Femme Curieuse

Nursery Tour

2013-09-10T22:03:00.001-05:00

Does anyone else have experience with big babies? What back-strengthening regimen do you recommend?

Mr. William may have been about average size at birth, but at last check {4 weeks} he was 90th percentile in weight, and 98th percentile in length.

At 6 weeks, he's now somewhere over 12 pounds {we don't have a really sensitive scale here, so we derived that figure by subtracting self + baby weight from self-only weight; highly technical}. Suffice it to say the newborn clothes fit for about 3 weeks, max. And this is on a Mama-Milk-only diet. Check out his delicious double-chin:

Compare the car seat photos below - on the left, we have his first car ride when he came home from the hospital. On the right, 6 weeks later. Just look at the relative size-of-baby to seat-buckles in each.

So while I contemplate how I could have birthed such a big boy when there are hardly any tall men in my family {and none on Hubs' side, either}, how about we take a tour of the Hulk's nursery?

It's somewhat space-exploration themed, but mostly I wanted a calm, safe environment. With silk blackout curtains. And lots of my favorite color: WHITE.

The crib is very simple - 100% wood, no bad chemicals, USA-made. From Land of Nod. And no bumper. PSA: the American Academy of Pediatrics specifically advises against use of bumpers because they increase the risk of SIDS. I'm all for valuing aesthetics, but not at the risk of smothering babies.

Above the crib are some space-themed prints I found on Etsy. I'm pretty sure I paid some wanker $10 a pop to print them from a jet-printer on not so great paper, but I'm over it. I love the way they look! That being said, it would definitely be worth it for me to work on my photoshop skills and get a photo printer.

I was looking for something to put above the changing table/dresser {also from Land of Nod} and found this fun decal on Etsy {this was actually a top-quality Etsy purchase, unlike the prints}:

That little giraffe plays white noise, and has a handy velcro strap so you can attach it to the crib without putting it IN the crib. There's a Dohm sound machine on the changing table/dresser that works great, too. Babies are so touchy about their sleeping conditions.

There are a lot of ugly gliders out there. This one - from Rosenberry Rooms - was the least offensive one I could find, and is actually superbly comfortable! The slipcover is washable - crucial for white furniture! BUT I do have to mention that it took FOREVER to arrive. I ordered it in April and it arrived while I was in the hospital with the bebe {late July}. Really. So if you order custom furniture from Rosenberry Rooms, be prepared to wait ... and wait ... and give birth ... and wait some more.

There are three floating bookshelves in the nursery, and they are FULL of books. I know TV can be a great babysitter, but it does practically eviscerate baby brains. Except for broadcasts of Red Sox games, of course. Those help moral fiber develop.

William is already sleeping in his crib full time - we moved him in there when he turned 1 month old. I'd read in several places that moving babies to their own rooms early is Very Important in the quest to establish good sleep habits and routines. Don't think I'm cold-hearted - I also bought a video baby monitor with night vision and pan/zoom abilities. Basically, I spy on him like a Navy SEAL.

So that's the nursery! While I'm loving every pudgy, coo-y moment of his infancy, I can't wait until he's a little older and can spend quality time in there playing with his toys and reading. As fast as time is flying {how did he get so big?}, that will be happening tomorrow. Upon having a baby, you're immediately thrust into a time warp. Consider yourselves warned, parents-to-be!

July: Welcome Baby William!

2013-09-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

July at Chez Curieuse can be summed up aptly in exactly one photograph:

That's right, y'all: I had that baby.

Much later than anticipated, I should note. In early July, my doctor swore I'd never make my due date {July 21}. After that conversation, my Mum was on the next flight from Boston. I made sure my hospital bags were packed. With only the essentials, of course.

And we waited. And waited. AND WAITED. No baby. Not a sign of labor.

We were relatively house-bound because I was in full-on Waddle Mode and it was over 100 degrees every day. Hello, summer in Texas. So we did what came naturally: a lot of online shopping. And I tried all of the Old Wives' tricks: spicy foods, eggplant, pineapple, walking for miles, hanky-panky... you name it, I tried it. To no avail. At least my belly was good for holding beverages.

Happily, I really like spicy food, and we visited one of my favorite restaurants in Austin so far: a Thai place called Sway. Mum, Mr. Curieuse, and I popped in for an early-ish dinner and it was divine. We sat at the bar and watched the cooks assembling everything - so much fun! I had a beef dish that burned half of my taste buds off. Those that remained were blissfully happy.

Not to get all "birth story" on you all, but here is the short and sweet version of events:

4 days after my due date, I had a scheduled induction. We were all excited and I was a little giddy. I mean, I was getting a lot of attention AND got to wear my own fancy gown with a satin sash instead of those terrible hospital-issue gowns. Things were looking good.

But, it turns out that the medicine used for inductions, Pitocin, does not jive with my body. Rather than giving me regular contractions, it made me have HOUR-LONG CONTRACTIONS. As in: no break between contractions. Zero. They would probably have been longer had I continued taking the medication. I have a pretty high pain threshold and would classify my experience as "uncomfortable" {I didn't have pain meds for this part}, and not at all ideal. So it was off to the OR for a c-section.

I see why women like sections - they are easy peasy! One hour later, I was back in my room with a sweet little baby. And my awesome OB glued my incision rather than suturing it, meaning my {unbelievably small} scar looks amazing. She was pretty much a rock star in scrubs.

But the real rock star was Mr. William - he did great throughout, and was cute to boot, all 7 lbs, 14 oz, 20 inches of him. A perfect baby.

Mr. Curieuse was instantly besotted, and has been beyond all help ever since.

Not to be gauche, but I was relieved to discover that not only was he the picture of health, but he was seriously CUTE. I'd have loved him regardless, but it's been fun reveling in his handsomeness.

Before he was born I'd arranged for a newborn shoot, and am so glad I did. He's been growing like a weed and it's fun to look back on those photos. This is probably my favorite, since he has such a sweet smile:

So that was July. Tickling William, feeding William, changing William, kissing William, staring at William.

I'm getting a little less sleep than I'd prefer, but things really have been pretty close to perfect. Turns out a truck-load of hormones and sweet baby smiles are a pretty good substitute for a full night's sleep.

Well, This is Awkward...

2013-09-02T16:18:00.001-05:00

It's September. My last post was in May.

*taps microphone*

Is this thing on??

How is it SEPTEMBER? I guess learning my way around a new city, setting up a new house and having a baby will make a summer flash by. Shocking, I know.

I could run on about how blogging wasn't my priority and life happens, yada yada. But let's be real: plenty of people manage to churn out great blog posts while leading very busy lives. I'm just a tad lazy with my little blog. It's a hobby rather than a habit, and purely for fun, so there you have it.

So, what's happened since May? Let's start with June.

June was all about getting Chez Curieuse whipped into shape. There was always one contractor or another around the place. I think the previous owners never spent any time looking out their windows, since essentially almost every tree, bush, and plant in the yard needed MAJOR trimming. Those which didn't need a good hacking-back needed to be removed entirely. There was a lot of chainsaw racket coming from our property for a few days.

The house came with a pool, but not one that you'd voluntarily swim in. It got a much-needed facelift, including new plaster, new tile, and lots of white limestone to replace the old concrete and brownstone coping.

Before:

During:

And here is what it looks like now! We're planning to re-do the wooden decking next year, but the pool was a "we need to do this ASAP" project.

The rest of June involved the following:

The bump grew and I took shameless selfies to document the progress.

I tackled the remaining boxes from our move. The only downside to having professionals pack your things is that they use loads and loads of paper to reduce the chances of anything breaking {and having to pay for it}. There were small mountains of the stuff all over the place.

I ordered and assembled more pieces of furniture than I could count. These are Adirondack-ish chairs for the upper porch, which is terrific for sunset-watching when it's not an oven outside. So maybe we'll finally be able to use them in October?

I had a stair runner installed {this I gladly outsourced} to make trips up and down safer for baby-carrying, sleep-deprived parents. The material is a natural fiber called sisal. It's less slippery than seagrass or jute and is taking Pinterest by storm, so I followed the herd. I think it looks heaps better than boring old carpet. We'll see how long it holds up.

My sister-in-law visited, and we tested out strollers. She was so helpful - Mr. Curieuse had yet to join me from California and while I could get plenty done by myself, sometimes a pregnant girl just needs an extra set of hands! Some preggos are complainers {some rightfully so, but I think most just like to be dramatic}, but I'm not. Yes, it's a little awkward and yes you gain weight and yes you can't sleep like you used to, but generally speaking life is still pretty darn good and you can do whatever you put your mind to.

We got an UppaBaby Vista and I can honestly say it took barely 10 minutes to assemble, including unwrapping, reading the manual, and taking it for a test run around the living room. SO easy. Mr. Curieuse finally left California for good and took it for a practice run himself {with the infant car seat attached - also an amazingly easy process}. His goofy "Texas Dad" t-shirt was a gag gift. Is it me, or does "Texas Dad" conjure up images of a guy on the sidelines of a pee-wee football game, arguing a bit too seriously with the ref? Our little man will not be allowed to play football. The latest data on head injuries and brain trauma is downright scary. My uppity Yankee self finds crew or lacrosse more viable options.

The bump grew even more. More profile selfies were required.

Also required: pedicures. One of the best places I've ever had a pedi, Embellish, is just 4 minutes away from our house. They should have a lifetime membership option. If you're in Austin you must make a visit.

I think July and August will need their own posts, so we'll pick up with July in the next post. I am still amazed at how much time has flown by. Who knew that babies were such time machines!

Hello from Austin!

2013-05-14T13:52:00.000-05:00

Several bloggers I follow are participating in a "Blog Everyday in May" challenge. Clearly, I am not up to that challenge. I've been away from Blogland for two very good reasons - (1) a partial cross-country road trip and (2) moving into our new house in Austin!

Home ownership is no joke. My days are full of contractors, boxes, hedge pruning, furniture shopping - you name it. Oh, and since I'm about 7 months pregnant, throw in a whole lot of doctor visits {found a great OB here, now just sorting through pediatricians} and you get the picture.

Our new home is on a quiet cul de sac with 6 other homes. It's a beautiful neighborhood and the neighbors are very friendly. VERY FRIENDLY. As in, "Hi! I'm Mrs. So-and-So! Nice to meet you! Welcome to the neighborhood! Oh, I went in your house while the painters were working on it {and you were still in California} and I took a look around and just LOVE the colors you picked!"

Is this a Southern thing? I hope not. Because for the life of me I cannot imagine being so blazé about being a snoop. I'm sure their intentions are good, but I'm still a bit shocked.

On the whole, however, things are just great and I am so happy to be finally settling in! I'll be slogging through various projects in the following weeks but promise to have posts up soon about the road trip {it was so much fun!} and house things.

In the meantime, here are some before and after photos to tide you over {please bear in mind that this is still very much a work in progress}:

While the paint job in the kitchen and living room absolutely thrills my white-addicted self, the fireplace project is right up there with my favorite updates.

Behold the mosaic fireplace, which looked like FiestaWare exploded:

Not my style. At all. Mum and I got to talking about how it could be retiled, and she said "why don't we just try painting it?" We agreed that there was no way paint could make it any worse, and after consulting the Google discovered that people do, in fact, paint tile, particularly in low-traffic, low-moisture areas. Bingo. We sanded the whole mosaic down with high-grit sand paper, cleaned it, and slapped on the same {oil-based - but we opened all the windows and worked quickly} paint used for the trim.

Two thick coats later:

Much, much better. For the price of maybe a quart of paint, the seizure-inducing mosaic is gone. Although you can't see it well in this photo, the tile pieces are still a bit reflective, giving the whole thing a nice, subtle shimmer. And the ill-fitting screen will be replaced soon, don't worry.

Off to comb the sticks out of my hair and unpack more of the never-ending boxes!

Mother-Daughter Road Trip v2.0!

2013-04-26T11:27:00.001-05:00

Almost 6 {six!} years ago, in the summer of 2007, I was about to start law school. With the help of my family and Mr. Curieuse, I loaded all of my belongings into a Penkse truck in Massachusetts and hit the road to California. My travel companion was none other than my lovely Mum. My hair was extreme in both length and blondeness. {You can read an earlier, more detailed post about our cross-country trip here.}. Mr. Curieuse and I may have looked 16, but we were in our mid-20s. Still babies.

We drove across the country with supreme efficiency. For entertainment we winked at truckers and listened to the audiobook version of John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. I highly recommend it {the book, not the winking} if you have the time.

Now, it's time for another big road-trip! As I've mentioned before, I'm moving to Austin ahead of Mr. Curieuse - his office won't be moving until June, but I want to get the house and baby situations arranged as much as possible before I'm REALLY pregnant. I get a lot of "oh, you poor thing - moving AND pregnant?" comments, but honestly: it's not that bad. Being pregnant does not mean I'm disabled {ok, legally it does, but that's beside the point}.

It's definitely time to go - the movers have come and gone, and our condo looks like this:

Rather than fly, I decided to drive from Los Angeles to Austin. And guess who decided to join me??? Mum!!! Some people don't like their mothers, and I feel terrible for them. Mine is the tops.

We concluded that the longer, more northern route to Austin is preferable for one reason: it does not require driving through El Paso {shudder}. I do not like being that close to Juarez, thank you. I was in El Paso a few years ago, and at night you could see nothing but fires burning across the border in Juarez. Not marshmallow fires, people. That whole city is one big gang war zone. So, we're taking the long route - the famous Route 66! Also known as the Mother Road {read into that what you will}.

This route is about 1,700 miles {2700 km}, and certainly has its perks! Since neither of us have been to the Grand Canyon {point B on the map}, we'll be spending a few days there taking in the scenery. And we'll be stopping to see other Route 66 attractions like UFO landing sites, meteor craters, Billy the Kid's tombstone, and Cadillac Ranch {point C on the map}. Bring on the scenery and the kitsch!

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We're leaving this Sunday and will roll into Austin some time the following Friday. It will be a much less efficient road-trip than our earlier one, but there's no need for speed so we'll have plenty of time to smell the {desert} roses.

Have you traveled this stretch of Route 66 before? Any attractions we should see on our way?

I'll be posting updates on our trip on Instagram, so make sure you check in!

Bump Update: 27 Weeks

2013-04-22T17:32:00.000-05:00

This past week was so busy that an Instagram selfie pic is all I have to document Week 27. But to be honest, I'm pretty happy that I managed even that much - I'm moving to Austin in 6 DAYS! To say I've been busy is an understatement.

Aside from the moving prep, I've also created a master shopping list for all things Bebe {it's 6 pages long, single-spaced - but it's such a comfort to my Type-A self to have a list of every single thing we'll need to consider the basics covered}, set up interviews with five Austin OBs and four Austin pediatricians' offices {I think it's so important to find competent AND personable docs - but harder than it should be}, compiled all of my medical records into one file, planned and reserved hotel rooms for my road trip to Austin, and somehow also managed to fit in time with friends and Mr. Curieuse. WHEN IS IT NAP TIME?

Significant gains have been made in the Bebe nursery department: I've ordered some furniture!

Land of Nod - Straight Up Crib

Land of Nod: Jenny Lind 7-Drawer Dresser

Land of Nod Changer Tray & Pad Set {seen on the dresser above}

The crib required the most research - I wanted something (1) with minimal chemicals/bad stuff, (2) made in North America and (3) made of solid wood. All signs pointed toward New York-based El Greco Woodworking, Inc., and I settled on the Straight Up crib. I'm not a complete green freak {Happy Earth Day, btw!}, but it seems like a no-brainer to try and eliminate as many toxins from a baby's sleeping area as possible. True, it's not the cheapest option, but peace of mind is definitely worth something.

Once I found the crib, I simply looked for a dresser with good reviews. The Jenny Lind fit the bill. I was thinking about refinishing an old dresser I used as a girl, but then I remembered that it grew mold a few years ago {thanks to living so close to the beach} and while it's perfectly mold-free now, it's probably not a good idea to put it in the Bebe's room. So, a new dresser it is. And rather than get a separate changing table, I threw in the Changer Tray & Pad Set. This can be attached to the dresser and then removed when diaper-changing days are over.

Yes, everything is white. I hope you're not surprised.

And without any more rambling, here are this weeks stats:

Weeks Cooking: 27

Weeks Remaining: 13 {10 until full-term!}

Size of Baby: about 2 pounds. At this stage, brain development is kicking into high gear, so I'm trying to think deep thoughts. Ha! Seriously, though, I'm taking a pre-natal vitamin with Omega 3s {as I have been all along} and using the Belly Buds to stream stimulating tunes into those teeny ears. Can't hurt!

Weight Gain: about 20 pounds. There it is. The tops of my thighs rub together when I walk and I'm developing what can only be described as "fat arm." I think it's more funny than anything. Must be those hormones!

Maternity Clothes: nope! Maxi dresses are in heavy rotation, though.

Symptoms: that second trimester energy is starting to wane, but not completely. I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I start waddling!

Food Cravings/Aversions: banana creme pie has been up there on my dessert wish-list lately, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere! Maybe I'll have to make some when I have a little more down-time.

Sleep: more or less the same - I'm always waking up in the middle of the night, but am still getting plenty of sleep so no real complaints here.

Sex: Boy! I'm having lots of fun working on his "layette" {btw, I had NO IDEA what the heck a layette was when I first saw the word - I figured it was probably a piece of nursery furniture. For the uninitiated, it's basically a fancy word for "baby wardrobe."}. Bring on the baby loafers, seersucker, and bow-ties!

Movement: I think he's trying to get as much jiving in as possible before things get really cramped. And I'm pretty sure he got a case of the hiccups the other day, which was pretty funny to feel!

What I Miss: being able to park my car in tight spots. Now I need more door clearance to get in and out!

Looking Forward to: Seeing how much he's grown at my next appointment in a few days. Hope you've been bulking up, little man!

You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

2013-04-20T17:21:00.001-05:00

While I was in Austin with my younger sister, we did a fair amount of what most moderately-social media-savvy people do while out and about: snap photos with smart phones and share them {after selecting the appropriate filter, obvs}. You've seen photos of my sister on this little blog, and she's gorgeous. Super cute. But when I took photos of her, more often than not she'd request that I retake them, insisting her face looked "puffy" or something similarly ridiculous.

People: her face is not puffy.

And, full confession: I'd just as often request that she re-take photos of me, because I thought my forehead looked too massive or my nose too sharp.

Sound familiar? I'm betting that most women go through the same routine when it's their turn in front of the camera. And friends look at the pictures they've rejected {if not deleted immediately} and usually can't tell why.

Dove recently conducted an interesting experiment designed to illustrate the fact that many women {most, I'd argue} are far, far too critical of how they look. They called it "Real Beauty Sketches." Women sat behind a curtain and described themselves to a criminal sketch artist, who rendered a drawing based on that description. Then, the artist would render another sketch of the same woman, but this time based on how another person described her.

As Dove describes the experiment:

Women are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. At Dove, we are committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. So, we decided to conduct a compelling social experiment that explores how women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see.

Now, I don't do sponsors or receive any benefit from companies whose products or work I endorse here. None of the photos on this little blog feature items that are "care of" some company or other. I have absolutely no relationship with Dove. With that in mind, I think you should watch this video:

Say what you will, but we need to work on our self-confidence. Of all the battles women have to fight, of all the things that might hold us back, fear that the light will accentuate our {likely minimal, if they exist at all} crows' feet is a sorry excuse not to lean in.

Austin House Update: Upstairs Tour

2013-04-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

After taking you through the downstairs or first floor of our new house {available here if you're so inclined}, now it's time for a tour of the upstairs/second floor!

While the downstairs is getting a major facelift in the form of new paint everywhere, the second floor needs less immediate updates. There are some things I'd like to change, but they're not on the top of the project list.

The entry/stairwell is very bright and the ceiling is nice and high. I love the height, but am wondering how I'll dust the chandelier. Apparently the prior owners hadn't quite figured this out either, since it's sporting nice grey film. Any ideas that don't involve scaling a 30 foot ladder? I'll likely replace this fixture in the future {the curlicues are a little much}, but that won't solve the dusting conundrum.

Along with the rest of the first floor, this whole area is getting a fresh coat of {slightly lighter and less tan} paint.

Here is the landing at the top of the stairs, where there is a VERY BOLD purple accent wall to greet you. More on this monstrosity below. From the landing, you can enter one of three doors leading to two bedrooms and the master suite. One of these bedrooms will be the nursery, which I'm going to have to decorate in record time. I wonder how many other people wait until the third trimester to do this? Can't be helped, so I'm not losing too much sleep over it.

The front-facing guest room. Here is how the former owners had it decorated:

There's a whole lot of crazy going on downstairs, both color- and decor-wise, but somehow the bedrooms appear to have been spared the worst of it. The guest room has a door to the upper-front porch, which I love.

Aside from painting the porch ceilings a light Haint Blue, we'll also have to get some furniture out here. The front of the house faces west, making these porches perfect for taking in sunsets.

The guest room bath. I found a can in the garage and discovered that the walls are currently painted something called "Lavender Ice." And those tiny tiles are an iridescent purple. I think we know the former owners' favorite color. I can only tolerate small amounts of purple, and usually only in the garden. Happily, the bathroom is in great shape and really just needs to be repainted {cabinets, too} and that funky tile replaced. Not a big job. I love that guests will have an ensuite.

This is the room we'll use as a nursery, seen below as the prior owners had it arranged:

I chose this as the nursery for the simple reason that it's the only bedroom with no porch access. True, it's going to be a while until the little guy starts opening doors, but it's going to happen eventually and I'm not comfortable with the idea of instant access to the great outdoors. And it will be harder for him to sneak out when he's older. Ha! Lots of closet space in this room and the guest room - both have two closets.

The nursery has an ensuite as well, and I actually have nothing to complain about here. Shocking, I know. I'm sure I could convince myself to replace the lights and towel rings near the sink, and maybe the medicine cabinet, but only if every other house project was completed.

Back out on the landing, here you can see the purple wall in full effect. This will be gone {i.e., repainted} by the time we move in. Won't miss it a bit! There's a short hallway to the master suite, after which you turn left to enter the bedroom, and right to get to the master bath and walk-in closets.

The master bedroom as it was when we first toured the house:

It's fine. We'll probably put our furniture in about the same spots. I worry about the movers getting our king-sized sleigh bed and massive dresser {both from Restoration Hardware, whom I'm convinced make the heaviest furniture around} up those stairs, but that's their job, I suppose. I plan on assuaging their hatred and back pain with a hearty tip. Provided they don't try to strangle me first.

The master bedroom also has a door to the upper-front porch, but I won't bore you with photographic proof since it would largely resemble that provided for the guest room.

The master bath is pretty big. It has its own porch that looks out over the back yard. And a jacuzzi tub. The tile is a little dark for me, but I can live with it. The wacky lighting fixtures will go, however.

Instead of split sinks, there are two entirely separate vanities. No mirror or drawer sharing! I'd like to paint the cabinets white, but that's a project for another time. This whole bathroom was recently remodeled, so everything is nice and clean and functioning. That will do for now.

We saw plenty of houses with large bathroom windows that looked directly into another property and practically begged for the neighbors to get an eyeball of your jiggly-bits. The back of our house faces the woods, so unless someone stands in the far end of the back yard {which is accessible only through gates or the garage}, no one is seeing my bits - jiggly or not. I'm so glad we don't have to worry about frosting the glass or otherwise obstructing all of this wonderful light.

One of the things I'm really excited about is this: there are two walk-in closets. One for me, one for Mr. Curieuse. Both have shoe racks, hanging racks, a built-in dresser, and shelves. The one I'm claiming as mine also has a full-length mirror. We share a walk-in now, and I can't wait to have one all to my self!

The bathroom porch. I wonder whether I can put a coffee-maker out here. How perfect would it be to come out here and enjoy the morning sun in your bathrobe with a cuppa before hopping in the shower? Yet another thing that wouldn't be possible if the neighbors could see up here. And the trees aren't talking.

And that wraps up the upstairs! Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, one purple wall. We have something of a finished space above the garage, which we plan on converting into more room for guests. Plenty of space for friends and family who want to stop by!

Love That Dirty Water

2013-04-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

The bombing at the Boston Marathon has been all over the news since this afternoon, so I won't rehash too many details here. Right now {Monday evening here in Los Angeles}, the injury count is creeping towards 200 and at least three people have died, including a child. The images of a blood-spattered Boylston Street are surreal, to say the least.

If you've been reading this little blog for a while, you know that I grew up in Massachusetts and lived in Boston for four fantastic years. Mr. Curieuse and I met there, and I have so many wonderful memories of that special city. I can't understand how anyone could wish to cause such devastation and harm to a place known for its scholars, swan boats, and the best baseball team in the world. It's harder still for me to imagine anyone targeting marathoners, many of whom were running for charitable causes.

My younger sister - who was just with me in Austin - was on Boylston Street watching the marathon, not far from the explosions. Thankfully, she is safe and unharmed. Others weren't so lucky.

My thoughts are with my former City, the victims, and the victims' friends and family.

How to help:

The Red Cross reports that the best way to help is to get in touch with loved ones through its Safe and Well Listings. They are not asking for blood donations at this time.
The Salvation Army is offering food, drinks, and counseling to survivors and first responders. To support the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services, please donate here.
Some marathon runners are stranded in Boston and need places to stay. If you can offer housing, please get involved here.
Anyone with information about the bombings should call the Boston Police Department's special line: 1.800.494.TIPS.

Bump Update: 26 Weeks

2013-04-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Guys, I feel pregnant. Really pregnant.

The closer I get to the third trimester, the more I can't really imagine my stomach getting any bigger. According to the sources I consult, my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. A SOCCER BALL.

The other day, a really sweet woman asked me how far along I was, and when I said "about six months," she said "you're so tiny!" Obviously, the woman needs help. I should have given her a profile view:

My mother-in-law gave me a Boppy Prenatal Body Pillow several months ago {why does almost every maternity/baby product have a completely juvenile name?}, and these days it is absolutely required for comfortable sleep. Highly recommend, despite the name! I feel a little like one of those ladies with a pillow boyfriend, but whatever. We have a king-sized bed, so there's room for the three of us.

Earlier this week I sat in the blood lab waiting room and chugged this down:

50 grams of sugar - for prescription use only. As part of a routine gestational diabete/glucose screen, I had to drink this nasty syrup and then wait an hour {exactly - they're sticklers about this} to have my blood drawn. It is foul. I drank it as quickly as possible, and spent the next hour vibrating in my seat and wondering if I was going to start hallucinating from the amount of sugar swirling through my bloodstream. Good news: I passed! No gestational diabetes! Where's the pie?

Weeks Cooking: 26

Weeks Remaining: 14. Although... I requested copies of all of my medical records so I can bring them with me to Austin and noticed that on several of my records, July 15 is noted as the expected due date. So could be 13 weeks. Who knows. Despite the fact that a gazillion babies are born each day, doctors are still rubbish at predicting delivery dates.

Size of Baby: somewhere around 2.2 pounds or so.

Weight Gain: around 18 pounds. I'm not sure where all that weight is - most clothes still fit me except in the belly area. Maybe the scale is broken. I wish!

Maternity Clothes: nope. As previously noted, normal clothes are still working {as long as they have room for the belly, i.e. lycra} and I am not jazzed about the dearth of nice maternity gear.

Symptoms: so, they've started. My toes occasionally look like they belong to Miss Piggy, and I had a serious leg cramp at about 2am the other night. And I'm starting to notice that I have a little less energy than usual. Nothing too crazy, but I DEFINITELY FEEL PREGNANT. I'm reading that Braxton-Hicks contractions {false contractions that are the body's way of practicing for labor, apparently - why can't we have brain exercises for that, too, so it seems less TERRIFYING} may start happening, but I can't tell if I'm having any. Mainly because everything feels weird to me. I mean, there's a 2 pound person moving around in my belly. That whole part of my body is AREA 51 - I'm an alien storage unit. Anything could happen.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing new to report here. Boring, I know, but it's the truth.

Sleep: whenever I roll over {usually because I wake up on my back and guilt prompts me to force myself back into the recommended side position}, I get a few swift kicks for my trouble. This little guy does not like being disturbed!

Sex: Boy! I've started telling people the name we've picked. Some people don't do this, but since we've picked such a traditional name I'm not worried about any "oh, well, that's ... real special!" responses. And I know several other pregnant ladies who are also having boys, so I'm hoping that if I tell them the name we've picked, they cross that one off their lists. I call it!

Movement: He's getting pretty strong - I can see my belly jump when he kicks! I think Mr. Curieuse feels more alarmed by this than he lets on. He's always asking me if it hurts. So far, no pain!

What I Miss: I'm starting to plan which adult beverage I'll have as soon as this little guy is no longer attached. Hospitals have bars, right?

Looking Forward To: moving into the Austin house so I can start ordering baby gear and decorating the nursery! I'm thinking of a nautical theme now, but I won't be in Austin for a few more weeks, so that could change. Really I just want it to look calm, pretty, and not full of primary-colored plastic stuff {which I'm convinced is direct-from-China-laced-with-LEAD-AND-OTHER-POISONS}. Not to go all Green Police on you, but chemicals and new baby cells should not be friends.

Austin - A Food Tour

2013-04-11T20:56:00.002-05:00

While my sister and I were in Austin, without a kitchen of our own {well, technically we could have used the kitchen at the new house, but with zero pots, pans, plates, silverware or other cooking necessities, it didn't seem like a good idea}, we took advantage of Austin's varied and tasty culinary offerings. She enjoyed wine and cocktails while I stuck to water and gave her the occasional hairy eyeball.

Manuel's Downtown - an upscale-ish TexMex spot on Congress. Solid. Nothing mind-blowing here, but everything we had was tasty, well-presented, and reasonably priced. My Sis had mole sauce for the first time and approved.

Max's Wine Dive - also downtown on San Jacinto Blvd. They have Texas wines on the list, along with plenty of others. There's a pretty good comfort food menu that includes this savory bread pudding full of cheese and whiskey or something. A great casual spot for a quick bite and sip.

Blue Dahlia Bistro - we went for breakfast and sat inside, discovering only afterwards that there is a beautiful garden dining patio in the back. Next time! Breakfast menu wasn't extensive, but the fritatta was perfect, and the place is super cozy. This would also be a great place for lunch!

Uncle Billy's Brew and Que on Barton Springs in South Austin. Couldn't miss BBQ! And iced tea. We sat on the patio and ordered ribs and brisket. I accidentally ate a little too much of the habanero sauce, but it only slowed me down for a minute or two. Super casual and seems like it might really get lively after dark.

Malaga Tapas & Bar on Second Street - we wanted a snack after walking all over downtown Austin, and somehow ordered a tower of food. And then, we somehow ate most of it. Sadly, preggos aren't supposed to eat cured/sandwich/cold meat, but I did a number on the fruit and cheese. Second Street is just the best, and I can't wait to try more of the restaurants in this District!

Pinthouse Pizza - north of downtown in a neighborhood called Rosedale. Basically the farthest north I've been in Austin. I'll really need to explore North Austin more! This place was a little quiet because we were there a late on Easter Sunday night, but it was great! A beer-lovers paradise - they have over 40 of them. And the pizza is pretty good, too. Mr. Curieuse is going to love this little gem.

Jo's Coffee - this one is in South Austin on South Congress. There's another one on Second Street with indoor seating and an extensive menu. The SoCo post is more casual, with lots of outdoor seating. Coffee was GREAT. Really. Jo's gets a lot of hype, and it's all deserved.

The Hula Hut - I've been here once before, and decided that my Sis needed to see it for herself. It's Tiki-Mex, or Hawaiian/Mexican. And it's right on Lake Austin, so you {unless you're pregnant} can enjoy your tropical cocktail and guacamole with a view and a nice breeze. It's kitschy, but definitely fun.

Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse & Cafe - in South Austin on South First Street. We had THE NICEST waiter I've ever had. He may have been totally blissed out on something, but boy, was he ever sweet and attentive. We went for breakfast and loved it - there was some sort of pecan/chipotle pesto on my omlet, and it was amazing. Decor is funky and fun.

We had a lot of great food while we were in town. We weren't going for anything too upscale, and luckily for us, Austin does casual dining pretty darn well. There are so many places left to try, including some pretty famous sushi spots {yes, you read that correctly: good sushi in Texas}. I'm going to have to adopt a pretty rigorous exercise regimin to keep my thighs from chaffing.

Any spots you recommend??

The Bats of Austin

2013-04-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

I knew practically nothing about Austin when Mr. Curieuse first told me his office might move there. Ok, that's not true: I knew that Austin was (1) a city in Texas, (2) a blue spot in a sea of red, politics-wise, and (3) home to SXSW. Since then, I've learned a lot more about our new city, and now know enough to say that Austin has all sorts of things an outsider like myself would never expect. Like bats. Not just any old bats, but BELOVED bats that make up the world's largest urban bat colony. They live under the Ann Richards/Congress Avenue Bridge spanning Lady Bird Lake. Austin's unofficial slogan is "keep Austin weird," and I think the bats help.

The bats migrate between Austin and Mexico, and the number of them living under the bridge in late spring and summer is anywhere from 750,000 to 1 million. When the bats are in residence, bat-watching is a legitimate activity come dusk - that's when they leave their roosts and fly off to eat mosquitos and other pests.

The Lonestar Riverboat company offers a narrated bat-watching cruise along Lady Bird Lake, and since I haven't technically moved to Austin yet, I still consider myself a tourist and grabbed the opportunity to unapologetically act like one - I signed myself and my sister up! And as luck would have it, JW {one of my bridesmaids and law school bestie} and her husband MM were in town {hope you guys move to Austin!!!} with their beautiful girls, and they decided to come along, too.

There are no loud motors allowed on the Lake, so the Riverboat uses a very quiet electric motor - ideal for tranquility and sneaking up on wildlife. We set out just before dusk and took in the views as well as some local factoids peppered on us by our chirpy tour guide {herself an immigrant from Maine}.

Austin is ridiculously beautiful. Seriously - I didn't edit these photos at all aside from some quick crop and straighten action. I feel so lucky to be moving to such an aesthetically pleasing city!

I wasn't kidding about bat-watching being a legitimate activity - can you see the people already lined up on the bridge below?

How about now?

We waited, and waited, and finally, at about 7:45p.m., the bats started to fly out a few at a time.

Pretty soon there was a steady stream of them pouring out from under the bridge - they organize quickly, those bats!

Our tour guide said that people sometimes call the fire department thinking there's a fire somewhere - from a distance these streams of bats really do look like wafts of smoke!

If you're in Austin when the bats are {and you don't have a bat phobia}, I highly recommend coming down to see the bats! It's such a unique experience, and experts swear that these creatures are disease free and not at all harmful to humans.

And after the bats fly off, you can admire the City at night.

Did I already say Austin is a beautiful place? Well, it merits repeating. I love this town.

Bump Update: 24 and 25 Weeks

2013-04-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a bump update! The traveling, house-buying and general moving craziness pushed this to the bottom of the priority pile, but I've got some much-needed downtime this week, so here we go!

For the last half of week 24 and first half of week 25 I was in Austin. I've been so productive during this second trimester that I'm not particularly looking forward to losing steam as the third trimester approaches! I still have plenty to do in the next few months! I've held off on buying baby gear and clothes due to the move, so once I'm in Austin for good, I'm going to quickly become good friends with our local FedEx, UPS and USPS delivery folks. Luckily, I ended up hiring a baby planner {expect a post on that soon}, and she's compiled a pretty comprehensive shopping list of the creme de la creme of baby essentials. Money well, well spent!

Weeks Cooking: 25 {two more weeks until 3rd trimester - yikes!}. Viability at this age is between 50-80%! Modern medicine is pretty amazing.

Weeks Remaining: 15 {although the "full term" period begins at 37 weeks - so time until that period is just 12 weeks!}

Size of Baby: somewhere between 1.5 and 2.2 pounds. Given his prior weigh-ins, I'm guessing he's closer to the top of that range. He's about the size of a cantaloupe or large head of cauliflower. It's really strange picturing produce in my belly. Wish there were a better comparison guide than fruits and vegetables.

Weight Gain: about 18 pounds. Meh. As long as I'm within the "normal" range and he's growing nicely, I can live with that.

Maternity Clothes: Not so much. I bough a few maternity maxi dresses, and while comfortable, I'm pretty sure the only thing that makes them qualify as "maternity" is an extra 2-3 inches in length. Which means they drag on the ground - no small matter since I'm a little over 5'7". That may well change as my belly grows to epic proportions, but for now they're pretty useless. Most of the other "maternity" wear I've purchased is either (1) sort of hideous, (2) matronly in the extreme, or (3) still too big. I'm trying to get away with "regular" dresses one size up from my usual for as long as possible.

Symptoms: Nothing crazy to report. In fact, I've had so few "bad" symptoms that I'm beginning to worry that I might be in for it in the next trimester!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still nothing new here - I honestly feel like my appetite hasn't changed that much, and I can't think of the last time I HAD to have something. Mr. Curieuse is lucky - no need for late-night grocery store runs here!

Sleep: I'm getting a good amount of sleep, but I'm still waking up on my back - I've read several sources that say sleeping on your back is a no-no, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable, at least not yet. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a bad mother for wanting to sleep on my back. THE GUILT BEGINS. I don't intentionally do it, so I'm blaming my subconscious.

Sex: Boy! And we've picked a name! A very traditional, non-trendy, non-hippie, non-misspelled, non-bad-nickname-fodder name. Because, you know, he might be President. Or Chair of the Federal Reserve. Or disinclined toward spelling his name out for people three times a day.

Movement: Plenty! As he gets bigger, the kicks are harder - not at all painful, but unmistakable. And easy for family members {not strangers - back away from the belly, strangers, I don't care if you think it's good luck, your grubby mitts are not welcome here} to feel.

What I Miss: {chirps like an alcoholic} wine! bubbly! margaritas! It's the forbidden fruit for me, so I tell myself it's only natural to miss a tipple now and then.

Looking Forward To: the next check-in with my OB to see what he's looking like these days! I'm thinking of getting one of those 3D ultrasounds - totally buying the hype and also just want to see what that little {smooshed} face looks like. Has anyone ever had one? Thumbs up? Down?

{source}

Austin House Update: Downstairs Tour!

2013-04-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to officially report that Mr. Curieuse and I are now home owners! And . . . we are no longer debt-free. C'est la vie!

As I've mentioned before, the house is a limestone Texas Traditional. The tree to the right is now full of leaves {this picture was taken in February}, and there are roses growing like mad to the left of the lower porch. I'm playing with the idea of painting the porch ceilings a very light haint blue. I find this Southern tradition {although not exclusively Southern, since my grandparent's Massachusetts porch ceiling was blue} so charming.

Mr. Curieuse has been working like a slave so I flew to Austin immediately after closing, where I met my sister {who kindly flew in from Boston for moral support/idea bouncing} at the airport. We spent about six days exploring Austin, eating some seriously amazing food, interviewing painters, and trying to decide on the PERFECT shade of off-white.

Here's my lovely sister at the front door. When we first saw the house, there was a Cigar-Store Indian standing just to the right of the door, apparently to welcome people in. He's gone, thank goodness. He may have been an antique, but his political-correctness score was well into the negative digits. I may replace the lanterns at some point, but for now I find the Texas Lone Star kind of charming. When in Rome!

It was a little strange being in an entirely empty house, and I still can't believe it's MY HOUSE.

As you can see, the former owners' style was probably best described as "Eclectic Ranch." Once the furnishings were removed it was easier to imagine a more ... er, restrained and calming home.

This is the view just inside the front door. Yes, that is a purple accent wall at the top of the stairs. I don't understand it, either. Thankfully, the remainder of the upstairs walls are a much more reasonable off-white. The purple wall will be repainted before we move in, as will those green walls downstairs.

Also gone is the gigantic buffalo head in the entry {ECLECTIC RANCH ALERT}. I'm not sure what will eventually fill that now-empty space, but it will be something that won't scare the Bebe {or our vegetarian friends}.

Here's the dining room. I don't know about you, but the massive silver feather mirror and lime green leather dining chairs are really not my style. It looks better empty! One of the first things my sister did was yank those dingy shades off the chandelier lights - instant improvement. In this house, less is definitely more.

The office, which I thought was grey, actually looks pretty purple most hours of the day and night. And the mantelpiece is faux black marble, which - IMHO - rarely fools anyone and usually just looks cheap. That, and the walls, will be repainted. I do love the plantation shutters, though!

The living room. Thanks to the green walls, Saltillo tile floor and the herringbone wood ceiling, it's a little dark. This room actually gets a great amount of light, but those walls make it feel much more cave-like than necessary. I knew from the first that the green had to go. We put up big patches of primer on every side of the room so we could test colors. My sister was such a champ - she happily jumped right in to this project!

There's a small half-bath off the living room. It's not particularly roomy, but since all of the bedrooms upstairs have their own full bath, the downstairs one just needs to be functional for guests. I may repaint this to match the living room {i.e., more white, less cream}, but for now it's fine. The light fixture and towel hook will eventually be replaced with something less rustic. I find the sink somewhat charming, but we'll see how long that lasts.

I didn't take many "empty" pictures of the kitchen, since it was already pretty free of clutter when I took our initial walk-through photos. Painting those cabinets white was another MUST-DO-BEFORE-MOVE-IN. Knotty pine has its place {in cabins and the 1970's}, but not sandwiched between a wood ceiling and Saltillo tile. Our painter summed it up nicely: "it's just too much BROWN!"

The kitchen layout is great {hello, double ovens!} and the cabinets themselves are new-ish and well-made, so paint is really all that they need. My solution to just about everything is "paint it white." It usually works. I toyed with the idea of white-washing the ceiling, but decided to keep that on the back-burner until I see what it looks like with lighter walls and cabinets.

Finally, the laundry room! Very Country-Living circa 1985, but I love that it's bright, has a sink, and plenty of storage space. The gingham curtain will be replaced, the walls will be freshly painted {the hand-painted quote around the top is a little too bumpkin for me}, and I'm planning on using those RustOleum Transformation kits everyone's talking about on counters {light grey} and cabinets {white}.

Except for the bathroom and laundry room, the entire downstairs is being repainted by professionals in the coming weeks, and I can't WAIT to see what it looks like with lighter, brighter walls and trim. The green and grey/purple paint has to go, as does the tan paint in the entry and dining room. I am not a fan of tan - it reminds me of drab hotel conference rooms.

My sister and I made a million trips to Home Depot and became good friends with the men in the paint department, who must have mixed us up about 20 different test pots of different off-whites. When we returned, we'd apply the test paint, wait for the patches to dry, take notes, and then revisit at different times of the day to see how the colors changed with the light.

Side note: the mosaic tile on this fireplace will be replaced, eventually. Mr. Curieuse HATES it. The man offers very few opinions on interior design, so when he does I try to be accommodating. And in this case it's easy because I tend to agree with him - something less busy would be a big improvement.

We decided on Sherwin-Williams "Rhinestone" for the kitchen and den walls - it's a very pale off-white with slight blue/grey undertones and looks very fresh and clean, particularly when paired with spanking-white trim {currently, the trim is a rather dingy cream}.

For the office, dining room, and entry walls, we're going with Behr "Dove." It's a nice light grey-ish color, but is a little warmer on the walls than it looks on the swatch, and is at least several shades lighter than the tan that's currently gracing the dining room and entry. It should really freshen up those spaces!

Whew! The painters are starting next week, and I'll be moving in the first week of May. I am so, so excited to see what magic they work! While the bones of the house are great, I love that I'll be able to make superficial updates throughout. This will definitely be an adventure!

Bump Update: 22 and 23 Weeks

2013-03-24T12:59:00.003-05:00

At the very end of week 23, it's hard to believe the little guy only has about 16 weeks of cooking time left! Things are really starting to blur together, and since my 22nd and 23rd weeks were pretty similar, I've taken the liberty of posting them as a two-fer.

Looking at these photos makes me so depressed about leaving my hairdresser - almost every time I go to see her, I suggest we do something a little different than last time {just for fun}, and not only is she always a sport about it, she always does a top-notch job. Last time, she added some highlights and a red-ish glaze. I'm really going to miss her! It's so hard to find the right stylist - here's hoping it doesn't take me too long to find one in Austin.

This 22 week snap was taken by my lovely Mum at my parents home in New Hampshire {the light there is far superior to that in our LA condo, as is the cooking}. After my parents claimed they could hardly see a bump, I bought this form-fitting {at least for preggo ladies} fuschia number and voila: BUMP.

I have to mention the necklace I'm wearing in this 23 Weeks shot - it's my new favorite! It's a near-perfect knock-off white version of this Kenneth Jay Lane necklace {which I bought for a steal on Gilt and LOVE}. I saw it in a shop display case in New Hampshire and had to have it - there's not a hint of real gold on this version, but honestly, who cares. You can find this fantastic coral knock-off necklace here.

Ok, on to business - here are the stats from these weeks!

Weeks cooking: 23

Weeks remaining: 17 {due date, though I wouldn't bet the ranch on it, is July 17th}

Size of baby: 1 pound, 4 ounces! Woohoo!! Wonky baby feeder is working! We saw the specialist again last week, and he said everything looks just fine. No restrictions issued, nor warnings involving the dreaded word "rupture" given. Happiness.

Weight Gain: about 15 pounds. I refuse to feel guilty about this since I eat a healthy diet for the most part, I go on plenty of long urban treks, and the baby is growing well. I will say, however, that I think 5 of those pounds are directly attributable to the amount of treats I had during my visit to New Hampshire.

Maternity Clothes: Not so much. I'm trying to wear "normal" clothes for as long as possible and so far it seems to be working just fine. It helps that the only pants I wear any more are workout pants, which have so much elastic they could probably fit two watermelons in them before the seams gave out.

Symptoms: MAJOR belly ligament stretching going on these days. I tried to lift my carry-on into the overhead compartment on my flight from LA to Boston, and let's just say that I'm not doing that again until this guy is no longer occupying my belly. It was a pretty big WAKE UP, YOU'RE REALLY PREGNANT NOW call. I can no longer roll over in bed without feeling like my sides are splitting. Also experiencing some minor swelling, but long walks and lots of water seem to be keeping that {mostly} at bay.

Food Cravings/Aversions: nothing new here. My appetite feels pretty normal.

Sleep: the 3am wake-ups have pretty much stopped, though I can't sleep past 6:30 or 7am. Not complaining!

Sex: BOY! We're trying to pick out a name and it's not easy - I'm steering clear of (1) "trendy" names, (2) misspelled names {seriously, I don't understand why folks think this is a great way to make their baby's name unique - he or she will be spelling out their name for the rest of their life}, and (3) names that lend themselves to undesirable nicknames. Shocking how many names these filters will sift out!

Movement: rocking and rolling. Mr. Curieuse gets a huge kick out of feeling some big kicks and punches every night.

What I miss: Margaritas and more than 1 cup of coffee. And all of this house-buying madness has really made me wish I could have a glass of wine at night!

Looking forward to: closing on our Austin house this coming week, so I can FINALLY start making concerte nursery plans!

Friday Sundries

2013-03-22T12:25:00.001-05:00

This weekend I'm planning on soaking up as much of Los Angeles as I can! We're closing on our house in Austin next week (fingers crossed), and the fact that we'll be leaving LA soon is finally starting to sink in. It's supposed to be a beautiful sunny weekend here and I can't wait to spend some QT with the workaholic known to you as Mr. Curieuse!

As fodder for internet addicts everywhere, here's a roundup of things I've seen around the interwebs that you might enjoy, too:

From the Gothamist, this is what a $1000 Easter egg looks like!

From Eater.com, where to have Easter Brunch in Austin this year. Several of these spots are already sold out, so if you're in the ATX area, hurry up and make reservations!

An old Greg Savage post that everyone should read, entitled "No, you are not 'running late,' you are rude and selfish." Everyone has their not-so-hot moments, but thinking it's ok to always be late is probably one of my biggest pet peeves.

We're big fans of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and since I was in Beantown earlier this week, Mom and I decided to stop by to see the museum's new addition (it's lovely). Turns out it was also the same day the FBI claimed to have finally identified the people behind the notorious theft of several important pieces from the ISG 23 years ago - one of the biggest art heists in history! No names have been released, though, so the plot thickens!!

*note: as part of my on-going effort to find the best tablet app for blog posts, I wrote this post entirely in Blogsy. It has a gazillion features I'll probably never use, but I'm finding it pretty user-friendly!

St. Patty's Day Recap

2013-03-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

We're not Irish in the least {well, maybe there's some in the mix, but it's too remote to claim with any seriousness}, but St. Patrick's Day is pretty big in New England and so we've always celebrated it in some form. Usually, that form is a dinner of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and soda bread. Delish!

This year, we went to Wentworth by the Sea for a St. Patrick's Day brunch hosted by Stonewall Kitchen and Domaine Chandon. I love the Wentworth - it's a quintessential New England retreat, and also the perfect spot to moor your yacht and have a bit to eat during the summer. Now, if only I had a yacht...

Any proper brunch involves mimosas, which we were promptly offered as soon as we sat down. Sadly, I had a mimosa sans champagne {yep, just oj}. Boston sister enjoyed hers for the both of us!

Thankfully, the desserts were safe for preggos! I can't resist a mini-tart.

That evening, Mum whipped up the traditional boiled dinner {vegetarians stop reading here}.

SOMEONE was VERY interested in the meat carving... my parents' dog Finn. Isn't he just the cutest pooch? They found Finn at a shelter - proof that you don't need a pedigree to be handsome and loyal! One of the things I'm looking forward to doing once we're settled in Austin is getting a dog - I LOVE dogs but couldn't bring myself to force one to live in a condo with no yard. I know it works just fine for some, but I prefer bigger breeds and they need lots of space and running time.

Dinner was simple, but very tasty! I don't know why we don't eat this meal more often. Oh yeah... pretty sure the corned beef contains enough sodium to cover us for months. That's probably why. But it's so, so yummy!

Did you celebrate St. Patty's? Any traditions you observe other than boiled dinners and soda bread?

Portsmouth Book and Bar

2013-03-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

I left New England just in time to avoid the massive snow storm that started yesterday, and good thing, too, since it's now painfully clear that I am no longer used to northern winters. I was expecting to see a few flowers or leaf buds here and there {hey, it's March!}, but it still looks like the dead of winter. Grey, brown, and bare trees as far as the eye could see.

It was pretty darn COLD, too! Mom and I went into Portsmouth, New Hampshire to grab a few baby shower gifts on Friday, and before long were jumping into stores just to warm up! When lunchtime rolled around, Mom suggested the Portsmouth Book & Bar, and it was the perfect place to restore blood-flow to our frozen bits and fill our bellies. She is a big fan of this combination restaurant/cafe/bar/bookstore, and I was happy to finally experience it for myself!

If you're in Portsmouth and are looking for lunch, a treat, a coffee or an adult beverage, Portsmouth Book & Bar will hit the spot AND fulfill any literary itches! The space is beautiful - it's in the old Portsmouth Custom House and many of the building's original details have been preserved and are on display. And loitering is encouraged - there are plenty of comfy chairs and sofas upon which you can park it for an hour or three. Go see for yourself!

Music for Brain Development, or: Belly Music

2013-03-15T15:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know how, but I seriously lucked out in the in-law department. Mr. Curieuse and his sister SJ are incredibly talented in the music department. Particularly SJ {sorry, Mr. C} who I'm pretty sure made it her mission to be just as good if not better than Mr. C at everything. So when I suggested that she be in charge of Le Bebe's in-utero musical training/brain development {the girl does have a master's degree in neuroscience, followed by an MBA - feel free to hate her for also being gorgeous}, she NAILED it.

SJ and Mr. Curieuse

Plenty of studies seem to indicate that listening to music in utero is good for baby brains, but I'd yet to find any useful playlists based on those findings.

Enter SJ.

A few days ago, she sent me the following email:

"I sorted through some old data that looked at fMRI images of brains listening to specific songs. There are some complicated scores based on the distributed processing and networks that were engaged, but I assigned a normalized score and it's there as "neuromusic score" - basically on a scale of 1-10, 10 meaning that 10 it is a complex song that requires a lot of neural processing. Brain workout!

You'll notice some major composers are missing, namely some kickass dark and twisted russians like Stravinksy. Apparently fetuses and developing brains are not equipped to handle crazy pieces like that so DO NOT PLAY STRAVINSKY type songs until your baby has some teeth. Repetitive songs are great for their brains and it beefs up their memory centers. Emotional ones are good too for boosting dopamine and getting them feeling happy (ones that excite the nucleus accumbens or amygdala)

There is a lot of controversy about contrapuntal fugues because they are complex and workout the forebrain but they don't get a lot of other areas as active for as long as the more emotional songs with build do...

So, the list I made starts out with repetitive, nicer songs and gets a little more complicated and bold near the end. Nothing crazy loud and alarming is in there, but definitely leave out certain movements of songs if you hear them and they are jarring in any way."

Attached to her email was the following spreadsheet:

She also sent along some Belly Buds. The little dude has been jamming out to Aunt SJ's Playlist ever since. {Yes, that's my belly-botton. Here's hoping Google doesn't steer fetish traffic this way.}

I have a feeling we'll have to buy her a VERY sparkly present when the IQ tests come back.

In all seriousness, I posted her email not only to brag about what great relatives I have, but also to share the info in case any other mommas out there are wondering what tunes to stream through their abdomen.

Feel free to use SJ's playlist for your little bean!

Completely Random Ramblings

2013-03-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

As most of you likely already know, Google Reader is going away July 1. I'm pretty unhappy with Google lately, as it seems everything they're doing is geared towards shoving Google+ down our throats. And don't get me started on all of the great features they've removed from Picasa Web Albums. I did a little investigating this morning, and found a great Reader alternative: Feedly!

{here}

Not only is Feedly prettier {bonus} but you can transition all of your Reader feeds in one easy step - no resubscribing! - and the good folks at Feedly have already figured out a way to ensure that all of those feeds will stay once Reader bites the dust. They also offer some great tips for Google Reader users migrating to Feedly. You do have to download a browser add-on for your computer and an app for your tablet, but don't let that deter you. End {uncompensated} plug.

Another option that doesn't involve any downloading is Bloglovin'. I haven't used it before, but it sounds like plenty of people do, and it's very user-friendly. Looks like it takes you right to blog pages to read posts, rather than just pulling the feed. Click here to follow my blog with Bloglovin!

And, although I hesitated about this since I'm on an anti-Google jag, I've added the Google Friend Connect widget to my blog's sidebar if you like that option.

In other news, it's Pi Day!

My Mum has been carving this symbol into pies ever since I can remember. Well before I knew how to spell "pie," I knew what this symbol meant: YUMMY!

And in yet still more random news, I'm flying back to New England today for a quick family visit and a good friend's baby shower on St. Patrick's Day. It's an especially fitting date because she is quite Irish. Seems like yesterday I was watching her get married!

We've been good friends since 7th grade, when we thought we knew everything. Now we know everything else.

And about that property line problem I mentioned... guess what? The neighbors have nicely agreed to release any claims on that troublesome wedge. A fully executed, notarized document is in the process of being filed with the City to that effect. I sent them a massive bouquet. Hopefully we can convince them we're not going to be crazy neighbors, just people who care about details!

That's all the news for now. Time for me to get packing and get on that plane!

Catching Up

2013-03-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

Here's what's been happening lately, in no particular order:

House-Buying

Turns out this is a lot of work! And yet another major life event that makes me realize how much my basic legal education comes in handy. Even though I'm not working as an attorney right now, any first-year law student worth their salt would pause if they saw a survey like this:

Obviously, this is just a part of the whole survey, but here are the basics: We're Lot 2. The blue lines are property lines. The brown lines with dashes are wooden fences. Here's a hint: one of those fences is nowhere near the property line.

I took one look at this and something from the far reaches of my property law memories screamed out ADVERSE POSSESSION! So we had our option period extended as to this specific issue, and sellers are currently working on getting the neighbors {Lot 3} to sign a release acknowledging that they have no claim on the problematic wedge above. Lesson: get the survey done early, so you can (1) discovery any problems before the option period closes, and (2) use those problems as a bargaining tool. If the neighbors aren't willing to sign a release, you can bet we'll be asking the sellers to reduce the price accordingly.

Baby-Growing

While I was in Austin reviewing inspection reports and meeting with our general inspector, Le Bebe went from 20 weeks to 21 weeks cooking. Yes, I'm cheating and considering myself now covered for weeks 20 and 21.

Thanks to my MIL for the photo, snapped at the Hula Hut. Just a pause here to say we LOVED the Hula Hut. I foresee many happy returns, particularly once I'm able to have margaritas again.

Weeks Cooking: 21
Weeks Remaining: 19 {due date July 21}
Size of Baby: At barely 20 weeks, the little guy was 11 ounces. Given that he was 9 ounces at the end of 19 weeks, he appears to have gained over 12% of his body weight in 4 days. I bet he's even bigger now. Fruit-comparison-wise, he's somewhere around the length of a banana and the width of a pomegranate.
Weight Gain: About 12 pounds. Fine by me.
Maternity Clothes: Wore a small maternity dress a few times, and felt a bit matronly. Probably because it was knee-length and black. Sticking to fun "normal" clothes for as long as possible! The dress I'm wearing in the above pic is this Chambray Shirtdress from J.Crew. The medium fits over the bump nicely.
Symptoms: Feeling awesome. Seriously, I don't think I had this much positive energy even BEFORE I was pregnant! Pardon the crude expression, but I am kicking @ss and taking names these days.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Craving taco salads in those big tostada shells. No real aversions.
Sleep: Not waking up as much in the middle of the night, which is pretty great.
Sex: BOY!
Movement: Moving and shaking. Pretty sure he sleeps with us at night, since he bangs around in there almost all day long, but is quiet as a rock at night. Am I jinxing myself by hoping this means he'll be a good sleeper once he's born?
What I Miss: Wine. Particularly after rounds of house negotiations {see above}.
Looking Forward To: this weekend! I'm headed to Boston for a good friend's baby shower, and my Mum and Little Sister will see the bump for the first time! Last time I saw them was around Christmas, when I wasn't showing yet and was completely exhausted. This trip should be more fun!

Predicting the Future

My sweet MIL brought me some baby pictures of Mr. Curieuse when we met up in Austin, and I've been having fun comparing his baby pictures to mine:

Mr. Curieuse on the left, yours truly on the right. One thing's for sure: this little guy is going to have NO HAIR until he's 13.

I'm thinking about having one of those 3D ultrasounds done so we can see whether he has Mr. Curieuse's ears or my mouth. Are they worth it?

Back in Austin!

2013-03-01T08:25:00.001-06:00

I'm typing this in my hotel room, watching the sun warm the city and watching local news, which is currently doing a story on the "Cowboy Breakfast." The sweet reporter is being such a good sport and letting one of the cowboys try and lasso her while he's standing on his horse. Hilarious. And pretty much the farthest thing from the crime and snarled traffic that comprises most of the morning news in LA! {Editor's note: I went for a walk along Lady Bird Lake Trail after posting this and saw said lassoing cowboy in person, see below.}

I flew in yesterday and will be here until Monday, and the "official" purpose of this trip is to review the inspector's reports and walk through the house with the general inspector so I'll know where all the major mechanicals are. The general inspection and mold inspection didn't uncover anything major, but the pool inspection wasn't all that rosey. We'll probably have to do some extensive repairs there, but we were expecting that and will deduct the cost of repairs from the purchase price. And I actually don't mind having one area of the property we can completely redo. Mr. Curieuse's parents are coming up for the weekend to be additional eyes and ears. He couldn't leave work and they're a good resource as Texas home owners themselves (via Houston). They're also some of the most helpful people I know. Really lucked out in the in-law department!

While my official purpose here is a little hum-drum, I flew in earlier and am leaving later than necessary to I can spend some time here in Austin checking out this beautiful city! Ah, the perks of unemployment.

Yesterday I drove up to The Oasis on Lake Travis. I'd heard a lot about the Lake and the Oasis and had plenty of free time, so I pointed my rental car towards the water and hit the gas. It was pretty empty on a {chilly} Thursday afternoon at 3pm, but I've heard it gets pretty crowded when the temp rises.

The Lake was beautiful, and the Oasis is a great place to enjoy the view if you stick to drinks and avoid the food. To be honest, I found the place to be incredibly cheesy, but I imagine that quickly fades once you're settled in to a patio seat watching the sun set with an adult beverage.

I then drove around our new neighborhood {Rollingwood} like a stalker. I love it! Minutes to downtown, lots of hills, beautiful houses, and big old trees everywhere. I foresee plenty of good stroller workouts in the future! Other Moms were out doing just that while I was tooling around in my BOAT of a rental car {an Impala}.

Last evening I took a long power walk around the Trail at Lady Bird Lake. Apparently Lady Bird Lake is also called the Colorado River and Lake Austin - leave it to Austin to give everything several names! There are several bridges that cross the lake, and plenty of people out exercising, kayaking, rowing, you name it. This part of the city really reminds me of Cambridge and the Charles river.

Adding to the Boston similarities, there are even Swan boats!

Such a pretty place! And I didn't make it back until just after dark, but felt safe out on the trail the whole time. Lots of other folks were out finishing their runs, walking their dogs, or just strolling. And the view at night from the Congress Avenue bridge can't be beat:

Here's to another day of exploring! Also meeting a baby planner from Dallas who was kind enough to drive down and meet me! The whole "baby planner" thing likely deserves its own post, so stay tuned! Think wedding planner for pregnancy. I think it's genius, but all about finding the right fit.

Happy Friday, friends!

Austin House Update!

2013-02-26T12:35:00.001-06:00

This is not a baby-related post! Are you relieved? I am, a little. It's good to have variety.

We put an offer on the Buffalo House {affectionately named for the stuffed buffalo in the entry - see below} before we left Austin, and after a bit of back-and-forth, the sellers accepted our offer!

The sellers' style is very "Ranch-y," but take away the decor and slap on some fresh paint {not sure I'm crazy about those black shutters, for example} and we think house is pretty great.

The house and garage are both made of limestone, and the porches are very South/Texas to me. We toured other homes that were built in that generic McMansion-style and looked very forced and out of place. I'm in favor of homes that "feel" like they are supposed to be right where they are.

not sure what's up with the cigar-smoking Indian... but he's not staying

As quaint as the front of the house is, the back of the house is the BEST. More porches in the back, along with a terrific outdoor patio with a built-in grill and free-standing limestone fireplace. The backyard is split between the grassy upper yard and the lower pool area. And despite the amount of light the house gets, there are plenty of trees so the neighbors can't keep an eye on your backstroke.

I love this house because it's the perfect size for our small family, in a great neighborhood {Rollingwood}, has a terrific back yard and pool area, has a garage apartment for extra space, and was recently updated but still has a little room to play, improvement-wise. There's a lot going on inside, which you'll see in future posts.

We're now in the "option period" - the window in which we can walk away for any reason with minimal cost - and I've arranged for three {yes, three} inspectors to look at the house this week. A general inspector to look everything over, a pool inspector, and a mold inspector with fancy moisture-sensing tools to see if there are any problems lurking behind the walls. Better safe than sorry! And better to deduct any needed repair costs from the closing price rather than paying full price for the house and later discovering an expensive problem.

I'll be flying back to Austin this weekend to review the inspectors reports and do a walk-through of the house. Even if the reports come back clean, I still want to know where things like water heaters, etc. are located and how to turn them on and off. I'm the handyman in this marriage! And by "handyman," I mean I'm the one who notices problems and calls in the professionals. We all have our strengths.

I will say that it's been very interesting adjusting to Texas housing code standards after living in California. For every Texas code, there are three California codes. I read the seller's disclosure report {where they make basic disclosures about the property as required by law}, and was shocked to read that they only have THREE smoke detectors in the entire house. A two-story, three bedroom, 3500 square foot house with two fireplaces. Only three smoke detectors. Texas law says: NO PROBLEM!

Back in California, in our 1700 square foot Los Angeles condo we have five smoke detectors. So basically I'm going to move into the Buffalo House and spend weeks bringing it up to California housing code standards because I'm just that nutty. That will be me at Home Depot with a cart full of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors. Thank goodness we won't have to worry about earthquakes anymore.

Here's hoping the inspectors don't find anything too crazy!

Bump Update: 19 Weeks and a Test of Nerves

2013-02-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: I don't really like to air "personal issues" online {imho, some things are strictly Not For Public Consumption}. That being said, even in 2013 there are a lot of myths surrounding pregnancy {chief of those being that the worst part is morning sickness}, and perpetuating them doesn't help anyone. So, with that in mind, I put on my Big Girl Pants and wrote the following:

- - - - - - - -

This week was interesting, to say the least. I went in for my mid-term Level II ultrasound and got some less than thrilling news. I learned that I have a bilobate placenta, which basically means the placenta has two parts rather than the usual one. And - as often happens with this condition - the cord is inserted smack in between the lobes, something called velamentous cord insertion {VCI}. VCI is a long name for an umbilical cord that is inserted into the fetal membranes rather than the center of the placenta. There's a risk that any exposed blood vessels could rupture. And there are some additional risks at birth if things aren't all in the right position. It also can mean a lower birth weight since the connection can be more tenuous and in that case, less nutrients get to le bebe.

CUE ANXIETY ATTACK. I grew a bad baby feeder.

And even better: no one really knows why this happens. Medical mysteries are the BEST when they're happening in your body. The perinatologist was quick to reassure me that I shouldn't worry {buddy, you just said "RUPTURE"} and that the position of the blood vessels was better than what they usually see with VCI so the risk of rupture should be lower. The nurse then asked me if I was alright because I had a "worried face." Thanks, Sherlock.

The GOOD news is that the little guy looks perfect - all limbs, organs, etc. are in the right place and are the right size. His heart looks good and strong, and he was jammin' around the entire ultrasound. He's also slightly larger than average, so even though my baby feeder is wonky, it's getting the job done.

The other good news is that I have a great perinatologist. He's a bit of a character but is one of the best in Los Angeles, which means he did a very, very thorough scan and caught this wonkiness early on. I have to go back in a month for another look-see, which I'm hoping means the State of the Womb is not terribly serious {if so, I'd think he'd want to see me sooner}.

So while I'm a bit rattled, I'm so thankful for (1) good health insurance and (2) good doctors. Things will be closely monitored from this point on, and for my own sanity I have to believe that will help to ensure this little guy comes out in great shape.

I'm also thankful for other bloggers who have been honest about the bumps in the road they encountered while pregnant. It was immensely helpful for me to re-read their "scary news" posts and think of the beautiful, healthy babies they had anyway. This stuff is terrifying and not easy to talk about, so THANK YOU.

I've exchanged my "worried face" for my "brave face." I like it better.

Weeks cooking: 19

Weeks remaining: 21 {due date July 21}

Size of Baby: average is about the size of a mango - 6 inches long and 8.5 ounces. Turns out our little guy is slightly bigger than average, ringing in at 9 ounces. Way to bulk up, little guy!

Weight Gain: almost 10 pounds. I feel pretty fine about this, actually, since he's growing at a good pace. And I'm not crazy about doing super vigorous exercise in light of the dreaded word "rupture." If I need to lie in bed demanding bonbons for the next 5 months to keep this guy growing well, I'm prepared to make that sacrifice. Ha!

Maternity Clothes: None yet. I'm still rocking the stretchy gear, and that seems to be working just fine. I have been ordering maternity clothes, but I looked through them yesterday and it turns out I've ordered mostly black dresses. Any suggestions for fun, colorful maternity gear?

Symptoms: Hungry! Sniffles! Seriously, I cannot wait for this chronic congestion to be over.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Eggs, avocados, salsa . . . basically I want to have huevos rancheros for every single meal. No big aversions to anything in particular.

Sleep: Still waking up in the early hours of the morning and having a hard time falling back asleep. I miss my old sleeping habits!

Sex: BOY!

Movement: It's finally started! Well, I know the little guy has been practicing gymnastics in there for weeks now, but I can actually feel him jumping around now. It's like having a goldfish in my belly. It started on the flight to Austin, and has been pretty constant ever since! I can usually feel something if I sit still for long enough. And boy, was he active during the ultrasound! Boxing, kicking, rubbing his nose, hiccuping {that was pretty hilarious to watch}... he's a real mover! So reassuring.

What I Miss: The usual - sleeping on my back, more than one small cup of coffee, margaritas.

Looking Forward to: those kicks getting stronger!

Bump Watch: 18 Weeks

2013-02-22T14:36:00.000-06:00

*nearing the end of these pre-written posts - apologies for the inundation of baby updates!

Weeks cooking: 18

Weeks remaining: 22

Size of Baby: About the size of a sweet potato, or 5.6 inches long and 6.7 ounces in weight.

Weight Gain: Here we go... about 8 pounds. Ack! I attribute this to the fact that I am absolutely ravenous all the time. And the fact that I haven't settled on a solid exercise routine yet. I fell off the wagon during the first trimester when all I wanted to do was nap. That must change, ASAP. I've done at least 30 minutes of cardio every day this week, but need to include more strength training. I ordered a few prenatal workout DVDs and am doing those, too. Pretty sure that it will be easier to enjoy having a new baby if I'm not also cursing my thunder thighs. And apparently nursing does nothing to remove baby weight in my family - we must be among the lucky ones who store fat until nursing stops. So much for that myth!

Maternity Clothes: None yet, but the bump is definitely there! And some of my dresses don't fit as well in the chest area, which is a new experience for me - usually I have PLENTY of room! Now I finally understand why some women buy larger sizes and have everything but the boob region taken in. My favorite Sheridan French tunic dress is now out of rotation - word to the wise: Sheridan's size small isn't made for ladies with a C cup or larger.

Symptoms: Hungry! Sniffles! Seriously, I cannot wait for this chronic congestion to be over.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I don't feel like I'm craving anything in particular - I'll eat just about anything! The sugar monster is definitely following me around, and I need to get better about ignoring him since that stuff isn't good for me or the little guy. It doesn't help that we've had Sprinkles cupcakes at work all week!

Sleep: I've started waking up in the middle of the night for hours on end, or waking up at 5am raring to go. Still having a hard time breaking that habit of sleeping on my back.

Sex: BOY! Let the purchasing of tiny sweater vests and bow-ties commence.

Movement: None yet. I think it's still a little to early for that, which I forget when I'm listening to podcasts or reading other pregnancy posts and thinking how fun it would be to feel some kicks. I've already seem him moving around in past ultrasounds, so I know he's active in there! Hopefully I'll feel something within the next few weeks.

What I Miss: The usual: sleeping on my back, coffee, and the occasional glass of wine. I also miss shopping for regular clothes. There are so many cute spring dresses on sale now, and I can't buy any of them! Don't worry: I'm making up for it in accessories.

Looking Forward to: Our 19 week ultrasound coming up next week - I can't wait to see the little guy again! And it will be good to make sure that everything is growing properly. I always worry about these check-ups, which I suppose can't be helped - I've never really tolerated the unknown very well.