A nice thing about being home sick: laying on the couch watching the MLB Network (in HD!). They spend the entire evening "peeking" into live game broadcasts all around the country, so I got to watch a White Sox grand slam happen live, and a grand slam being taken away from A-Rod, also live. All while lounging on the couch in my jammies with my doggie. And a mug of hot cocoa and my kleenex. Ahhh. Naturally I took a half dozen catnaps throughout.

I think I am getting a little better, though I won't be 100% for several more days at least. But alas, I'll be "good enough" to go to work tomorrow, where I will get to sniffle and cough at my desk and feel like poo all day long. Yay America, continuing to give its citizenry no choice but to take their sickness into the workplace. Great for productivity, I'm sure.

My lovely sunny three-day weekend was pretty much ruined by the cold I developed starting Saturday morning and continuing until right now and probably into tomorrow. Lots of violent coughing, aches, a low but very real fever, etc etc. Last night I kind of freaked out as the fever climbed over 100 degrees and I started worrying about the baby, who was kicking me as energetically as ever. She's fine.

Saturday night was hell, as it is every 4th of July here -- pretty much sounded like a war outside, non-stop very loud explosions until 1am. I was ill and miserable in bed, failing to sleep through it, wondering how much the baby could hear. It should be no surprise that this happens since there are about a dozen gigantic fireworks stands in place all around my town starting in early May. I have never gotten the appeal of blowing things up. Maybe it's my lack of a penis. Anyway.

I hate being sick. I didn't even leave the house Saturday -- a glorious hot sunny 4th, I've been told. Friday was nice though, that was when my sickness was still a teeny sore spot on the left side of my throat. My dad came over and helped us plant some juniper trees in boxes along the front porch. It's starting to look a lot nicer out front. And of course our pretty new kitchen sink was finally finished. We went to my dad's to grill hot dogs, and the Mariners beat the Red Sox.

That's all for now. I really need a shower.

I remember watching this live as a kid, when it first aired.



I was ten, and I was a Michael Jackson fan, like almost every other kid in America. I had "Thriller" on cassette, and a poster on my closet door. I realize this was due in part to my MTV addiction and suburban upbringing.

But this video still kinda gives me goosebumps (even more so now that I am pregnant and emotionally vulnerable), nostalgic goosebumps, for a time when this music was new and exciting and Michael Jackson still mostly resembled his original self.

The music of Jackson's first two solo albums with Quincy Jones has aged pretty well. Though I'd argue that "Off the Wall" is actually the superior record, and the one I would download if I wanted to spend money on music right now.

I don't have much else to say on the subject. I haven't been interested in Michael Jackson since I was about eleven years old, and more recently I've found him to be an objectionable human being at best. But I believe that when the dust settles, he will ultimately be remembered as a tragic figure, a worst-case scenario emerging from the deadly cocktail of horrific child abuse, stratospheric fame at an early age, untreated mental illness, and lots of money.

+ A couple of days ago, I pulled the first carrot from our garden. It was about five inches long, pale orange, and delicious. My dad was over at the time, helping us out with our front porch staining/sealing project, and when I brought the carrot over, he said "let's eat it!", rinsed it off with the garden hose, and took a bite. I had a bite and said "now that's a carrot!" I am going to let the rest of them mature a few more weeks. Now I wish even more that I had sowed them in cycles. The next round won't be ready for two more months, boo. Oh well, live and learn.

+ Speaking of the garden, let us watch my tomato plants explode: May 2 | June 7 | June 28. We are going to need to supplement our puny tomato cages with scaffolding.



+ So I am now getting heartburn at night, regardless of what I've eaten for dinner. This is cured by sleeping in an upright position, like the elephant man. I go to bed propped up on three big pillows, with another under my knees. It's going ok... I can sleep that way. But maybe I should find some OTC medication for the heartburn. I know it's because my stomach is working at that time and being compressed by my uterus, and is throwing acid into my esophagus. Or something. Anyway, then I get up at 2am to pee and can pretty much lay on my side after that. It's a good thing I love this baby so much.

+ Her stroller & car seat will arrive tomorrow!

+ Last night was a night I have waited a year and a half for. We FINALLY got rid of our awful, ugly black kitchen sink and crappy faucet. I have hated that sink since we moved in. I actually dislike all of our black appliances, but the sink was the cheapest to replace and the one I hated the most. A black sink hides dirt and stains and filth, so you don't realize how gross it is until it's REALLY gross. A black sink is a big black hole in the countertop. A black sink camouflages black knife handles. It makes a room darker. Man I hated that goddamn thing. We went to Home Depot and replaced it with a beautiful, sleek, glorious Kohler white enameled cast iron sink. I am in love with it. It's not totally hooked up yet; Brian is going back to get new drain fixtures since the old ones are nasty and falling apart.

In the process of putting in the new sink, we realized that the kitchen windowsill ledge was interfering with the installation of the new faucet. It stuck out so far that it actually impeded the setting of the faucet into the sink. Well, we're homeowners now so, hey, let's just rip out that ugly window sill anyway. So, we did. In its place, I am going to install a pretty row of white ceramic tiles. Wheee!!!!!!

I think if we had the money I would replace EVERYTHING in that kitchen. Appliances, cupboards, counters, floors. Everything. Alas, we donut have that kind of cash. Someday though. Re-doing the kitchen is one of the best places to add value to a home, dontchaknow.

+ While riding in the car on the way home the other day, the baby kicked me so hard that I actually watched my shirt fabric pop up. Hee.

+ I made a carrot cake last weekend. Unfortunately it was not quickly consumed and I am depressed about the leftovers going to waste. Must plan better next time and do cupcakes. Though it was fun to try a layer cake. I took many helpful hints from Martha Stewart.

+ Three day weekend to-dos include: finish up install of sink, clean up kitchen mess. Maybe polish up old sink and see if anyone on craigslist will take it away, cheap. Work in the garden. Work on the future nursery a bit. Practice installing car seat base and removing/replacing car seat. Go to lovely Lynnwood and have lunch with mom, as well as visit Babies R Us to view some registry items in person (no we are not registered there, but Amazon doesn't have a physical store...). And hopefully do some grilling.

+ Finally, check out my adorable dog, blinking in the sun.

The dichotomy of pregnancy is that it is all at once extraordinary and ordinary. It's an awe-inspiring, incredible experience, which happens routinely to almost every female mammal. It is equal parts special and commonplace. It is what our bodies were designed to do, yet we still often have doubts and fears about labor and delivery that are unfounded.

She moves around inside me all the time. Tonight I looked down and pictured her tiny hands, her perfect miniature fingers, just a couple inches from the surface of my skin, restlessly poking away.

I'm so exhausted. Have not been sleeping well, and part of it is due to certain fur-covered beasts generally taking over the bed as usual, wanting to cuddle and then lick their paws for two hours in the middle of the night, thus driving me insane. I already have to get up at least twice a night to pee, and it's not easy to get back to sleep. A couple nights ago I returned to bed to find that where I had been laying now had TWO cats in it, with six inches of space for me. I love my kitties, but I have fucking had it. I need my sleep, and when baby is born, there will be no animals in the bed, possibly even in the bedroom. They will all be confused and pissed off, but sorry, the first thing Simon is going to do is try to take over the co-sleeper because it's new and comfy. Nein!

Speaking of animals, on my lunch break today I went downtown to Specialty's to get a fancy peanut butter/apple/banana/cranberry sandwich. On Third Ave I spied this big boat of a car driving along, and saw that there was a small dog standing on the center area that separates the driver and passenger seats. Just standing there, inches from the dashboard, and I'm pretty sure it was eating something that had been dropped in front of it. Of course that is not even the worst I've observed; I once saw someone driving with their medium-sized dog in their lap. Illegal for children, but I guess dogs don't become projectiles in collisions, right? We keep Kona in the back seat when she is in the car, still not the safest option of course, but she is never allowed in the front seat. And she has developed pretty good balance for those occasions when sudden braking occurs. She loves riding in the car.

+ It's no fun to throw up in the shower, but it does make cleanup easy, especially if it's only a few spoonfuls of yogurt. You're welcome.

+ Recently discovered that my first big serious grade school crush object? Gay. Heh. So, that explains a lot.

+ My sister-in-law Dee finally had her baby yesterday, after a long two weeks of overdue-ness. I feel terrible that it came down to a goddamn c-section. Like me, she really did not want to go that route. But babies past term just get bigger and bigger as the days and weeks drag on. If he'd arrived at an ideal gestational time, he would have weighed a couple pounds less, not to mention avoided a few other complications. Sigh. But hey! He's born and healthy and everyone's fine and I really, really hope she can breastfeed him today.

+ Last night was lovely no-tv night, spent in the future nursery attempting to give myself a pedicure. Holy cow what an ordeal. But in the end it doesn't look too bad. I picked a super-dark purple by Chanel, which should last for a few weeks before I haul myself to a salon to have a nice pedicure.

+ Looks like we'll be selling our sectional sofa on Thursday, via craigslist. Then the new one is delivered Friday. Or, it better be, or there is going to be a PROBLEM. We ordered that goddamn thing March 15.

BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance



vs.

Some tacky Fisher-Price mess



There really is no contest.

Also, I am loving this infant car seat



BABY THINGS!

Gave myself a pedicure tonight and it was really, really hard. Will need to see a pro from now on I guess. Booo.

Incredibly, our little Kona-bear has been with us for one year. We feel so lucky to have such a sweet, happy, loyal, smart, awesome doggie. Took her on a fun after dinner walk tonight, followed by a little backyard fetch.

One year ago



A couple weeks ago

My new favorite nail polish is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail Color in "Diamonds." I got it for $5 at Walgreens. It's basically a clear polish that contains a lot of very fine-milled silver glitter. I put one coat on, and then a layer of MAC clear top coat over that. For me it's just the perfect sparkly transparent neutral for my ever-growing fingernails. I love it so... even more than some very expensive Chanel polish I purchased last year.

Excited for tomorrow in the garden. And OMG our tomato plants are out of control. Tall, sturdy, bushy, green, flowering. They never even got this big by the END of last summer. I think I have learned a lot since my first experiment with tomato plants. And this June has been HOT -- last June was cold.