Monday, December 15, 2008

Haircut & "Shon"

I'll have to admit, I've been dragging my feet about giving ESK her first haircut. I love the little curls that form at the nape of her neck, especially after a bath. Unfortunately, after a few hours, her hair really starts to look a little wild, getting in her eyes, straggly at the ends and uneven all over. It doesn't help that she pulls out any kind of hair accessory I try to put in. How many barrettes have I lost?

So last week, ESK had her first haircut at a specialized children's hair place called Pigtails & Crewcuts. It went over pretty well, thanks to an experienced hairdresser, the special shiny airplane seat and a mesmerizing episode of Dora the Explorer. ESK stayed very still and actually didn't want to get off the seat when the haircut was over. And much to my satisfaction, she still has some of her curls!

The finished product:

"Ta Da!", as ESK likes to say these days....

First Portland Snowstorm
We had our first snowstorm here in Portland on Sunday. Last year, there were numerous weather reports portending white-out conditions and piles of snow in the Portland metro area. But of course, every morning we woke up to the usual .... rain & gray skies. It was like the weather forecaster who cried "Snow!" And when we actually got snow, it was a mere dusting, which amazingly still seemed to paralyze the city (see this post).

So this weekend, when everyone was abuzz about a snowstorm, I said to myself, "Pfff! I'll believe it when I see it!"

Of course, it snows all day Sunday. It was nice and cozy inside with our fireplace running and the whole fam in pjs all through the day, but I was definitely ill-prepared. For dinner, I was rummaging through the freezer to see what kind of meal I could scrap together. And as of lunchtime Monday, ESK has no more milk to drink!

We did venture outside for a short while with ESK to play, and despite the howling wind and snow stinging her cheeks, she had a great time. The rest of the evening, she had her nose pressed to the window and pointed out all the "shon". I guess that "sn" sound is kind tricky.

The city and Portlanders are just ill-equipped to deal with the white stuff. There is evidence that a snow plow has gone through the major artery in our neighborhood, but shockingly no salt. Hubs went out to work (with chains!! attached to our tires) and said that the major highways are fine, but that most locals streets are in pretty bad shape.

To cap it all off, it is frigid here (mid-20s), something I haven't experienced in a long time. I have spent two winters away from the Northeast and I have definitely gone soft.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Mommy & Me Nightmares

So along with all the other classic pregnancy symptoms, I've been having very vivid dreams. Mostly good dreams, but so vivid, I still remember the emotions I'm feeling in the dreams when I wake up. The other night, I had a very upsetting dream (the details of which I still unfortunately remember) and I cried in my dream. The next morning, I vaguely remembered crying and asked the hubs whether or not I had cried in the middle of the night or if I was just dreaming it. Turns out I was sobbing inconsolably, so loudly that I woke him up. He apparently tried to comfort me and then at some point we both fell asleep. I vaguely remember this.

We also think that ESK has been having nightmares. She woke up crying in the middle of the night for a few nights this past week, something she hasn't done in over a year. I doubt nightmares are contagious, but maybe my pregnancy hormones are rubbing off on her. I wonder what her nightmares are like? Maybe her milk sippy cup runs away from her. Or her favorite stuffed animals turn on her? Who knows. Funny to think about though.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thanks

Our Thanksgiving this year went by in a blink of an eye. Things to be thankful for this year:

- a cozy new house
- a healthy and vibrant, if stubborn, toddler
- a devoted and hard-working hubby
- a loving family
- good friends -- old & new
- a baby on the way

There are lots more, but those are the biggies.

Supposedly Liberal PDX
Over the summer, President-elect Obama had a rally here in Portland that had record attendance. Oregon and Portland in particular overwhelmingly supported Obama, and Portland is supposed to be a liberal stronghold. I'd agree with that statement for the most part, but lately, I've been meeting a LOT of political conservatives. It always catches me off guard because I had been assuming everyone here was true-blue Democrat. Apparently not. This only means that I've had to be more careful about introducing politics into conversation. But thank goodness the election is OVER! I'm sick of walking around on egg shells!

Pregnancy update
All is well in Preggo-ville. I am feeling less nauseous every day, but still tired from time to time. Having gone through this process once before does help with the worries (is the baby still there? am I eating the right things? am I exercising enough? too little?). Not to say I haven't been worrying a bit. It seems no matter what I do, I cannot gain weight. I have been trying my hardest to eat as much as I can -- until I am stopped by nausea or heartburn (pass the Tums please). The doctor says this is perfectly normal at this stage, but if my mom or MIL knew, they might fly out here and force feed me. Who knew that sittin' around, stuffing my face and sleeping lots would make me lose weight? I'll have to try this diet post-pregnancy as well...