Geek in Heels - Page 71

Oct 13, 2011 • In Claire, Motherhood, Personal

Purposely Distancing Myself from My Daughter

With less than 3 weeks to go before my due date with BebeDeux, I have been slowly making preparations for our new life as a family of 4.

The hardest part of this transition has had to do with Claire. Because for the past couple of weeks, I have been purposely spending less and less time with my firstborn.

I know that she is in good hands with J’s parents. And while I wouldn’t be lying if I were to say that I have been enjoying getting some extra rest, it is becoming more and more apparent with each passing day that Claire has grown less attached to me.

I may even go as far as to say that I am no longer her favorite person.

For the first time in her life, she will stretch her arms out to others when I am holding her. For the first time in her life, she does not cry when someone takes her from me. And for the first time in her life, she no longer cries when I leave the room.

I am happy that Claire is growing more independent. I tell myself that this is for her own good, so that the transition to having a younger sibling at such a young age — they will only be 13 months apart! — will not be so traumatic for her.

But I can’t help but be a bit sad at the same time.

I hope that one day, she will read these words and understand that I only have the best intentions for her.

The Difference Between Pixar and Dreamworks Animated Films

For what it’s worth, I still say the best film of the ones that are listed here is Shrek. What about you?

Via Geek Tyrant.

When Toilet Paper is Not an Option

Admit it. We’ve all been there. Doing a #2 in a public/semi-public restroom, only to realize that — oh crap (literally) — there’s no toilet paper!

What do you do?

This is precisely the reason I try my best to have a pack of tissues in my bag at all times. But on the few occasions I didn’t, I have waited until the bathroom was empty, loosely pulled up my lower pieces of clothing so that nothing was touching my skin, waddled over to the next stall and helped myself to some toilet paper from there.

I have never asked a stranger to pass me some toilet paper (although I have been asked several times over the years).

But what if it’s a one-person bathroom? And there are no other stalls? And for once, you are wishing the restaurant/office/store/etc is not trying to be eco-friendly by installing hand dryers with no paper towels in sight?

THEN what do you do?

This was actually a question posed by a then-popular Korean drama called 내 이름은 김삼순 (“My Name is Kim Sam Soon,” or “My Lovely Sam Soon”) which aired in 2005. I remember catching a few episodes back then, and re-discovered it on Hulu just recently. (Did you even know there’s a Korean drama section on Hulu? I didn’t!)

According to the main character, Sam Soon, how one reacts in this situation depends on his/her bloodtype (like Japan, Korea is big on blood typing):

Type A’s would wait for help.
Type B’s would utilize the two finger method (use your imagination).
Type AB’s would scrounge for used toilet paper.
Type O’s would just wipe later.

Sam Soon actually has a more practical method than the four outlined above: she would use her socks!

My blood type is O, but I personally wouldn’t choose to wipe later. Can you guess what I have would do? 😛

What about you? What would you do, and is it consistent with your blood type?

Reasons to Fear Canada

by Sean Carman

Ninety percent of population is massed within 100 miles of northern American border.

Seems not to mind that one of its provinces has turned almost entirely French.

Excessive politeness only makes sense as cover for something truly sinister. But what?

Citizens seem strangely impervious to cold.

Decriminalization of marijuana and acceptance of gay marriage without corresponding collapse of social institutions indicate Canada may, in fact, be indestructible.

Has infiltrated entertainment industry with singers, actors, and comedians practically indistinguishable from their American counterparts.

Consistently stays just below cultural radar yet never quite disappears.

Parliamentary government and common-law judiciary appear to function acceptably yet remain completely inscrutable.

Never had a “disco phase.”

Seemingly endless supply of timber, donuts, and Scotch-plaid hats with earflaps.

Keeps insisting it “has no designs on America” and “only wants peace.”

Plays a mean game of pond hockey.

# # #

(image source)

Pognae Baby Carrier Review

Baby carriers are big in Asia. This is especially the case in urban areas where there is limited space and the majority of the population choose to take public transportation rather than drive.

And where there is demand, there is supply. A great variety of quality supply, I might add.

The Pognae is one such baby carrier. Made in, and popularized in Korea, the Pognae is currently one of the most popular soft structured baby carriers in Asia and Europe.

I had read about the Pognae in various mommy boards even before Claire was born. Many mothers touted the Pognae as a cheaper alternative to the popular Ergo, without sacrificing the quality. Not only that, the Pognae offers an additional feature: a mesh cooling vent which is great for those summer months, or if you have a baby who overheats easily.

However, I decided to go with the BabyBjörn because it was more accessible at the time (ie, we could add it to our baby registry). And while I used the BabyBjörn with Claire, I didn’t love it, and I admit that my shoulders would start to hurt after about 15 minutes of use.

So when my friend Donna recently asked me if I would like to try the Pognae, I jumped at the chance. You see, Pognae has recently expanded to the U.S. with the launch of the website www.pognaeusa.com. Go check it out for yourselves — I guarantee you’ll be absolutely delighted by the 7 adorable designs!

I decided on the “Mild” design and my Pognae arrived within just a couple of days. Almost immediately, I fell in love with its cute carrier bag:

Inside the bag were: the Pognae carrier, the attachable headrest, and an attachable pouch which can be used to store small personal items.

One thing I immediately noticed about the Pognae were the exceptional quality and materials. The 100% cotton fabric is soft and breathable, the foam is soft yet resilient, and there is reinforced cross-stitching in all areas that would require additional support.

I unfortunately could not try the carrier myself because of my overly pregnant belly (perhaps the optional waist extender would have worked?), but other members of the family used it on Claire with limited success. I use the word “limited” ONLY because my daughter does not like carriers in general — she loves to be held, but once she is in your arms, she will whip her upper body back and forth, flail her arms about, and try her best to guide the person carrying her to where she wants to go. Carriers restrict her movement so she will only stand them for about 15 minutes at a time. (And no, she will NEVER fall asleep in someone’s arms, carrier or not.)

But in the 15 minutes during which Claire stayed docile in the Pognae? I would say it was a great success. 🙂 Here is she, comfortably resting in the Pognae with J and my MIL:

Like the Ergo, one great benefit of the Pognae’s design is that the majority of the weight does not rest on the carrier’s shoulders. Rather, the weight is evenly distributed between the shoulders and the waist, so that the person doing the carrying gets tired less easily.

While it is unfortunate that Claire does not like carriers, there’s always a good chance that BebeDeux will, so I will be eagerly awaiting the day when she will be large enough for the Pognae. (According to the FAQs, the Pognae can be used for babies and small children weighing between 12 lbs and 45 lbs. With the optional infant insert, your baby can weigh between 7 lbs and 12 lbs.)

Now, for the best part. For a limited time, the Pognae can be purchased at www.pognaeusa.com for $89 (regular price is $110).

Additionally, for the entire month of October, you can use the coupon code PinkPognae and Pognae USA will donate 5% of your purchase to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in addition to giving you a 5% discount on your purchase!

What are you waiting for? Go purchase your own Pognae today! It would also make a great gift for an expecting friend, or a new mother!

Disclaimer: I received a free Pognae for purposes of reviewing it on this blog. I was not compensated in any other way. Every word of this review is 100% my honest opinion.

The Seven Deadly Keys

Simply brilliant! (And 5 points for anyone who can tell me the Mac equivalent of Ctrl+Alt+Delete!)

Via Sticky Comics.

Claire’s Ham Face

I have a sore throat and a slight fever. Keeping myself healthy in these last remaining weeks of the pregnancy is high priority, so I will be taking it easy today. Here’s something to make up for the lack of posts: an animated GIF of Claire’s ham face:

How can you look at this and not smile? 🙂

How I Curb My Sushi Cravings (Gag!)

It’s confession time again, boys and girls!

And the big shocker for the week is: I have eaten sushi with both pregnancies.

😮

When you think about it, pregnant women in Japan must eat sushi every day, no? And after having done my own research on the subject, I do not see how having some raw fish once in a while, from a good, reputable restaurant, can be so detrimental.

As is the mantra for most pregnancy-related issues, I believe that moderation is key.

With this in mind, I have cut down on my sushi intake considerably with both pregnancies. And while I may not have a very adventurous palate, I do enjoy raw tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and uni tremendously.

And whenever I crave sushi more than I know I should, I just think back to this incident from four years ago…

Via Wulffmorgenthaler.

One Saturday, while lounging around the apartment, J and I spotted something white — something that normally isn’t present — in his fishtank. I decided to take a closer look, and discovered that it was a fish skeleton.

Which led us to the only possible conclusion: one of his goldfish had died, and the other one had eaten it. The fish itself was about 5 inches long, so it was a fairly large skeleton. A fairly large, DETAILED skeleton.

I could barely glance at it; it was that disturbing. Of course, J had to add to that by saying, “He even ate the eyes!”

Then, with perfect timing, the doorbell rang. It was a delivery man, who had arrived with our dinner. And what had we ordered? Sushi.

Oh, the irony.

I usually love sushi and I tried to eat. But after just a few pieces I almost threw up.

Why Cleavage is Bad for Crime Fighting

Internet cartoonist Aaron Diaz explains…

Claire and Phil Dunphy: Our On-Screen Selves

J and I have loved the hit ABC show Modern Family ever since my sister introduced us to it mid-first season.

And over the past summer, as we patiently waited the new season by re-watching reruns, something began to dwell on us…

“Hey, isn’t…?”

“Phil Dunphy acts a lot like you!”

“And you’re exactly like Claire!”

And the more and more reruns we watched, the more the similarities became uncanny. Phil’s goofy, sometimes-immature self, his desire to please everyone (even sometimes at the expense of his wife), his wanting to be hip and cool for the kids, and even the way he procrastinates on the various to-do items that Claire lays out for him are exactly like J.

And Claire? Her OCD-nature and the tendency to FREAK OUT over minor things, her desire to make everything and everyone perfect (even if they are, in their own ways, already so), her needing to have complete control over all aspects of her life and being too hard on herself when things do not go her way…

Yep, that’s me in a nutshell.

With every interaction they have, with every memorable scene they are in together, we can totally see ourselves doing the same exact thing, or we have done the same!

The funny thing is, we decided on the name Claire for our firstborn right before the show began to air. Another coincidence? Claire and Phil have three kids: two girls who are close in age and a third, a boy, who is younger by a few years. Will we end up having a third child, a boy, some years down the road?

(And I know that if we end up naming the boy Luke, J will make sure that the first words that Luke hears out of the womb are, “Luuuukke. I ammmm your father…” JUST like Phil did.)

The similarities between this TV couple and ourselves are so striking that J’s brother continually tells his wife, “Ohmygawd, I feel like I’m watching my brother and Jenny!” whenever they watch the show.

What about you? Are there any fictional characters — on television, in movies, or in books — that you and your significant other resemble?

Purposely Distancing Myself from My Daughter

You may also like:

The Difference Between Pixar and Dreamworks Animated Films

You may also like:

When Toilet Paper is Not an Option

You may also like:

Reasons to Fear Canada

You may also like:

Pognae Baby Carrier Review

You may also like:

The Seven Deadly Keys

You may also like:

Claire’s Ham Face

You may also like:

How I Curb My Sushi Cravings (Gag!)

You may also like:

Why Cleavage is Bad for Crime Fighting

You may also like:

Claire and Phil Dunphy: Our On-Screen Selves

You may also like:

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