Thursday, April 29, 2010

Top 10 Questions I Received After Making My Pregnancy Announcement

As an introvert, I must say that the hardest thing about announcing a pregnancy is responding to the sudden barrage of questions. So here are the answers to the top 10 questions people asked when I announced that we are expecting a baby in early November.

You ARE?

Yep.

Are you excited?

Of course we are!

Have you been “trying?”

Uh…yes?

I mean, have you been trying this WHOLE time?

Oh, I see. No. Not at all. It just took some time for us (especially Kyle ;) to decide to have another baby. Even before we had Rowan, we knew we weren’t “two under 2” kind of people. So we weren’t in a hurry. And then, once Rowan was out of diapers, was able to dress himself, and was enrolled in preschool, it was hard to think about starting over.

Is Rowan excited?

Yes. He is now, at least. His first reaction was, “Are you serious?” followed quickly by “Why didn’t anyone ask me about this?” But after we told him that people might bring him presents after the birth being a big brother is really special, he started to feel much more excited.

Are you hoping for a girl this time?

Not really. I mean, I’m not NOT hoping for a girl. But I’m also not desperate for one either. I know it’s cliché, but I’m really just hoping for a healthy baby. And to be honest, raising boys is pretty darn fun…and simpler in many ways. (And we already have all the stuff!) But I’m sure a girl would be a fun change of pace as well. So the simple answer is: I will be thrilled whether it’s a boy OR a girl!

What about Rowan? Is he hoping for a brother or a sister?

Oh, now that’s a different story. Rowan wants a little brother. A brother. A brother. A brother. When we told him that we don’t know whether the baby is a boy or a girl, he said: “If it’s a girl, we can start over, right?” Um…no. “Well, then we have to keep it in a time out.” Okaaaay, then.

So…we might be finding out the sex of the baby this time around. That way, we have some time to prepare Rowan either way. If it’s a brother, he’ll be ecstatic. If it’s a sister…well, we’ll just remind him that people might bring him presents after the birth sisters are really special.

How are you feeling?

Good. I had a few weeks of morning/noon/evening sickness, but that seems to have lifted at this point. It’s nice when hunger actually feels good!

So your mom told me you were pregnant, but she said it was a “secret.” What was that about?

Ah, yes. The secret wasn’t that I was pregnant. The secret was that she told YOU that I was pregnant before I wanted her to. HA! Totally kidding! Actually, the real deal is that I told family about the news before I told work. So I just didn’t want anyone “outing” me on Facebook before I had all my ducks in a row. What can I say? I’m in marketing. I like to control the spread of information! Much harder in today’s world, I must say.

Are you experiencing [gas, nipple pain, discharge or other intensely private symptom]?

Uh…unless you are my midwife, a close female relative or a very good friend, I’m not really going to respond to that. Sound good?

Bonus Question (because no one has really asked this one): Do you have a nickname for the baby?

Yes. We call the baby Bubs.

That about does it! Now that I’m feeling less nauseous and a bit more energetic, I’m excited to get back to blogging (and reading YOUR blogs, too). See you around the blogosphere!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

My Earth Day Accomplishments and Goals

Happy Earth Day!

I really don’t have anything revolutionary to say on this important day, so I thought I’d make a list of accomplishments and a list of goals instead. Maybe you’ll get some new ideas or be inspired to share some of own with me!

Things our family already does for a cleaner earth:

  • Live Close to Work/Amenities. Someday, I’ll share the story about how we started building a house in the exurbs, experienced family identity crisis, and then backed out and moved to the city. But I really don’t have time for that today. Let’s just say it was the best decision we ever made! Instead experiencing an hour-plus-long commute, hubby now bikes to and from work when the weather permits. We live on the bus line and close to food co-ops, farmers markets, parks and bike trails. The only drawback is that we’re becoming somewhat inexperienced at freeway driving!
  • Drive only one car. This, of course, would have been impossible if we hadn’t moved to the city. Kyle bikes/buses to work, while I drive kiddo to a nearby preschool before going to work myself. It’s been working for us for more than two years! And our gas fill-ups are few and far between.
  • Support Local Farms. We’re regular co-op shoppers and consistently choose local meats, milk and cheeses. Local veggies and fruits are less available in the cold months, but summer brings a decent variety. And this summer, we’ve signed up for a community supported agriculture share. Each week beginning in June, we’ll receive a box of fresh vegetables (and sometimes fruit) grown by a local farmer.
  • Avoid Using Air Conditioning. Old houses are drafty, have lots of windows and are typically surrounded by big old trees. This combination works quite well in the summer. Although we have central air, we almost never use it.

Things I plan to start doing:

  • Composting. My friend Molly at The Snyder 5 recently started composting on a small scale. Seems to be just our speed!
  • Line Drying Some Laundry. Although I don’t think I’ll be hanging up my intimates for the neighborhood to see, we could definitely line dry our sheets, towels and T-shirts. We have posts up in the back yard. We just need to string the line and get some good clothes pins.
  • Avoiding Excess Packaging. We’re already fairly good at this, but I tend to use too many paper bowls, plastic cups, disposable forks and spoons, and napkins at work. I’ve also been eating out far too often lately, which always means more garbage. I’m planning to gather a small collection of silverware, and containers that I can keep at my desk. I’ll also bring my lunch more often (in a reusable bag and with reusable containers, of course). I’ll have lots o’ veggies to eat, after all!

Any other ideas? We have a tiny yard, so I’m thinking a rain barrel might offer a good way to water our plants and grass form time to time. I’ll have to do some research!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Farmers Markets Stress Me Out

As a self-proclaimed “natural foodie,” I should love farmers markets. And for the first 15 minutes upon arrival, I really do like them. Latte-fueled and brimming with anticipation, I arrive eager to fill my reusable tote with area’s best produce.

But by the time I pass by the sixth stall selling rainbow chard, I start to feel lost.

“Hmmm…,” I wonder. “Should I buy from the guy in the red hat or the lady with the long braid? What about that father and son duo? They seem nice. Ooooh, samples! Wait, did that customer seriously just try to haggle? Am I supposed to be doing that? I’m Scandinavian, for goodness sake! I’m not built for haggling. Hey, I haven’t been down that aisle yet! Oh, yep, more vegetables. No surprises there, huh? Will I look silly if I go back to buy something from the lady with the braid now? I mean, I walked by her stall like four times, looking lost. Wait, where was she even located again? Oh, forget it. Look! Another aisle!”

This year, I’m eliminating the choices and stress by purchasing a community supported agriculture share. Each week, we’ll receive a box full of veggies (and sometimes fruit) grown by a local farmer.

And the best part is that the farm we chose specializes in “normal veggies.” From the farm’s Web site (they also have a cool blog):

"As much as we like the ‘exotic’ vegetables like kohlrabi, pak choi, and arugula, we will not be growing them for the CSA. Instead we focus on heavy amounts of the staples you know and love. You can look forward to broccoli, kale, lettuce, carrots, and peas in the Spring. Summertime brings tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, melons, and more. Onions, potatoes, squash, carrots, cabbage, and other favorites come in the Fall."

I’m excited! And if we get overwhelmed by our weekly box of veggies, I have plenty of neighbors who I’m sure would take some off our hands.

Happy spring!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

My Social Media Personality

I don't know what to say about my periodic absences from the blogosphere. One minute, I'm all:

"This is SO FUN! What can I share next? The duct tape in my crappy refrigerator, perhaps? A wacky illustration showing the contents of a disheveled room? Or how about a gratitude list that extols the virtues of ugly underwear? That would be FANTASTIC!"

And then, just before I'm tempted to snap a photo of myself without mascara, my personality suddenly shifts. And I'm like:

"Who the heck is reading this? Do I really want them to know that I once pretended to be a piece of poop to get my kid to use the toilet? Or that we have a perpetual laundry pile on our living room couch? And have I seriously written two posts about ugly underwear? Who DOES that?"

Well, lucky for . . . someone? . . . social Angie is back! (I think.)

And my first order of business is to alert you to a fun opportunity to support a good cause. My friend Molly over at The Snyder 5 is organizing a Twin Cities rummage sale to benefit Feeding America. I'm helping out, along with several other Minnesota bloggers. Stop by her blog to learn more!

And while you do that, I'll be thinking about more creative ways to overshare on the Internet. I think I can do better than a third post about ugly underwear, but only time will tell.
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