out of the mouth of babes

today i got to work with two of my favorite kiddie models, esther and georgia. they are vietnamese twin girls with two mommies, they are adopted, and they are AWESOME.

anyway, twin #1 (i think it was esther) looked at my belly and asked, "are you pregnant?"

"yes!" i replied enthusiastically to her.

and with this she stared right at me and said, "you know, you really should adopt."

this cracked me up. i told her that it was a little too late this time around, but maybe next time.

in other pregnancy news, i am feeling max move more and more. on a job a couple of weeks ago, i actually stood up and looked around because i thought i must have been sitting on a cell phone or a cable and receiving some sort of electric shock/vibration. the best way to describe these early flutters (and i feel them several times a day) is as if there is a goldfish swimming around just below my ribs, holding a tiny cellphone that is set to "vibrate". it's weird, but i like it.

culinary treasures of williamsburg

while bdub is away, nowlze shall...eat.

bdub is currently on a little mini-tour with my brightest diamond- southern california and then off to barcelona for just a wee festival before his return. the 'rents came up for a four day jaunt to NY this week, and we had a great time stuffing our faces.

day one we settled in at the cozy black betty for some mediterranean food with a moroccan twist-- moroccan paella for dad, a seafood stew for mom, a chickpea and zucchini stew for me (eh), and various mezze. not bad, though next time i will choose differenty for my entree. the mezze were delightful, though.

day two it was la locanda to satisfy our pasta cravings. how i love la locanda...back when i could actually drink a full glass or two of wine, i loved that they offered a nice house red for four dollars a glass. so cheap, so delish. mom had a puttanesca, dad the seafood pasta, and for me, the eggplant parm. la locanda is perfect comfort food when i am craving the italian american dishes of my girlhood sundays (though still not as good as nana's, of course).

day three was polish food at krolewski jadlo, or "king's feast", which is technically in greenpoint and one of my dad's favorites. i wasn't too keen on polish food, as generally their vegetarian options are all fried and fried food gives me wicked indigestion these days. but, what dad wants, dad gets, so long as he talks it up long enough that everyone gives in if only to quiet him. is that mean? i speak the truth. anyway, i had a plate of pierogi (boiled, not fried), some cucumber salad and a bowl of borscht. other highlights were mom's pickled cucumber soup, which was creamy, loaded with dill, slightly sour and, much to my surprise, served hot! mom also got the polish platter (pierogi, potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage, and sausage) and dad got ham hocks (eeewwww...).

king's feast is big on ambience, though. check it:


come for the 'staches, stay for the food:




day four was my favorite korean/japanese spot, miyako. we started with pa jun, my old standby (korean pancake with crab). i don't know how they manage to elevate the humble pancake to a crispy, fluffy, and (i kid you not) slightly creamy delight, but they do. i also got a california roll to satisfy my sushi craving along with tofu dol sut (tofu, veg, and rice served in a hot pot with sesame oil and chili sauce). mom got the beef dol sut, dad, the garlic shrimp. miyako is flavorful, light, healthy, and delicious. highly recommended over other sushi or korean spots in the 'hood.

pre-miyako, mom and i took advantage of the gorgeous weather and strolled up to fortunato brothers for gelato. i had the tiramisu, she- the coconut. insane. we also got a dozen pastries to take home, including their famous mini canoli and other delights. i think fortunato brothers' gelato needs to become a staple in entertaining houseguests...it's a nice walk from our apartment, and gelato provides the perfect respite from city madness. plus, who can be stressed, worn out, or anything but completely satisfied, really, when eating gelato?

eating aside, i am very grateful for the 'rents visit. despite some pretty loud tv running all day long and maybe some incessant chatter (dad, i'm looking at you), the 'rents are the ultimate in houseguests. i think the biscuit got something like three walks a day, which is crazy. woobie's litter was scooped, our back patio summerized (not an easy chore), our shower and bath scrubbed. i was chaffeured to all of my jobs. clothes were mended, the toaster oven de-crumbed, kitchen shelves dusted....my mom even cleaned up some cat pee and a dead cockroach. that's love.

oh boy...

yes, we're having a max (not a neve as i had convinced myself). it's crazy, because more and more, i had been picturing a little max running around....or, actually, being mellow and chilling out with me and his dad and his cousins. who knows? perhaps my instincts will be off with that personality assessment, too, but let's hope that they are more on point this time (i have felt from the beginning that i would either give birth to a crazy-lady girl or a mellow, easy-going boy.)

as much as i do love the precocious, little city girl with the striped tights sagging at the ankles over the jumpers and the mussed ponytail from riding the subway, i have let that dream go this time around....because really, that was a dream about stuff. and if i am going to be completely honest, a dream about a little version of me (that maybe i could "get right" a second time around.) egotistical? yes. i need to allow this little bean the autonomy of being nothing but himself.

already a lesson learned. still, i do have a healthy dose of fantasy lurking within, of a mini-bdub this time, but one of those sweet city kids who is savvy yet compassionate, confident and independent yet lovin' his mama, and with a world view which we never knew as kids...one that i pray will make him a person who sees more beyond himself. i have also realized from talking with my kick-ass husband that i can still raise an ass-kicking, strong feminist....after all, i married one.

but enough about me. here's to you, max. keep on kickin'. your mama loves you.

another milestone

within the last two days, two people whom i hadn't told i was PG commented on my pregnancy. i guess that means i am officially showing!

the first was a little old actor with whom i was working on these australian "webisodes". out of nowhere he asked me, "when are you due?" and when i told him he said, "i have a daughter...." and paused...and told me that he never really knew love until the day she was born.

the other was the biscuit's vet, dr. leiman (the one who shushed bdub). we took the biscuit in to see him today (i was convinced that le bisquit had pneumonia...long story, he's fine,) and after the exam concluded, dr. leiman said, "i have some really good literature about introducing a new baby to your dog" and proceeded to give us all of this good advice about keeping treats by the door for visitors to give the biscuit, and how to enter the home with a baby. it was so sweet! and so out of nowhere, because i was wearing a very loose tunic that is not especially bump-revealing.

how nice, though, that these comments have been helpful and encouraging. i'm just waiting for the bad parenting advice to ensue. maybe i can get one of these for after the little bean comes along:

dogs rule, babies drool

i know it's a little odd, but i speak the truth. should i be concerned that i "sqeeee!!!" when i see the pups, and not to much with the babies? i think i am missing that particular mama gene. maybe the switch will flip over in a couple of months?

case in point: i was walking from the subway today (and, consquently, i think that i need to be officially DONE carrying my bag up the subway steps...i believe the babe has already descended into the birth canal as a result of today's efforts.) coming towards me was a dad, a bored looking baby covered in one of those plastic rain stroller covers, and...the CUTEST little shi tzu! this little doogie howser md was seriously prancing through the puddles, hopping back and forth, side to side, and wearing the most adorable striped sweater to protect him from the cold. i smiled and said, "how cute!"....and i'm certain the dad thought i was talking about, you know, the actual baby.

but i wasn't. and for that, i do not feel badly. i speak the truth.

sniffly mama

i must have hormones in overdrive, because lately everything but EVERYTHING is making me weepy. here's a partial list:

-anything on tv having to do with animals, especially escape to chimp eden
-speeches by barack obama
-cuddle time with the biscuit (little does he know...so fleeting)
-any and all public protest, especially those having to do with the sean bell trial (his fiancee was arrested during the protest....what a strong woman.)
-all shows featuring babies, delivery, birth
-even my childbirth books! they're instructional books, for crying out loud!

this week has been stressful. family health issues, no time for nothin', work drama with the nasty lady (whom i refused to work with again....and with my insistence was actually heard and accepted by the booker for the job. crazy.)

the apartment hunt has begun in earnest with an email sent to our peeps, and trying to get an idea of what's out there on craigslist. i am not really looking forward to a long, drawn-out search-- which, hopefully, can be avoided--, but as our basement has flooded AGAIN this week (broken hot water heater, promptly repaired) and the little black ants continue to march along our kitchen counters and bathroom vanity, i look forward to a day with no pests, new appliances, and room for baby.

apologies for the lack of photos...i have two from "bump watch 2008" on the way.