Baby Registry

Some people think that creating a registry is a fun thing to do. Afterall, you get to pick all the "cute" stuff for your new baby, and maybe, just maybe, for yourself and you don't have to pay for it. You might want to put "cute" clothes and toys on the registry that make your friends go awww and they do want to buy those awww soo cute stuff for you.

To be honest, not a lot of those baby stuff makes me go awww. Sometimes I would even think to myself, what kind of parents would put their kids in things like that?! Again, anything your baby uses/owns, says a lot about your taste, not the baby's.

Gender steroetyle issue

I especially HATE those gender specific items. Why do baby girls have to wear pink? Why do baby boys have to wear blue? I don't mind blue. As a matter of fact, I really like blue. But at the same time, I don't want to buy EVERYTHING blue for my kid. Apparently the kid's clothing manufacturers provide very limited options for parents.

I do believe any guy who can pull off pink is pretty confident, thus hot. Of course no one ever said baby boys can't wear pink. But I bet none of the parents would buy pink for boys, because, that's how they are programmed. That's how the society programs us. Well, not that I am going to put my baby in pink. For the record, I hate pink.

And those crib mobiles, why do they have to only make tigers, lions, elephants, bicycles, cars, trains....for boys; butterflies, ballerinas, hearts, birdies.... for girls?

Cuteness issue

What you think is cute does not mean it is cute. I don't see how a body suit that has "ears" attached to the hood would make the outfit cute. Would you wear that yourself? If not, then maybe you shouldn't put it on your baby. I also don't know how headbands on girls make sense but it seems to be very very popular. I guess I wouldn't understand because I am not having a girl.

There are also too many things in stripes as some of moms have mentioned. I guess stripes are fine, sometimes, depending how one wears it. But please don't put your babies in head-to-toe stripes - "matching" sounds like a good idea but it is over-kill in this case. He or she will hate you when they grow up.

Practicality issue

I compared a lot of different registry lists and came out with my own. My priority is practicality. Even though people might not want to buy diapers for my baby, but that's the only thing my baby will need the most when he comes home. Same goes to wipes, bottles, and more diapers. I buy diapers as gifts whenever I see them on anyone's baby registry. Some of parents thought I did it as a joke (but dude, you did register for it) but I don't joke about serious business like, diapers.

I did, however, put a couple "cute" things on my registry to make people go awww. Then again, you might not think they are cute. Whatever, my baby needs to be toughened up, he does not need cute things.

#babyregistry
DearJulie



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Workout of the day
Seated good morning: 3x10
Squat: 3x10
Deadlift: 3x10
Leg curl: 3x10
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UES mommy's group

This sucker caved and joined a mommy's group. She is going onto the pathetic path becoming one of those ladies. Good that they don't know about my blog and they don't read about how I bashing them hard.

A couple good things about this group is that they are open-minded - they talk about all kinds of subjects: alternative medicine, sharing nannies, fun activities and all. There is a monthly mommy's night out which I am kindda looking for next month and see what exactly those ladies look like in person. They also give a log of hand-me-downs and I am hoping to pick up a good deal or two.

My progress has been .... zero. Nursery is not set up and stroller and car seat are not bought. Even though blueberry should arrive in 10 weeks....I think what happens to TB and I is that we know there is an urgency, but somehow we subconsciously resist to face the reality that it is happening. It is like we are in a denial mode. WE KNOW WHAT NEED TO GET DONE, but we just can't bring ourselves to do it. It's always next week(end)

Our procrastination does not give our first kid a good example. But, oh wells! Do we already sound like bad parents? Hm. Nah, we are just parents with a very alternative style. I'd like to think that my kid is different in that way.

Week 30

It feels like fall in the air. Well, it is fall after all- the best time of New York City. The change in the weather is somehow romantic ...

It is also football season - NCAA and NFL. This is what's happening at home at lease. Blueberry has been "listening" to a lot of Michigan fight song that he could respond to it when he hears it. He also likes the before-bed NFL session which can be soothing, although we limit TV time to the minimal. But I did say before, football season would totally ruin the TV time.

Work has been busy all the time until now. Blueberry has been there to help me throughout the year and he has been great. I fell one time though - it was not pretty but blueberry was able to hang in there.

Now, I am finally in week 30, still (trying to be) active, but I feel tired more easily, just like what the book says. Once I am tired, I guess my immune system gets weak, and that's when I get sick easily. Unfortunately I don't want to take any medicine and hope that my body can fight it all off, which usually result in a forever long recovery.

Belly is still growing - I am not sure how big it's going to get. I have been having trouble getting out of bed. But I hope I won't lose my balance once the belly grows to the point when I can't handle.

Blueberry still has no name. We might really have to wait until the moment we see him.

The book says that I should have mood swing and all that crap, but I really don't. I started feeling nervous that's for sure - I don't handle pain very well. Sometimes I think to myself, well, it's just a 12 hours labor, how hard could it be?! But then I also hear about women being in labor for more than 24 hours. Human body continues to amaze me. My very deformed body is going to be teared apart and it will also heal by itself. And in no time, I shall gain my 6-pack back. Wow, really?! Let me take on that challenge.

So can anyone tell me what's so bad about having a C-section that almost no one I talk to wants to plan a birth like that?

Things that are extermely stupid

Once again, DearJulie is going to offend a lot of people. But, SHE DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT.

Living in my neighborhood is great - quiet, lots of restaurants, convenient to public transits, and easy to get in and out of the city. However there are just things that annoy the heck out of me and I find them extremely stupid.

Goyard

It might be a status thing. Every, not almost every, but EVERY lady has one and they use it as a diaper bag. First of all, Goyard bags are UGLY. Secondly, there is no zipper, no pockets and no nothing in this stupidly priced bag. I think it's pretty stupid to use it as a diaper bag. It might be most useful for grocery shopping which they do use it for grocery.

Entitlement

Ladies and moms in this neighborhood feel very entitled. They will argue with the poor staff at Maison Kayers for not getting their coffee when they were actually waiting in the wrong line. But yes, Maison Kayers needs to do a better job letting people know where and how to get coffee. One ladies had 3 kids with her and she was so loud that everyone was looking at her. When you listen carefully to what she had to argue for, you know it was obviously her own fault. Still, she thought she was right.

Attitude

Ladies here always have their eyes looking above their heights. Meaning that when they look at you , they don't really look at you. They look at the spot above your head. I am not sure why when some of them are actually short. It's funny to watch.

Lady 'scorner and nanny's corner

They gather. Maybe to gossip and maybe just to hang out.  Yeah, hanging out at the corner of the street.
Usually there is a lady's corner and there is a nanny's corner. Those ladies talk in high pitch voice caring nothing about what passers-by and laugh hysterically loud as if they want the world to know that they are funny when they actually are not. The nanny's group is awesome - they might be speaking different languages but they totally understand each other. Another thing I notice was, the kids in the strollers pushed by nannies look happier than kids in the strollers pushed by those ladies.

Please help me God. Don't ever let me become one of those ladies.

#observation
DearJulie


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Workout: 45 minutes cycling
Deadlift: 3x10
Seated good morning: 3x15
Squat: 3x10
Leg curl: 3x10

As a result, I treated myself to a Bareburger! :)
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blah blah blah

A couple months ago I said I was huge. I was not lying. I really have not been this huge in my life. But maybe in others' eyes, I am progressing OK for this pregnancy.

However, I am really gigantic now. I have gained 25+ lbs so far and I don't even know if it's blueberry who is gaining weight or just me.  My belly is really sticky out out - I can still bend down. I just can't see my feet or anything that's covered by the belly when I look down.

And, because some of my views have been blocked by my belly, I lost track of when to mow the lawn.  I could feel it when I shower and it's pretty nasty. I used to remember to mow the lawn every other month but recently I have just forgotten about it. Yes, I have made my appointment to do so. That's also one of the important to-dos before I go to deliver the baby in the hospital. Even though my doctor is female, I don't want her to see anything bushy.

My belly is not perfectly round. Well, I thought a pregnant belly should be in a perfect round shape. My belly button is outties now and when I wear fitted clothes, which is all the time, I can see it sticking out, like how my nipples stick out. I just tell myself it's natural regardless how people look at me walking on the street.

Some people are amazed by how I go to the gym every day. But I also know when to rest and not do anything. I have to say, I love how I carry on my workout routine. I am still doing squats and dead lifts which help prevent any back issue that could have happened during pregnancy. All my work stress did reflect on my body but usually a pre-natal massage can relief it. The place I go to is called Magic Hand. How cheesy.

UES moms and pregnant women do show how they feel they are entitled. Sometimes they crack me up y complaining about things. I swear I will not become one of them. They also congregate at street corners, pushing the strollers with a cup of Starbucks coffee, chatting up with other ladies.

Unfortunately, I don't belong to any mommy group. Maybe I should join and make friends and talk about babies.

I want to apologize to all my friends who I have been recently. I apologize for talking too much about me and my pregnancy. I used to promise myself I will not talk about my pregnancy when I am pregnant at any social occasion, because, if I were other people, I wouldn't want to hear about it. Again, I slightly became one of those ladies. I'll change.

#nopregnancytalk
DearJulie

My hidden natures

Pregnant ladies love to organize. It's almost like a disease. I noticed that I spent more time and money shopping for "containers", "drawers", "hangers" and all things you can name at Container Store than anything else nowadays, well except for baby stuff. That shit is expensive.

At Container Store or Target, you see pregnant ladies at any aisle you go to. No frigging kidding you! I don't know. Maybe I noticed the pregnant ladies more nowadays than before because I am also one of them . Holy shit, did I just admit that I have become one of them?

I hate organizing even though I am a very organized and detail-oriented person when it comes to work. But household stuff, I don't think I am ever born to do it. I can't fold clothes, for one. And this might be one thing that if my husband ever divorced me one day, would be because I can't fold clothes.

With the baby coming in 3 months, I constantly think about how to make room for him and for ourselves. Our place is meant to entertain, so to create a space that is welcoming is so important to me. Right now, we only have a couple more boxes in the soon to be nursery waiting to be cleaned out. This is good progress.

When seeing those stackable drawers at Container Store, it makes me calm. And when I install and place all the drawers and containers in my apartment, I feel so accomplished. It makes me smile. So I do have that in me - the nesting nature.

How strange. I feel more motherly each day and I discovered my nesting nature. Is it all because the hormones? I think yes. Hormones totally eff'ed me up.

These pregnancy hormones also bring out my protecting nature: the other day when walking on a busy street, there were a couple kids running towards my direction. Because I am short, those kids probably had the height that is at my belly. As they ran towards me, one kid was so close to me that forced me to hold my left arm up to not just try to block him, I pushed him, in front of his mom.

I never used to do that. In fact, TB always had to remind me to not walk to close to people and always have my arms up to create the space. The fact that I actually pushed that poor kid surprised me. Yeah, don't ever mess with a mother, she will eat you alive.

This is actually quite awesome. I always know I am feisty but never thought I'd be physical. I can't wait to see anything like this will happen again soon. Next time, I will curse and fight anyone who gets in my belly's way.


#mothernature
DearJulie

9/19 - Our anniversary

Holy Shit! I almost forgot it's our anniversary today. My stupid pregnant brain is messing me up. I even spilt coffee all over myself this morning.

To be specific, it's our wedding anniversary. And yes, we do and try to celebrate other anniversaries, like, the very first date, the very first kiss, the very first time he finally said I love You, and the first of a lot of things. Yeah DearJulie is cheesy. She likes all the girly stuff. Though we don't celebrate 2/14. For the record, we celebrate 2/15.

BUT, I never demand gifts. Because TB always says that he is the best gift he could ever give me. I could ask for no more.

It's only been two years and so much has happened - so much that I didn't expect has happened. Blueberry seems to know how exciting 9/19 is for us because he has been kicking non-stop today. Yes, blueberry is definitely something we didn't fully expect. We thought this guy would wait until the year of horse.

This year, no trip and no gift, no special reason - I really don't need anything. I already have TB - the best husband ever. And, we do need to save money for raising a baby. Babies are frigging expensive. I don't understand how people, especially people who couldn't afford, can keep pooping babies. I mean, knowing how expensive raising babies is, that's enough to stop a guy from getting up. Don't you think?

Here's the vow I wrote on our wedding day and I read it in front of all our family and friends: it's framed and hung in my office.

My Kelvin, my Copain* - the one I share the bread with.
It took me a long time to learn how to live with you.
Now, I realized I can never live without you.

Thank you for letting me be the independent me.
Thank you for letting me be the feminist me.

As much as it goes against my feminist belief
Today, I want to declare to the world that I belong to you.

So World, listen up - Julie belongs to Kelvin.

Our life, together, is moving forward every day as my belly grows bigger every day. I think our kid will appreciate a bitchy mom and a jackass dad, because we make a perfect pair.

Lucky you, little blueberry.

#happyanniversarytous
DearJulie

*Copain is the our favorite wine maker and that's what we served at our wedding and when we have dinner parties. And it is French, meaning someone to share the bread with. I was not making it up.

Nursery project

We have about 10 - 14 weeks to set up the nursery before little blueberry arrives. I know it's a bit late in the game but hey, at least I started reading Baby Bargains to get myself educated first. This is not an easy read. The book is thicker than I thought and I have been so reluctant to start because I did not want to be sucked into the world of baby shopping. If it sounds crazy that's because it is crazy.

How do you balance functionality, safety, budget, style/look, and eco-friendly production? I have no idea. But what's important to me is definitely the style/look. Heck yeah. This is not about being superficial; this is about being DearJulie.

We went to a couple local stores including Sprout and Giggle just to see what are out there. Any business model that's established on targeting women, is a good business. Same thing goes to the baby industry. They jack up the price by giving moms (women) some bullshit reasons such as, organic, whole natural wood, and non-allergen, and those suckers are really willing pay for the whopping price tags. Not that organic, whole natural wood, and non-allergen are wrong, but the mark-ups are. Nevertheless, it's Manhattan. People expect you to be able to afford.

I refuse to become one of those suckers.

This wonderful Baby Bargains book magically talks highly of IKEA stuff which makes me and my wallet very happy. Without going against my style principle, we decide to take a look at IKEA this coming weekend. At least to make comparison of products and take notes of what are good and bad. I will report back.

To remind you, the above is only for crib shopping. There are still other big ticket items such as stroller(s), drawers/changing tables, and maybe a wardrobe. Oh, and don't forget a nursery glider, which is really the extra extra mulas people pay for comfort. And because I am such a selfish person, that's one thing I am more willing to spend money on than others.

I have been playing with my nursery inspiration board and I absolutely love the style I am going with. Now, it's shopping time. No, I actually don't love shopping, it's stressful, but it has to be done.


#nurseryshopping
DearJulie


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Weekend workout:
Sat
Cardio Sculpt: 45 minutes
Incline bicep curl: 3x10
Cable curl: 3x10
Shoulders pull-down: 3x10
Lat extension: 4x10

Sun
Cycling: 45 minutes
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