the guards.  Not impossible but difficult.  They will casually glide away from you if you try to take a picture.  I stalked about 6 guards to get one.  Finally I saw this guy and I tried to inch closer to him.  As this photo was taken two guards started darting towards me.  We ran for it and made it out of the palace unscathed!  Zoe and I were petrified! 

Baruch EMBA 26 in Tiananmen Sq.

Zoe on the steps of the Great Wall

Ahh pollution

The salesgirls who stole all our money when we went shopping.  We got raped. 

Lunch in Hong Kong.  On our way back to the states.

Colin’s bag of tricks:
dances when he hears the Old Navy commercial
finger walks
waves hello / byebye
clicks his tongue
does manseh / gonji gonji / jam jam / jjak jjak kkeung
gives high fives / ppoppos
feeds himself finger foods
pees when I go “shhhhhh” (either in the sink or now in his potty)
says “mamma” during meal times
puts anything within reach to his ear (most often it’s his dinner) if you say “yobosehyo”
jabs his finger in my belly button when I say “bekob”
jabs at the light switch when I say “bul kyu/ bul kkuh”

Feeding Colin solids is sort of fun, sort of a headache.  I have to admit it was much easier to just pop out a boob… less cleaning, less mess, less things to pack.  I’m sad I stopped nursing him.  I really wanted to nurse til he turned one.  Oh well.  I guess technically I could have started again when I came back from China because I was still producing but my body was toxic.  haha

Doesn’t his face look great?  I mean, I know he’s a good looking boy, but doesn’t his skin look great?  He had /still has sebhorric dermatitis since birth… back of his head, in his ears, in the folds of his arms, and ankles.  His eczema became a problem from early on but really got out of control when he was about 3 or 4 months old. 

The picture of Colin in the car is when we weren’t using any steroids,
just TONS of lotions and obviously that wasn’t the right treatment plan
for him.  I think we’ve dropped over $300 in lotions just in the past 6
months.  Expensive kid.  Aquaphor is the best between steroid
treatments, but since it’s so greasy we use Cetaphyl cream on his body
instead.  If your child has bad eczema, Cetaphyl lotion isn’t
recommended because it has a higher content of alcohol than the
cream… hence it dries out the skin faster. He’s currently on Elicon which is a level 6 steroid.  We have been reducing the frequency of use and even tried to replace it with fluticasone – stage 5 – but as soon as I switch his skin starts to act up again… and apparently I have to go back to the stronger stuff to nip it in the bud or else it’ll keep getting worse again.  we’ll see what the dermatologist has to say next week.

And yes, if you have allergies and/or eczema, the likelihood of your offspring having it is significantly greater than if you don’t have these problems.  I had both as a kid, but not when I was a baby.  Poor unfortunate Colin.

I can’t wait til I’m done with school.  Seven more classes to go.  It’s going to be the longest 6 weeks of my life.  I’ve got so many write-ups and papers and presentations, oh my!  I am going to enjoy this summer with Colin.  My goals – get caught up and finish whatever I have been meaning to do but haven’t been able to because of school, make the most of my time with the little guy, and work out!

I love my new xylophone.  I mean, Colin loves his new xylophone.  Toys are such a waste of money.  Sure kids like playing with them but the novelty wears off really fast.  Kid toys are for adults to try to distract their children from wrecking their adult toys.  Colin’s interests lie in slobering on my cell phone, pounding on the keyboard of my laptop, banging the remote control on the dining table, and incesantly pushing buttons on any electronic device, ie. air purifier, tv, printer, stove, etc. 

Colin could probably win “cutest girl” contest.  lol. 

Yesterday, for the first time ever, Colin actually gave me some of his food.  He had cheese in his hand.  When I put my hand out and said “joosehyo’ he put it in my hand!  Then he looked at me, smiled, and took it back with the other hand.  Indian giver. 

You know, I didn’t want to be an obsessive parent and only talk about my child… but honestly not much goes on in my life other than school and Colin so I don’t have much to write about!  But in all honesty, this stuff is probably more interesting than anything else I have to say.  So without further ado, here are some recent video clips…

Feb 26, 2008 – First time Colin crawled.  I actually caught it on camera!  yay!
it’s amazing how it just clicks one day…not the camera, the milestones. 
 
Constipated  Part Un

Constipated Part Deux.  Is it bad that it cracks me up when he cries like that?

I haven’t posted on Xanga in so long I don’t even know where to begin!  Frankly, I don’t even know how old these pictures are!  

I was in China for 10 days.  10 LONG days!  It was weird to be so far from my husband for so long.  I go everywhere with him so I was very lonely.  Moreover, I missed my baby!  I’d never been more than 11 hours away from him… so needless to say, it sucked!  (Although I partied like a rockstar… the only things missing were drugs and prostitutes).  The night I arrived, we shed many a tears cuz for whatever reason he wanted nothing to do with me.  So for the first week, Colin either totally forgot who I was or was completely and utterly pissed at me for abandoning him.  Either way, I was heartbroken.  

This was Colin sometime in February/March.  This was at the peak of his eczema.  He was so miserable I bought him a car (won’t work when you are older and smellier so don’t even try it).  He loved the car for all of 2 minutes… and then he made this face.  How bulsangheh!  Dr. Evil and I slept on the floor on either side of him for months.  We wrapped his hands in his socks and we’d have to wake up every hour to grease him up like the holiday pig that he is.  Basically we pinned him down all night so he wouldn’t scratch his face in the middle of the night.  He’d scratch cuz it was itchy which would in turn make the eczema worse, therefore making it itchier… vicious cycle. Now he’s on steriod creams which are controversial but effective.

baby fat is so cute.  How come no one thinks it’s so cute when I expose my piggy legs (save your comments – Kai, Jay, Dr Evil and anyone else who doesn’t want a piece of me!  *shaking fist in the air*)?

Colin loves music class.  He loves other babies.  He’s always trying to hold their hands… and poke their eyeballs.  Speaking of needless poking… Colin likes to stick his teeny tiny fingers into every orifice of my face.  He does it most when I’m feeding him…. and now I have the biggest mother of all zits right smack under my nostril.  I kid you not, it was pulsating today.  I’m afraid to sleep for it might rip out of my face like in the movie Z or X or some letter at the end of the alphabet.  In any case, my zit hurts, and babies are grubby gross little creatures.  

Colin loves his cousin Ryan.  Ryan loves Colin too except that he doesn’t like to be touched by Colin.  It’s ok ryan, Colin is a disgusting grubby gross little creature.  

Colin loves to feel like a big boy now.  He wouldn’t eat his jarred baby food.  He’d swat the spoon away.  Nasty fellow.  But if you dilute it with water just enough, he’ll drink it.  So I give him “juice” only it’s chicken and rice or vegetable dinner.  mm mm good.  He loves cheese and yogurt.  

He’s almost a year!  I can’t believe it!  I just want to rewind time and do it again!  This has been the best year and half of my life…. Colin rocks.  And I swore I’d never be one of “those” parents but I have to say it… Colin is the cutest baby in the world!  I know all parent think that… but in my case, it’s true!

What better way to start off the new year than with rice cereal!  Starting life with a silver spoon in his mouth.  He doesn’t care.

Our cable hasn’t worked properly since Monday.  We are unable to use any of the DVR features of the cable box.  I’m very VERY upset because none of my shows are recording!  Not to mention the fact that Dr Evil and I have to compromise in what we watch since we can’t record!  Oh the horror!  [what did we do before dvr and how on earth did we hold out so long before getting it?].  Anyways, there is a message that pops up telling me to call the number on the screen if the problem persists.  Well the problem has persisted…

I called.  an automated service answered my call.  All I wanted was to speak to a service rep.  Irking.  I said “1″ to continue in english.  Then “4″ to speak to someone regarding the cable TV.  Then 3.  Then 4.  Then 2.  Then 2 again.  After about 15 minutes of “trying to help them better assist me” Colin started chiming in.  You see, I was holding him while on the phone so when I said 4 or 2 he would look at me and reply “ooohwowu” or “abubuduh” or “pshtebeb”.  As I spouted out more numbers he got all riled up and babbled louder.  The next thing you know the automated lady was telling me she couldn’t understand my entry and that we’d continue with the previous question because it was replying to Colin’s sounds and not my answers!  This happened about 5 times before I got mad and gave up.  My cable still isn’t working properly.  

Colin got sick last week.  He’s been sniffly and snotty and for a while he was spiking fevers.  He got me sick too… right before I had a case due, a midterm, and 2 papers.  No more fever for either of us but still sniffly and snotty.  He’s such a baby these days.  I wish he’d act his age… geez!  Since he wasn’t feeling well we spoiled the hell out of him.  We let him co-sleep… nursed him on-demand, rocked him to sleep.  Can’t wait to Ferberize him… again.  All the screaming and crying was so fun the first time around.

When I was pregnant, those 7 months went by soooo sluggishly.  The last 7 months with Colin have been a whirlwind!  In the last month he’s cut 4 teeth and currently working on his 5th!  He’s sitting on his own.  He’s balancing on all fours [getting ready to really crawl and tear up the apartment!].  He’s eating solids (rice cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, nutterbut squash, peas, avocados).  Next bananas

Speaking of solids… I love my food pureed.  I’ve been making Colin’s baby food.  It’s easier than I thought it would be.  I was stressed at first as to whether or not I’d be able to do it… or do it well for that matter.  Me no cook so good.  Turns out I’m Top Chef when it comes to baby food!  The other night I made dinner too spicy and felt I shouldn’t eat it cuz it might irritate Colin [since I'm still nursing].  We didn’t have anything else to eat so I unfroze Colin’s carrots, sweet potatoes, and nutterbut squash.  Yum!  A couple years ago, I went to Aquavit and thought Samuelsson was a damn fool for pureeing my broccoli.  Now I think, he was a culinary genius! 

I am waaaaay fatter than when I was pregnant.  When I was prego, my “fat” was actually the little piggy that had taken residence inside of me.  Right now… there’s no one… just me… 3 cupcakes, a piece of cake, a box of chocolates, and a slice of bacon cheese pizza.  I have a disease.  I think I eat as many desserts in a single day as I used to smoke cigarettes during a day.  I’m about two twinkies away from dentures and a trip to Lane Bryant.  I look like I’m 4 months pregnant.  Maybe worse.  How embarrasking.  I need to start working out and eating better.  I used to care about what I ate and how I took care of myself… Now I let myself use the fact that I had a baby and that I’m still nursing as excuses to eat 4 donuts and a piece of cake for breakfast.  My sweet tooth is ferocious!  I want to be skinny again.  Ok my goal for my birthday is to lose 2 lbs.  I will only eat one thing sweet a day and getting some exercise at least 3 times a week. 

Ok I think I have caught you up about our lives.  Thank you, you’ve been a beautiful audience.  And now for your viewing pleasure….

Nobody beats daddy!