scary sexy toys

raising kids gets more and more frightening to me.

we all know that there are plenty of sexy toys out there for girls. bratz and the like. but the companies are starting to go sex-crazy, when it comes to the most benign of toys.

here are the worst ones in my opinion (found originally on strollerderby):



1. my scene my bling bling barbie -- oh my. i mean, barbie was always a bit, um, bimbo-ish. even when i was growing up. but wow, this particular barbie is just a ho with a capital H-O. why would you buy a slutty barbie for your young daughter? so she can grow up to want a belly shirt just like her doll?



2. struts -- um, yeah, high. stripper-rific my little ponies? because that's what the shoes imply! different than the original my little pony, these animals are all about their long manes, their high heels, and their halter tops. i don't really know if i have any more to add about come-hither horses. but this blog sure does!



3. baby bratz -- can there be anything more disturbing than sexy babies? i thought bratz were bad, but these are way worse. i'll leave you guys to gasp and shreek at the dolls...

i really hope i don't find any more!

the only smell that makes me sick...

... is the smell of the henna i use for my hair.

i love using henna now -- it's super cheap, it's all natural, and it works perfectly for the color red i dye my hair. all that being said, it smells like fresh hay when you first put it on, and for a few days after.

so i'm sitting here today, having dyed it earlier. and all i can smell is the hay smell. and i do not like it. it's making me kinda nauseous.

so, excuse me while i go find a scarf to put on my head. =)

welcome everyone!!!

i've received a few calls today about the announcements (and i just sent them out yesterday!). i'm so glad everyone is excited for this! yay!

so, welcome to our little baby-making world. if the blog doesn't appeal to you on a daily basis, we totally get that. but we figured, hey, why not invite everyone to share in our experience?

oh, and every thursday is "development day" -- you get to see how big the baby is this week and read about how he/she is developing. so that's worth checking in for. =D

hope to talk to all of you soon!
nic and dave

great article

image © joseph hoban, via stock.xchng

i'm not supposed to be online right now. i'm supposed to be resting my head. but whatever.

i found the link on storked! it's from a babble.com article, called "the not so happy accident." basically, it outlines the unplanned, and unwanted, pregnancy that a woman finds herself in. i found it to be really interesting and honest. and i'm sure many women we know have been in the same place.

as it is, even though we knew we wanted to have a child and are ready for it, it's still a scary and jarring experience at times. so, in a situation where the pregnancy is unplanned, i can just imagine the thoughts and emotions that run through your head. i think the frankness with which the story is told is pretty amazing.

hope you enjoy it -- and feel it -- as i did.

current obsession -- john & kate plus 8

maybe it's because we're going to have our own child soon. maybe because there are multiples in our family (triplets), so i can *kinda* relate. or maybe because the kids are just so darned cute. but i'm totally enamored of john & kate plus 8.

dave and i actually love to watch this show together. it's an interesting insight into not only how a family raises an insane amount of multiples, but simply how a family raises their children. period. john and kate don't try to fake it -- they don't put on airs, or act differently for the camera. kate's personality has been known to rub people the wrong way, but neither she nor he make apologies for it. they get snippy. sometimes they're mean to each other. but in the end, wouldn't you be a little beyond your best if you had 8 children to watch, 6 of which are 4 years old?!

obviously the children are very happy, and well taken care of. which, in and of itself, is a tribute to the parenting skills. i can only hope that our one child is as happy and adorable and verbal as these 8 kids.

the gosselin family had one-hour specials devoted to them early-on in the sextuplets' lives. eventually, those specials turned into a tv show. and why do they do the show? to bring great opportunities to their children. obviously, a family of 10 on one income would not easily survive these days, and john and kate have found a lot of help in the generosity of the viewers. so far, they have received toys and clothing for the kids, trips for the whole family, and even a tummy tuck for kate (after the birth of the 6) and a hair transplant procedure for john. and every time they do an episode about another generous gift or contribution, they make a point of thanking the kind people profusely -- noting that they'd never be able to do all these things for their family without the kindness of "strangers".

if you haven't watched the show, i suggest that you give it a shot. watch it with your significant other, or your friend. enjoy the kids. understand and enjoy the parents. and respect the work that they do.

you can find information for the show and the gosselin family at the tlc site, or the gosselin family personal site.

photo © willow street photos.

13 weeks -- baby block is a little shrimp!

ha! we've moved on from produce to the fresh fish department. baby block is now the size of a shrimp!

from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing: This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.


i'm thrilled to be in my last week of the first trimester. it's a tough few months. so i'm looking forward to the "happy trimester", as so many people call it. yay happy trimester! dave is equally as excited, so he decided that next thursday we should go out to a nice dinner to celebrate the beginning of the second trimester. shall i have a half glass of wine? we shall see... =D

chinese people say it's a girl!

polka-dot bloomers by 3lilmuses.

remember how that ancient chinese gender chart said that we're having a girl? well, apparently my acupuncturist (who also happens to be chinese) agrees! as i laid down on the table yesterday for my treatment, my acupuncturist simply said, "you're having a girl." i said, "oh, well, we'll see." his response? "no, i can tell. you're having a girl." thank you, dr. kang!

dave is not happy that baby block keeps being referred to as a girl! ha!

** note: dave and i are happy with whatever we have. this is all fun and games until a baby is born. **

maternity tee for the daddy

i think dave would like it if i wore this t-shirt. but i won't. =)

from babiesnbellies.

family reveals complete!

yay! we're all done! this weekend we told my mother-in-law barbara and dave's great aunt pearl when we had them over for dinner at our place. everyone is very excited! grandma barbara got up to hug us both, and pearl kept on saying how marvelous it is -- very pearl. =D she did a great job of spreading the word to the rest of the family, while dave and i called noah and larry last night to let them know they're going to be uncles. happiness and cheers all around.

we're all very happy. dave and i are glad the big reveals are done... now we have to send out our little cards to other friends, so that they are told on a more personal level. and from that point on, i can just sit and gestate!

to the few friends that already know -- please don't spread the word to all our other friends. i really want them to get the little cards and be surprised. in the meantime, feel free to comment away on this blog!

yay! we're having a baby. =)

12 weeks: baby block is a lime!

and i'm really loving limes and lime juice right now!

yes, baby block is the size of a lime -- and growing just fine.

from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing: The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

baby block's heart is a-beatin'!

all is well! we got a heartbeat at our appointment this afternoon. took a little while -- making both dave and i a bit nervous -- but we finally heard it. yay! baby block is healthy and growing just fine. we were both all smiles and misty-eyed, and then went out to celebrate our happiness afterwards with a few games of pool and a good burger dinner. =D

oh, and as another aside, all of my bloodwork came back clean. and my blood type is A+ (just in case i need that info later). the only thing that showed up was a slightly low iron count, which i knew had to be the case -- the only thing i'm really craving is red meat and hamburgers. LOL... but they said it was minor, so as long as i pay attention to my iron intake, i'm fine.

click here to hear what a fetal heartbeat sounds like from a doppler.

ok, off to post the size and developments for week 12!

doctor's appt. today...

so i have my 12-week appointment today. we should hear the heartbeat for the first time, should all go well. dave and i are both a bit nervous, since the reality of something not being right is a lot closer to us today than it has been so far. but we're keeping a collectively cool head -- after all, my belly is growing daily, so why shouldn't everything be ok?

i do have my 12-week produce update to post, but i'm going to wait until we get back from the midwife and know that everything is alright.

the appointment is at 4:45. see you sometime this evening.

not much posting this week...

i've been kind of out of it since last wednesday. run down, really headachey, and no certain reason why. but it seems to be going away now, and i'm hoping it's all out of my system soon.

i'll be posting more later today.

One family down...

one to go!

we told my side of the family yesterday evening, at dinner for my grandma/dads in the family for father's day. dave and i had decided ahead of time that we would make a two-parter toast... one for grandma's birthday, given by me, and one for the dads for father's day, given by dave. he ended his part of the toast with, "i hope to be as successful as you were, since nicole and i will officially be part of the parenthood club this new year's."

wow, did we get a big reaction! everyone yelled, i was told several times that i looked pregnant (i didn't know how to take that one!). everyone got up to give us hugs and kisses and congrats. my brother ordered champagne for the table (and ginger ale for me), and gave a nice toast. it was a big scene -- thankfully the restaurant was pretty empty, otherwise we would have really disturbed the diners!! i'm not complaining -- it was the reaction that something like this deserves. and it was awesome.

dave even got a nice little gift -- i had told my mom earlier (i felt like she deserved to know before everyone else), so she had gotten dave a daddy-to-be card for father's day, and tim russert's book on fatherhood. it was a really great, heart-warming night.

a note: don't expect older generations to understand your "green" intentions as a parent. when asking about diapers, i explained to my aunt that i had researched diaper options and that i preferred the idea of gDiapers. i described them to her and how they work. she said, "well, what about huggies or pampers? what's wrong with those?" i said that i didn't like the idea of them sitting in a landfill for 500 years. this got a HUGE laugh from that side of the table (my parents, grandma, and aunt and uncle). they didn't understand why that should matter to us... we also got teased about the idea of organic baby food by my dad, who asked if our baby will eat only soybeans.

it makes me laugh... i understand that our points of view are very different. disposable diapers were a lifesaver years ago, and i understand that -- i don't want to use cloth diapers any more than they did. but having another option that's just as easy, but doesn't hurt our environment makes more sense to us than to them... and i'm sure our kids will come up with something that we won't get the point of years from now. such is the circle of life! i'm just gearing up to have to explain ourselves over and over again. LOL...

love you guys! so glad you're so happy! you made our night.

gDiapers

in thinking about how i want to feed, clothe, and clean baby block, there's the question of going organic. while i love the idea of organic, it's expensive. and so i would like to pick and choose where i think spending the extra money would be most worth it.

in the area of diapers, it really bugs me that disposables remain in a landfill for 500 years. they are clearly not biodegradable. still, i'm not willing to use cloth diapers. call me selfish, but that's not a road i'm willing to walk down.

enter gDiapers. they're cloth outer diapers with biodegradable, flushable inside liners. so i don't have to wash out cloth diapers, but the disposable part is good for the environment. this is a bus i could get on.


i've checked prices against other disposables. while obviously the outer cloth pants are more expensive, the interiors come in around the same price as other disposables. so i'll spend an extra $30-60 initially, but that's reusable and rewashable stuff.

i think this is the right road for us.

a wonderful tribute for father's day

i think we sometimes forget how wonderful dads are, or how caring they can be. moms steal the show, but i think we need a reminder of the great dads out there.

from my favorite new dad matt logelin, here's a post on glamour's storked! blog. read it and remember the dads in your life (and have your tissues with you).

happy first father's day dave. i know you're going to be the best daddy, daddy block. =)

baby feet

this is what my baby's feet look like at 11 weeks.

just makes you smile...

week 11: i do love figs!

baby block is 11 weeks old today, and the size of a fig! (i love how we keep going through the produce section.)

from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing: Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

i would say that i'm starting to get over my fatigue, but yesterday was a whopper of a day. fatigue, headache, etc... it was bad. so... i'm giving myself some more time on that.

i'm so happy to be at 11 weeks though. only a couple of weeks left until the "safe zone", and the baby is obviously growing (visible by my growing tummy!). kira made it seem as though i was in a good spot at 11 weeks, which makes me feel better -- she is the midwife after all! (thanks again kira for all the information and care.)

new fave faux-drink

i'm increasingly jealous of dave when he comes home after a long day and settles in with a beer. man, i could use me one of those sometimes! i know i'll be able to have a beer or a glass of wine once in a while with a full meal -- as soon as i'm out of the first trimester -- and i'm already pretty used to not drinking because of my headaches. but some days, man... i could use a beer.

enter ginger beer! i bought some since they were on sale this week. i love it! it's organic, it's in a beer bottle, and it's good for my tummy.

now if only i could find a non-alcoholic drink that was good for my head!

no births on a toilet!!

dave and i were told quite a funny story by our friend kira last night, who is a midwife... i couldn't help but post it.

one of her patients had spoken to another midwife at their practice, telling her that she was really constipated. the midwife told her that in her stage of the pregnancy -- almost full term -- that a constipated feeling is really a sign of labor, and that she should come in. the woman insisted that she had had a child before, and she knew this wasn't labor. so she refused...

not long after, she wound up having her child in the toilet.

the moral of the story? if i'm feeling constipated at 9+months, listen to my doctor and go in to see her.

hee hee hee...

mini method

method just came out with a line of baby and child care products -- just in time for baby block!!!


via the dieline.

letting the world know

in the next couple of weeks, we will slowly let everyone know about baby block. it's getting harder and harder to hide anyway -- my belly is definitely growing! i have a small bump now -- still small enough to fit into my clothes, but large enough to notice if i don't mask it somehow. or, at least dave and i notice. =)

thankfully, the stars aligned at the right time to let our nearest and dearest know in person. my immediate family is having a dinner to celebrate both my grandma's 85th birthday and father's day this saturday, the 14th. it's good timing for us -- i'll be at 11 weeks, and comfortable starting to let family know. of course, we wanted to be able to let grandma block know in person as well, so happily, she accepted our invitation to come down and visit the following weekend, saturday the 21st. we will cook dinner for her and aunt pearl (about to be great-great aunt pearl!), and let them both know at the same time! then we'll call his brothers and let them know.

once all of this is done, we will let the rest of the world know by sending out little notecards with the info.

yay! i'm almost out of the woods now too... i'll be done with the first trimester in a couple of weeks. and the baby is clearly growing fast and furious, since my baby bump is getting more and more noticeable!

gotta love the green

i had posted before about homemade house cleaners. things you can use that don't involve chemicals, but that clean just as well. instead of trying to come up with a concoction, i went straight to the source: baking soda.


baking soda alone works as a great scouring powder. it cuts through grime, grease, stains, etc., and cleans all the way down. plus, it's 100% safe to anyone -- edible, odorless, chemical free, it won't harm a bug let alone a person.

well, let me tell you, it's also super easy and fast to clean with! i've used it twice now, and both times i've been absolutely amazed with how great it is. wayyyyy better than the tilex spray i was using before. it's best in the bathroom. make sure your shower/tub is wet, and sprinkle onto your sponge. if your tub is extra dirty (as mine always is, because 1. there's rust in the water and 2. the drain catch slows down the flow of the dirt), sprinkle the baking soda directly on the surface. wait a minute for it to absorb into the water/dirt, and then begin to wipe. it will take the grime RIGHT OFF. it's amazing! no scrubbing necessary -- though you can use the scrub side of a sponge if you want some extra help.

i use it on the tub, tiles, shelf, and sink. i also use it in the kitchen sink.

the only thing is, the baking soda has a tendency to leave behind some residue and grit. so, you are best off if you have a hand-held shower head to use, so that you can spray the surfaces directly and really get the baking soda off.

the best part? absolutely no odor, or fumes to make your eyes hurt. it's great for any human, and i especially love it now that i'm pregnant. also, you just use the baking soda and a sponge -- no plastic waste from spray bottles or metal cans. just some cardboard when the box is finished, which is 100% recyclable.

here's another great article on the many uses for baking soda from shelterrific.

week 10: baby block is a kumquat!!

i know, i know... no one really knows what a kumquat looks like (or what size that really is). so, for reference, this is a kumquat:


and it's over an inch long.

from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing: Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

See what your baby looks like this week.


so yay! she has little fingernails, and can move her limbs. that's awesome! they grow up so fast. =)

tuesday, tuesday...

i'm just sitting here, doing work, drinking my non-alcoholic spritzer (seltzer, white grape juice, lime) and attempting to rest my head after a long day of running around. but, we ordered our dining chairs (yay!), and we should be getting 2 seating chairs this week for the living room.

our time to tell everyone is getting closer! i'm excited. it all starts this weekend, and the announcements continue for the next 3 weeks. woo-hoo!

no words

this is the saddest, and yet one of the most heartwarming, things i've ever seen/read.

i'm sitting here sobbing... i have no words for this sweet man and his beautiful baby girl.

matt, liz, and madeline.

photo above is of little madeline. she is a miracle in the midst of the sadness.

apparently, baby block is a girl. hehehehe...

so, i don't know if this is real or not, but i'm enjoying the results...



the nest baby has a chinese gender chart. you put in the age you were when you conceived, and the month in which you conceived, and it tells you what gender your baby will be. supposedly, it is 90% accurate! well, who knows if this is even possibly true, but i really loved the results!

tired and headachey and cranky -- oh my

i'm sitting here at my event, which is going nowhere fast. saturday, the first day of the event, was a bust. not much traffic -- we thought it was due to the weather. well, i'm here for the second day, and there's even less traffic. i've been here for an hour and a half so far, and not one soul has come into my area looking for stationery. what a bummer.

add that to the fact that i'm exhausted and have a splitting headache, and you've got one big mess of a secretly-pregnant lady.

i'm sad.