The kids!

Well, I had some fun with my students today and decided to tell them about the baby. One of my parents found out this morning (she had come in to make copies and apparently my "Motherhood Maternity" tag was hanging out on my shirt), so it was decided (not by me, of course) that I should tell the students.

Anyway, we played a fun game of hangman which ended up reading "Mrs. Bigelow is having a baby" - they were so excited! Most of them said they weren't surprised - apparently the rumor has been a hot topic of conversation in the cafeteria the past couple of weeks. :)

Now all I have to do is convince them that:

• The baby will not be named after any of them, no matter how well they behave;
• I am happy to listen to their name suggestions, but not in the middle of a lesson;
• I will not name the baby Norbit.

Easy, right?

Really?

Do the Steelers honestly just suck this much? I'm sorry, but I live in Baltimore and if this game continues as is, I am going to have to endure weeks of hearing about how wonderful the Ravens are. And that is more unbearable to me than Dante's inferno. Not only because Ravens fans are obnoxious, but because they AREN'T GOOD!

Okay, so Santonio Holmes just scored. Not only does that give my Steelers 7, but I also pick up 9 in a close fantasy match-up (7 for the TD plus 2 for 20 yds passing)! Maybe I just need to keep blogging and complaining. Seems to be good luck...

*Update* - Fumble recovered by my defensive player Lamar Woodley and returned for a touchdown. That would be 16 points in 15 seconds. Thank you!

Queen of the hill

I just wanted to share that I am in first place in our fantasy football league. Yes, "Crazy Pregnant Lady" is atop the standings, and for right now at least, the hellish 12-hour draft was worth it.

And (just in case you were wondering) Seth is in 7th place.

We bought a crib!

We were bored yesterday, and decided to go out and do a little shopping. I had a birthday present to pick up and Seth wanted a new pair of jeans. So after a successful stop at Kohl's, we were headed to Babies R Us for some baby browsing. As we were passing the BJ's shopping center, something made us stop at Ollie's for a little look-see.

If you don't know Ollie's, it's really called Ollie's Bargain Basement. Their slogan is "Good Stuff Cheap" and you can join "Ollie's Army" if you want to learn about upcoming deals. Basically, it's Pocci's favorite place to shop and it's just not the place you'd go to look for baby furniture.

But, there we were. And there was our beautiful crib. It's a cherry sleigh crib, which will convert to a toddler bed and then to either a twin or full-size sleigh bed later on. It is beautiful and I am just in love with it. And the best part? The $350 price tag marked down to $199...

Can somebody please help me?

We are en francais again and it's driving me crazy. Why??? All I want is to go to google.com instead of google.fr - why does my computer suddenly think I'm in France?

Although there's a part of me that thinks maybe it's a sign - we've been thinking about names and perhaps there's a little Pierre or Madeleine in our future... (Just kidding about the whole Pierre thing - can you imagine what that poor child's like would be like?)

En francais?

So I log onto the laptop last night, open up Internet Explorer, and set myself up to do a little baby browsing on google. Funny thing is, Google was in French.

So what's a girl with 9 years of French education to do? Shut down the computer of course, and hope that when I turn it back on all would miraculously be back in English.

Well, as you've probably figured, all was still en francais when I got back to my google homepage. So I went to the blog. Hmmm....do I want to creer un nouveau blog perhaps? Nah, this is totally inconvenient and stressing me out.

So I decide it's a virus and I need to search for a solution. And where do I search, you ask? Yep. Google. Now keep in mind that after a brilliant public school career in French, I also took a year of French literature in college - in French. You'd think I'd be able to handle a little translation about computer languages. And luckily, I could. I figured out how to change the language on Google, and here we are back en Anglais. Whew. Let's hope it's a while before I need to break out the beret and croissants again.

On another note, I read a comment (thank you Mandi - lovin' those comments!) about the post where I was complaining about the girl who said you shouldn't be in maternity clothes until 20 weeks. I just loved Mandi's comment about it - it was SO something I would say...

"People around the office have made comments about it being awful early to start wearing maternity clothes. I often find myself wanting to tell them that their appearance would really benefit from looser clothing..."

Now can't you just see me saying that?

17 Weeks and Counting...

Hallelujah! I've been given the "okay" to respond honestly to colleagues and parents when they ask if I'm pregnant. Don't get me wrong - lying to most everyone I come into contact with professionally has really been a blast the last couple of months. So today it was suggested that I should "really think about telling the staff that (I'm) expecting". Really? What a great idea - why, oh why, didn't I think of that?

But don't get ahead of yourself and think that it was a broader understanding of the beauty of new life at work. Nah. If you just look at the pics above, she just flat out doesn't have a choice anymore. :)

By the way, try to ignore the hairdo. If you have any suggestions, I'm at my wits end with it and don't know what to do!

Farewell...

Tonight, our beloved Yankee Stadium will be no more. In just a few hours, the legendary sports shrine will see its last out, hear its last boo and shake with its last roar of approval.
After tonight's game against the Orioles, there will be no more walks to Memorial Park, no more impromptu subway trips to the Bronx after a long day's work, no more Rudy sitting next to the dugout as a reassurance that all is well in New York City.
I went to my first game at Yankee Stadium about 20 years ago, sometime in middle school. I remember being upset because we had some of those "partially blocked" seats - a nice way of saying that there's no way in hell you'll see half the game because of the big cement pillar in front of you. What I wouldn't give today to have one of those blocked seats, just to be a part of the last day in the stadium's 85-year history.
I met Don Larsen one day when I was living in the West Village and ran around the corner to pick up some Italian food. Apparently, he was a regular (as was I) and so the owner encouraged me to go talk to him. This was the man who pitched a no-hitter on my birthday in 1956, and I still have his autograph tucked away with my other memories.
I was lucky enough to be part of the House That Ruth Built's legend on October 30, 2001. Only weeks after the Twin Towers fell, despite not having the best record and despite the players mourning their own loss, somehow our Yankees showed up in the World Series that year. To this day, I cannot begin to explain the joy the Yanks brought to New York in a time of such sorrow - more than a team winning against the odds, it was a more like divine intervention. I remember reading a quote by Lou Pinella, when his record-setting Mariners were losing the ALCS in Yankee Stadium. He said he actually felt good for the fans, even when his team was getting their butts kicked. It was just that kind of experience.
I still don't know how it happened, but we ended up with tickets to Game 3 of the World Series - the first game back in New York after two in Arizona. Mom somehow got them from Harold Baines, and we were in the outfield with the "Bleacher Creatures" when President Bush helicoptered in to throw out the first pitch, an enormous U.S. flag was unfurled across the field, and the game got underway. It was a pitching duel, and Roger Clemens and the Yanks came through with a 2-1 victory.
The Yankees would win a few in that series in dramatic fashion - last minute heroics from players like Derek Jeter, who would be known afterwards as "Mr. November". That they ended up losing the series (ironically, my favorite former Pirate Jay Bell would score the Diamondbacks' winning run), would really make no difference. The Yankees gave hope to a city that had none, and we reveled in it for every last second.

It may be the house that Ruth built, but it's also the house of Gehrig, DiMaggio and Jackson, of Munson, Maris and Berra and of generations of New Yorkers. I have a feeling baseball will never be the same.

If you'd like to read more about those days, here's a column from today's New York Post that I think sums it up pretty well. http://www.nypost.com/seven/09212008/sports/yankees/2001_series_left_even_reggie_speechless_130028.htm?page=0

I have no followers :(

I don't really know what a 'follower' is, but I know I don't have any.

I think I would like to have some, so if you'd like to take a gander at the 'follower' tab on the right side of the screen, please consider becoming one.

Did I ever mention I like comments too? Otherwise, it's kind of like passing notes every day in school, but nobody ever writing back. And that's just sad.

Why does this bother me?

If you know me well, read this carefully and I'll give you one guess as to why this annoyed the p*ss out of me when I read it this morning.

The second thing that annoyed me? Reading some brain surgeon's observation on Baby Center that "If you are in pretty good shape, and are eating moderately... you will have gained 5-7 lbs by your 20th week, which is right around when you should start wearing maternity. So give or take a week, you've got another 4-5 weeks of your regular clothes."

This was posted in response to a girl who is 14 wks pregnant and wanting to know when she'd need maternity clothes. So apparently since I've been wearing maternity clothes for weeks, I'm not in pretty good shape. Or eating moderately. Or maybe people just shouldn't consider themselves authorities because they happen to own a computer and use opposable thumbs.

16 Weeks! (aka: Look at how huge I am)

Well, I've officially completed 4 months of this life-changing experiment. How does it feel, you ask? Hmmm...

• I love people knowing that I'm actually pregnant now, and not just fat.
• I especially like it that people at school are congratulating me when it's supposedly still a "secret".
• I know I've felt bebe move a few times in the past couple of weeks when I've been using the doppler, but the past couple of nights it's a lot and there's no mistaking it for something else. How cool is that?
• I'm loving that Seth is totally nesting - doing things like cleaning up the downstairs or having dinner cooking when I get home from school. I am really seeing a new side of him, and it's pretty neat to see.
• I'm a bit sad to have cleaned out my closet and my dressers the past couple of weeks. I figure it'll be a while before any of my cute, normal clothes fit right again, so they all got packed away. It's nice to have the space, but weird to not be able to wear most of my clothes.
• As much as I can't stand the idea of not finding out bebe's gender, for some reason the thought of not finding out has become strangely appealing.
• We've been perusing paint colors and fabrics for the nursery, and I finally don't feel like I'm going to jinx things by doing it. By the way, if you're hoping to see Winnie the Pooh or Noah's Ark anywhere in this baby's room, you're reading the wrong blog.

By the way, tune in tomorrow for another edition of "Stars - They're Just Like Us"...

A letter pays off...

I take after my grandfather in more ways than one, but probably the most in that I love to write letters if I'm unhappy about something. As Pocci says, "Nothing will change if you don't". Right?

So, after reading an article in Pregnancy magazine a few weeks ago, and getting all fired up about the content, I whipped off a quick email to the mag.

I had an email from them today saying they're publishing my letter in the November issue, and I couldn't be more pleased with myself. Not only because I get a cute new yoga bag out of the deal, but because I also get to see my name in print again. Sometimes I do miss all the "glory" of that world.

So, if you don't feel like running out to buy the new issue (like me), here's the letter...

As an expectant mother struggling with a full-time workload, I was so excited to see Erin Griffin's article, "Productive and Pregnant" in your September '08 issue. However, my excitement soon waned as I realized the article was written solely for women who hold an office job. As an elementary school teacher, I am one of many thousands of professional pregnant women who work in the service sector and don't have the luxury of putting my feet up during the day or ending my day earlier! I would love to see an article addressing some practical advice and tips for women such as myself.

Thanks for an otherwise great magazine!

Sarah E. Bigelow

Cool, huh?

Contractions?

Lucky me.

Sunday I woke up with pain reaching in a band all the way around my middle. Kind of like pulled muscles, but kind of like someone also set my insides on fire. Pleasant, huh?

Then later on, I got to experience my first Braxton Hicks contraction, which are pseudo-contractions in preparation for the big day (which, keep in mind, is probably 22 weeks away!). My body's new motto: Nothing like being prepared.

I, of course, totally freaked out and was on the phone with Dr. Penn asap. HE, of course, totally reassured me and stayed on the phone until he was sure I was feeling okay. And strangely enough,

I do.

It's ALWAYS sunny

I almost can't stand the anticipation. Tomorrow night, at 10:00, my beloved "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" returns on FX.

Commonly referred to in our house as "Seinfeld on crack", tomorrow's episodes apparently deal with cannibalism and boot-legged gasoline. I can't begin to describe the show, but it's really the only sitcom that can still make me laugh out loud every week.

And I thought waiting for the baby was hard...

Wow. Imagine my pride when I saw my little pregnancy tracker on Baby Center this morning... "My baby is now urinating."

Is this something I'm supposed to be excited about, and celebrate as a big milestone in its life? Because urine just really isn't that exciting to me.

Is my baby posessed?

Take a look at the right side of the 4D ultrasound picture in the upper right of the screen. Do you see a freaky face there?

Look to the right of baby's arms and you'll see the eyes. Then a nose. Then a spooky, curved-down mouth. It kind of looks like the face Brian used to make when he flipped his lip back and forth. But it also kind of looks like the "Scream" mask (which I don't even let my students wear on Halloween because it freaks me out).

Seth thinks I'm nuts (at worst) and reading too much into a random design on a picture (at best). All I know is that I was much less afraid of having Rosemary's Baby before noticing this spooky visage!

15 Weeks Update

This picture was taken Thursday at 15 weeks. If you read my previous post, you'll see a lot apparently changed between Thursday and Friday!

So here's my update at Week 15:

• I'm very excited to look pregnant rather than the gorgeous "Man, she's really letting herself go" look I've been sporting the last few months.


• I felt the baby move! Or, I momentarily blacked out and took a ride on a roller coaster. Not sure which, but I'll let you know...


• We've been able to use the doppler to hear the baby moving all around and doing her best UFC impression in the evenings. So cool!

• Aside from the dreaded animal protein, my appetite has returned full force. I've gained 2 pounds so far, and shudder to think what's to come now that I'm hungry again.


• My feet hurt so badly some days that I'm considering amputation.

The Cat's Out of the Bag

I love Chinese food.

And taking the advice of all the nutritionists out there, I've tried my best to eat several meals a day. Nothing like a little dabble in some egg rolls and mei fun for a little afternoon pick-me-up! So combine the two, and you'll understand why the lady at the local buffet restaurant might recognize me.

So I convince Seth that going to the buffet is the best option for dinner last night since I'm not liking meat these days and they have lots of veggie options. We walk in, and I hear,
"Hi! Two for dinner? Oooh, you're having a baby? That's so exciting! Congratulations!" Talk about being caught off guard!

Now I don't know what it was about yesterday, but as she was the second person to say something, I'm guessing the cat's out of the bag. Good thing I'm still "keeping it a secret" at work. Ha!

A sad day.

I just found out that we lost our dear friend Nick Amadori last night to brain cancer.

I've known Nick since I became friends with his daughter Nicole when we moved to Connecticut when I was 10. Nick was so many things to so many people, but the main thing he'll be remembered for is how much he cared about others and how much you just wanted to be around him.

Nick had been battling brain cancer for a few years now. From the beginning, it was known to be a very aggresive form, with tumors that like to grow back even after they're removed. He went into remission for a while, and got to see his namesake earlier this year when Nicole had her baby boy. Nick and Joanie, of course, were invited to our wedding last year and we were hopeful that Nick would be able to come, and were sad when we found out that he was sick again and would have to have chemo the day before they were supposed to come down from the Hamptons.

Well, my stomach dropped and I got teary when I saw Nick walk into the hotel the Friday of our wedding weekend. But that's just the kind of person Nick was - he wanted to be there and didn't let a brain tumor stop him.

Everyone who knew Nick will suffer from this loss, but my heart is really with Joanie, Nicole and Eric right now, because if Joanie is the heart of that family then Nick was the soul. Nick, we all love you and our lives just won't be the same without you.

9/11

Wow. What a day.

First off, a huge Happy Birthday shout out to Mom - hope you're having a fantastic time in Austin!

Second, I absolutely dread and hate this day. I go most of the year - probably 350 days - without giving more than a passing thought to 9.11.2001. But as the day begins creeping up on the calendar, so do thoughts and memories and the bone-chilling terror of what started out as such a beautiful, warm, and sunny day in downtown Manhattan.

I can only say that every year on 9/11, I wake up with the same innocence that I did on that day seven (really?) years ago. And, as on that day, it quickly turns to a churning stomachache, mixed in with lots of sadness and a bit of anger.

In an odd way, as much as it hurts, I like to think back to some of the things that happened that day. I was so lucky that I, for ONE time in my career working for Jody, had to leave early that morning for a client meeting. As terrifying as it was being under the plane as it crashed, I think it would have been worse had I still been in my apartment and then waited to get out. I still am in awe of the fact that I witnessed one of the major events of our lifetimes, and yet the first thing I thought to do was find a payphone to call work to say I was late (cell service went out as the tower was on top of the WTC). What an odd thing to do, but I guess it was my way of maintaining some normalcy in the midst of disaster.

A short time later, as I took a moment to sit and catch my breath and try to deal with what I witnessed, the second plane crashed into the building a few blocks behind me and pure panic set in. I was so fortunate to have been sitting next to the uptown subway - I got on before they were shut down and was able to get up to work before the towers fell. I am so thankful for that.

Carrie and I went into full-on survival mode. We decided, after running around midtown collecting friends and siblings, that the safest place to be that day would be in Central Park - no buildings - nothing to explode or fall on you. And it was. For a few hours, I actually had a sense of peace, although I was probably still just in shock. When I finally walked to Harlem and was able to catch a train that night to Connecticut, it ended the longest day of my life, and I was never so happy to see my little town of New Milford.

I try not to let this affect me anymore. But somehow I always find myself in a pretty ugly place on this day, and that's something I'm working on every year. We'll get through today, and I'm hoping that the American public has the sense to elect someone who won't permit us to go through this suffering again.

My final thought - please take a few moments today to reflect on 9/11/01 - it means so much to me that we not forget.

~Sarah

I've gotten

Sometimes I just crack myself up

Have you ever been watching Saturday Night Live, and you know the skit is good because the comedians are cracking up in the middle of it? That's kind of how I feel about the last post; it's totally cracking me up...

Stars - "They're Just Like US"

So, yes, I've had an embarassing addiction to US Weekly for the past couple of years. I feel a bit weird sometimes (kind of like a stalker), but it's a habit I just can't break.

Well recently, my interest has lain especially with pregnant celebs and those who are rumored to be preg. at this point. This, of course, is because I have a bond with these women. I mean, we will both give birth to a child within a year of each other! Can you get any closer than that???

So, in homage to Seth's favorite section of the magazine (yes, he reads it and, no, he doesn't even bother hiding it anymore), I bring you our version of "Stars - They're Just Like US"...

(See 4D photo above right)
They hide from the papparazzi!
Bebe Bigelow, well-known for her privacy, shies away from the cameras on a recent trip to the doctor's office.

So for all the pregnant celebs out there, have no worries. You're not alone.

What a bust

Well, Tropical Storm Hanna rolled through yesterday with nary a broken branch or flooded gutter. We did have the power flicker twice, but it came back on a few seconds later - thank goodness.

I remember hosting a hurricane party in Raleigh when Floyd came through - we lost power and still had quite a good time. Just don't think it would be the same without the wine... :)

Healthwise I had a really yucky day yesterday with some kind of bug. I had a terrible headache since Friday afternoon and developed a stomachache and body aches yesterday. UGGH! I am feeling much better today though, and will hopefully stay that way for a long time. Being pregnant is sick-feeling enough without an illness on top of it.

On another note, I might as well be the president of PETA these days. I absolutely cannot stand the thought of eating meat! So of course I'm now totally paranoid about getting enough protein and the baby not growing. We can thank our good friends at "What to Expect When You're Expecting" for that - I mean, it's a good source of information but there's no need to scare someone who is doing the best she can.

According to the book, I should be getting 75 grams of protein a day, which "most people get anyway without even realizing it". Yeah, if you eat meat, I guess! When you're not eating meat, and don't feel like eating at all most days anyway, that 1g in a spoon of sour cream and that 6g in a yogurt just don't seem to add up real fast. So now Seth and I have become anal about reading protein contents and adding them up thoughout the day. Fun, huh?

We never had a recliner

We never had a recliner growing up. Mom thought they were ugly and didn't go with the other furniture. Well, we are livin' large tonight with our new, I-just-want-to-sink-my-teeth-into-it leather recliner just in time for kickoff. So, Seth has his recliner, and tomorrow I will have my comfy couch. Honestly, this is the life...

Campbell's Day of Fun

Tami had a picnic on Sunday, and Seth brought Cammie over for a while to play with their new golden retriever puppy CB. They had a pretty good time - I love the picture of CB trying to bite her tongue - he was totally into her. :)

14 Weeks!

No matter which book/website/magazine you read, we are now "officially" in the second trimester. Some would have you believing you are at 12 weeks, some at 13, but all agree that with 14 weeks under your belt, you've jumped that hurdle. Whew!

I'm not sure if I expected to wake up one of these days and feel differently, but it hasn't happened yet. I'll tell you what has happened though - I noticed a few days ago that my pale, pasty complexion complete with full-on teenage breakouts has traded itself in for a pinkish, clearish version. Aaah, the glow of pregnancy. (for now anyway...check in again next week.)

So I thought I'd share some of my current likes/dislikes since that always seems to entertain people, and honestly I like to talk about them.

• I hate steak. That is a statement unto itself, as anyone who would usually put down a medium-rare ribeye or a filet with bearnaise would probably receive a hug of gratitude. I don't know what it is, but the idea of cutting and chewing meat just totally grosses me out. I hope that changes.


• I love plum juice. This seems to be the hip, young version of prune juice which apparently is totally out and totally not cool. Which is fine with me because I've always found it to be heavy and sickeningly sweet - more like cough syrup than something I would drink for satisfaction. Now plum juice, on the other hand, is light and tastes like a tall glass of grape juice over ice - a taste I love because it reminds me of Gaga's house growing up. Plus, if you've ever experienced the many physical joys of pregnancy, if it helps I'd pretty much drink it at this point.


• I love taco sauce. To the point where I have considered drinking it straight. Not sure what it is, but it seems to be the greatest thing my taste buds have ever experienced. I may rob a Taco Bell soon, so keep this on the DL...

I'm sure there's more, but there's much to do. I brought home papers to grade (the same ones I've been bringing home since Friday) and need to at least attempt to attack the pile. Uggh, remind me why I have a job that never ends???

Weird things that wake me up at night

I'm normally a fairly paranoid person, but I've found that pregnancy really just brings out the best when it comes to craziness. Here are just a few things that have me teetering on that thin line between wacky and committed.

• I lose things. Then I remember and try to find them. Then I forget about it for a while, and when I remember again I get upset about losing it the first time, and then forgetting about losing it. Needless to say, most things remain unfound (is that a word?).
• If I don't feel yucky, I feel like I'm not pregnant and therefore something must be wrong with the bebe. This has manifested itself in many phone calls to Dr. Penn's office. After being embarassed for several weeks when talking to the receptionists, they now all know that I'm a bit nuts and just take the message.
• I don't know whether or not to return my Snoogle. What's a Snoogle you ask? Simply what is supposed to be the most comfortable body pillow in the world. But....I'm not sure I like it. So I've now slept with it for about a week, it's covered in Campbell hair, and yet I literally lose sleep over whether I should return it and if there's something wrong because I don't really like it. Ironic, huh?
• Our new couch is going to show up on Friday and I've suddenly developed a strong attachment to the old couch that we're supposed to get rid of. Suddenly it's a sentimental journey of my life for the past 20 years and I can't bear to part with it. So, for now I'm lying on it, and tomorrow I'll probably be crying about it. Geesh.

There's lots more. Really. But I have to log off because I'm worried that I'm not in bed yet...

Are your children spoiled?

Let me preface this by saying that I love the kids in my class this year. They are sweet, kind, and starting to be a bit funny. However, there's one issue that is driving me crazy. They're totally spoiled! Now as Gram would say, "this is your payback". Yes, it's been said that I was spoiled as a child, although I have (and continue to) vehemently deny these charges.