We have a new camera...finally

Arnold ate the last camera....so we now have a new one. I was able to recover the pictures from the old one so I have a December picture to share plus one of Leaf. December 15ish

This is a cute picture of Leaf kissing the my belly...the beard will be gone soon.

The January picture is below....I grew a bit

New York...what can I say.

Well, I can say a lot. As you read this keep in mind that I am 7 months pregnant, about 35-40 lbs heavier, and barely able to wipe my own ass.

Leaf and I set off on a pre-pregnancy planned trip to New York. Overall I managed pretty well, visited a lot of bathrooms (surprisingly clean), and enjoyed the trip.

Traveling with Leaf is hard to describe. The best description I can think of is an swearing, over excited 5 year old mixed with a schizophrenic comedian. He forgets to pack things (unless I help), he jumps around talking a million miles per hour using voices he thinks are funny, and freaks out when he does not know what is going on. LUCKILY, for me this usually subsides buy the first night. The voices seem to stick around longer. I had to point out during the NBC Studio tour that his impression of Tracy Morgan, although flawless, might be offensive to the nice African American couple in front of us.

So on to the trip details. We arrived Friday and took a cab from JFK to Midtown. I made Leaf tip the driver extra because I have never heard somebody ask so many ridiculous questions. By the time we got to our hotel Leaf learned our cabbie was from Haiti, had three sons, no grandchildren, was a retired shipping clerk, that he had not made a trip yet that night, where the rich people lived and so on.

Me at in line for trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

On Saturday we decided to take advantage of the relatively nice weather and head out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. What a moving experience. The Statue was neat but Ellis Island was my favorite part of the whole trip. When I stood inside the main processing room I was thinking about how my great-grandparents stood in the very same room almost 100 years ago. My eyes and even Leaf's were watering, realizing the challenges they faced, the fear they felt, and the hope. Just outside the window you can see the skyline of New York. It was so close. When I was standing in the room I could feel the baby kicking...I cannot even describe what I was feeling then. Elana will be part of the 4th generation for both our families born in America. What a blessing.

We were staying near Grand Central Station which is another amazing place. I could just sit and watch people all day. The building is amazing and there are all sorts of little shops and food stands. On Sunday we took the subway up to Rockefeller Center to do the NBC Studio tour and check out the area. Walking outside was an experience considering my jacket kept popping open and the wind chill made it feel like 0 degrees. We managed to find a decent meal, take a carriage ride in Central Park, and go searching for the promised land...Carnegie Deli.

Leaf asked for directions from a shop keeper, when those did not work out he asked another person. At this point it is dark, very cold, I had to pee, and we have walked in a circle covering several city blocks. He kept promising it is just around the corner or up the street. I pointed out the irony of Jews wandering aimlessly, searching for the promised land, I personally was just about ready to make a golden calf and forget about the whole thing....and then the on the horizon we saw the neon sign. My take on the Carnegie Deli is it not kosher, most people who work there are not Jewish, and it is a tourist trap of sorts. We had much better food at Memzy's in Grand Central...and they are kosher! The only reason I like kosher food is I know when there is milk in something.

Yes that is me, the pudgy thing at the bottom of the picture.

Monday was our big sophisticated day. I would consider two people with our education level and backgrounds to be somewhat cultured. We decided to go visit the Museum of Modern Art. The lesson of the day was we are not cultured...I will save the details for a separate blog. I am even considering making my own gallery of modern art. Check back to see what I decide.

After the wonderful MoMa experience Leaf wanted to see Times Square. It was all Anthony Bourdain said it would be, commercial, Disney, and full of people. The best part of that day was the free sympathy desert we got with dinner. Like I am going to turn down free dessert!

On Tuesday we decided to take the subway to JFK rather than pay so much for a cab. What an adventure and one I would recommend to anyone who wants to see what New York is like when you leave the touristy areas. We caught the subway in Grand Central and made a detour to a Gray's Papaya. Anthony Bourdain claims it is the best cheap hot dog in the world. He may be right. Plus, we got of the subway and the streets were like any big city, crowded, dirty but in the big city good way, and amazing. That was what I wanted to see, the real New York...not Madison Ave. We got our Gray's and headed back into the subway and off we went. For $7 each we were able to get to the airport...

So New York can be checked off my list. It is just one of those places you have to see once in your life.

I got the sugar...sort of

First there are many things much worse than any symptoms I have experienced in pregnancy. Many women have much harder times BUT this is my blog and I can complain if I want to. In the last two years I have run more miles than the average person walks in an entire year. I have done yoga, golfed (I always walk!), and I even started eating this whole South Beach Diet thing. For me diet was the only thing that is hard. I cut back on alcohol, carbs, and my beloved McDonald's.

So I was a little shocked that I was starting to not feel well and having fatigue. I just figured it was normal. I even got a headache or two but I teach high school freshmen....normal again. My last doctors visit I had a "routine" glucose screening. In my family nothing in routine first of all. I did the test and then they said I had to do another test...of course. My numbers were a little high. So I did the test which involved no small feat. I fasted from 10 pm until 12 pm the following day! I drank the sugary substance. Endured a waiting room for 3 hours while I was routinely poked. I knew my fate before the phone call even came. Something was not normal.

So I freaked out a bit when I read about people with gestational diabetes having 20 lb babies. I read the diets I would now have to follow....which is what I have been doing already. Plus a Big Mac here and there. Then I called Jennifer, my doctor, and she did not seem as alarmed as the nurse who called with the results. Come to find out I do not have it completely. I could develop it, I have a insulin resistance, I just have to eat right and not worry. There is really nothing I can do.

Basically, one hour after I eat I feel like crap. I feel tired, my stomach feels all funny like after you wake up from a good nap, and that is about it. Such is life with my families genes.

Farewell to Dee

Dee is gone off the London to make a new life. I figured I would blog about her because I had a crazy dream that ended badly. I am guessing it was my subconscious telling me she left for good not just a trip but who am I to tell?

First, I will just remind Dee that when she started this process I warned her the house would be more work than she ever imagined. I distinctly remember sitting outside the SCUBA shop telling her don't buy the house. I had just sold an old house and every turn there was a project. Dee was not detoured. She "wanted" to do the home improvement. Literally thousands of hours later and thousands and thousands of dollars later Dee has the house done. The truth is there is always more you could do but that is true of any house. When many others would have walked away Dee persisted, poop in the sink would have got me...in fact it was poop in the tub that sealed the deal in my last house.

Sooo..last weekend Leaf, my dad, my mom, and I spent all Saturday finishing up the last bit of Dee's house. I was pretty useless after a while because there are lots of stairs, heavy things to lift, and well work. I was good until about 2 pm. Then I just sat and waited until there were things I could do. I finally got to sweep around 5...my big contribution.

Everyone was sad to see Dee go. The great thing is in today's world she is not to far away. We can email, call, and a trip to England is not so costly at the right time of the year. Plus we know she has to come back in May because she has to do some immigration stuff. (Gram...Dee's and illegal immigrant!)

We always knew it would be Dee who would leave, even before Alex. She was just that way. So good luck and farewell.

Mud Puppy

Okay on top of getting Dee out of town my Dad found time to make a dog house for Jack and Arnold. The thinking is that they would use it in the rain.
To put everything that follows into perspective Jack is "my" dog and Arnold is Leaf's. We love them both but the dogs have their favorites. Jack, if you do not know him, likes to sleep all day, take walks, and eat. If Jack was a person he would be a poet or an artist, live in SF, smoke a lot of pot, and be very in touch with his softer side. Arnold on the other hand is a mans dog. He is loud, runs around all crazy, has the attention span of 2 seconds, and is overly enthusiastic about everything. He is a typical lab. So here is the story.

There is one dog house and the odd couple have to share. Today was the first rain and I had one dry dog and one mud puppy. I opened the back door and Arnold came out of no where covered in mud and ran in the house. There is now mud everywhere! (I am leaving the clean up for Leaf) Normally, I am the cleaner but this is going to require some getting on the floor and that is not happening. Plus, Leaf thinks cleaning just magically happens at our house...a belief that will not be passed on to any of his off spring.

So thanks Dad for the dog house. Now I just need a dog with some brains that knows to stay in the house.