Ultrasound Tells All

I was just checking out our recent ultrasound photos again, and came to a shocking conclusion. I'm pretty sure our baby is a superhero.

Nearly Halfway

Well, I'm finding myself nearly halfway done with this pregnancy before I even really came to terms with the fact that I'm actually making a person. Here's the history, so far.

Week 1: I hope I'm pregnant.

Week 2: Maybe I'm not pregnant. Let's go wine tasting and get all tipsy!

Week 3: What's that cramping feeling? I'm tired and grouchy. I guess my period is coming again this month.

Week 4: Wait. What's this? Positive pregnancy test? I'm pregnant!


Week 5: No symptoms so far. And my boobs look great! Being pregnant is easy!


Week 6: Bleh. Nothing sounds good. I feel a little queasy.

Week 7-12: Please don't even mention food again and bring me my bucket. I'll be napping if you need me.


Week 8: Confirmed and with a heartbeat!


Week 13: Holy crap! That's what's going on in there?! And this was on my birthday. What a wonderful gift to see the little person wiggling in there!




Week 14: Isn't this morning (all the time) sickness supposed to let up? Maybe I should stop taking this supplemental iron? Could it be making me sick?

Week 15: Bryan's sister visited! Super fun, but I was tired and out of shape from not going to the gym for nearly three months. Some short walks around the neighborhood and through the park, but nothing like what I was used to before this whole adventure.

Week 16: We went to Seattle! I sure did feel tired while we're at the Folk Festival. I had to go home early and lie around on the couch napping and drinking a lot of water. I'm finding out all sorts of interesting things about what my body now needs.

Week 17: Was that movement? Maybe? Not sure. Hm... jury's out. My OB said I've gained 20 pounds! Some of that must be my heavy lunch! No?


Week 18: Definite movement every few days! Little flicks under my bellybutton. And more so if I drink some juice and hold really still. Baby loves sugar. Bryan is excited to be able to feel the baby in the future. And I'm back to the gym. Thank goodness. Feeling better already about the exercise I'm getting.

Week 19: Last ultrasound, unless my provider has some more concerns. A boy is confirmed! I know because I saw the male parts on the screen. The genetic testing all looks great. Looks like the little one is in the 80+ percentile on most measurements... including his head. Ouch.

Here's his little smiling face at week 19.

The Miracle of Life

I now understand why they call it that. In just five weeks, the small person in my guts has gone from this:
8 weeks


to this:
13 weeks


It's mind blowing! And, also gives me a concrete reason to continue to choke down food, despite the fact that I'm still feeling nauseous at 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant. The little one is worth it.

BorderCam "Altruism"

My brother just sent me a link to this article.

I'm baffled and saddened that the people in this story think they're doing something "altruistic," a word used by one of the interviewees. His definition of the word is sorely out of line with my idea of what altruism means.

I think the part that most makes me slap my forehead in dismay is this:
"Abernethy said he will continue to watch the cameras because he feels like he's part of an altruistic group of volunteers. Friends tease him about watching the site, he said. But he sees it as no worse than any other form of quick entertainment -- and maybe he can be of some help in the process. 'It's no different than watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns," he said. "It's just something to do.'""

Quick entertainment? It seems these bordercam watchers have lost sight of the fact that the people crossing the border are... well, people. I hardly agree that watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns is as benign as changing the course of someone's life. A life that might be deeply difficult due to issues of poverty, political problems, and disease. My feeling is that the bordercam watchers haven't taken the time to understand the issues on the other side of the fence.

That said, I'm not all for a completely open door policy because a system like that would likely overtax resources which we are already struggling to provide for some US citizens. However, I don't think watching for "the bad guys" (who could very well be a poor woman with her three young children) crossing the border is really something to be proud of.

Here are my suggestions to those bordercam people who want to help out. Some "altruistic" ideas, if you will. A good first step would be lobbying for our leaders to assist the Mexican government in building a more effective infrastructure, therefore, diminishing or even eliminating the causes of illegal immigration. Show that you believe in a policy that will help would-be immigrants make a living wage, live in healthy surroundings, and have a fair shake at building a future in their own country. We do that in countries where we want something they have. Why not for our own neighbors?

Also, for people like Abernethy, in the story, I have an even better idea. Rather than watching Everybody Loves BorderCam, go to an actual country from which the US receives a large amount of immigrants. Experience life the way its people do. Learn to really appreciate what it is that these people are seeking and why. Give yourself the opportunity to remember how wonderful it was to be able to rely upon clean water from the tap in your US home, around the clock every day. Then, help someone in that other country to live a healthier, more satisfying life. That Mr. Abernethy, is something in which to have pride.

And just to note, I also think we should continue providing amnesty for those who need it. It's a belief on which we built the country originally. And Mr. Abernethy ought to be a little less short sighted when looking at himself. Unless he's a Native American, his people once crossed our border looking for a better life, too.

Anniversaries and Overhauls

Two stories in today's news caught my eye. The first is a local piece about an overhaul of one of the giant downtown mall/theater complexes, The Metreon.



When I moved to San Francisco in early 2000, the Metreon had just been built. It was big and dark and full of neon guts. The Metreon was built by Sony, who seemed to want to capitalize on all of the Internet Millionaire Buzz that was happening around the Bay Area. High tech, high prices, high energy.

Cut to 2009. With Bay Area housing prices stalled at best, falling in most places, and many people losing their jobs, the Metreon has become a monolithic eyesore, a memory of, not so much a better time, but a more self-absorbed one.

The article talks about the Westfield Group's recent purchase and planned remodel of the building. While I don't advocate spending on unnecessary projects during tough times, the Westfield people seem to be doing okay... financially speaking. Therefore, I'm all for the upgrade! More open spaces, more light, more community area for lounging and connecting to friends.

The reason this story really hit home, though, was because I remember when The Metreon was the place to be, all new and shiny. Thing is, I never really saw the draw. I didn't like the neon or the darkness, especially since Yerba Buena park was right there. It always seemed a bit of a sin against nature to close the people off from the sunlight into a dark, albeit technologically neat, cave. So, a decade later, they will start construction on The Metreon as I envisioned it. I should really write these things down when I think of them.

The second story is that of the Barbie doll's 50th anniversary. There are many new articles online about Barbie's 50th birthday bash. While I did play with Barbie's as a child, and very much enjoyed the imaginative play her world helped me create, I do still see a flaw in the whole concept.

The main reason for my insistence on ruining Barbie's party is that I don't and won't ever look like Barbie. Some people go to great lengths to reinvent themselves into a living Barbie, by way of some extreme decision making (don't get my started on psychoanalyzing this one).

For myself in the matter of Media Blitz + Larger Than Average Rear End = Twelve Year Old With Battered Self-Esteem, I remember the exact moment in which I held my Barbie up while facing the mirror. We looked nothing alike. And in that moment, I had the crushing realization that my breasts, burgeoning though they were, would never look like Barbie's. At the time, it was heart-breaking. She was who I thought I would grow up to be. An all American Girl, fun-loving and successful. And, I assumed, these things were all based upon her natural, beachy good looks. (Remember, I was 12 years old; this was a logical conclusion for me.)

So, I remain torn on the celebration of an icon's 50th. She's a real bitch with a bad attitude, but I can't seem to shun her because of the fun times we shared several decades ago. A toxic friendship from my past of which I'm reminded every 10 years or so.

Recent News

There's no good excuse for not having written for so long. Except that I've had nothing of real interest to say. No witty observations. No big travel stories. So, here are some recent photos, so that you know I'm still here... making an effort.

Wine Tasting Last Weekend in the Pouring Rain


Golden Gate Bridge Stop in the Pouring Rain


Visiting the Missle Museum (Bryan Looks Good in a Hardhat)


Parents' 40th Anniversary Party That We Threw


I'll see if I can come up with some other good stuff soon.

100 Places I've Been

1. Amalfi, Italy
2. Amesbury, England
3. Arthurs Pass, New Zealand
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Austin, TX
6. Badlands, SD
7. Bergen, Norway
8. Birmingham, AL
9. Boulder, CO
10. Carmel, CA
11. Cheyenne, WY
12. Chicago, IL
13. Christchurch, New Zealand
14. Clearlake, CA
15. Cleveland, OH
16. Copenhagen, Denmark
17. Denver, CO
18. Depoe Bay, OR
19. Duluth, MN
20. Florence, Italy
21. Fort Collins, CO
22. Fort Lauderdale, FL
23. Gatlinburg, TN
24. Geneva, IL
25. Genoa, Italy
26. Grand Portage, MN
27. Honolulu, HI
28. Kaneohe, HI
29. Kansas City, MO
30. Kapaa, HI
31. Kekaha, HI
32. Keystone, SD
33. Kilauea, HI
34. Kissimmee, FL
35. La Fortuna, Costa Rica
36. Laie, HI
37. Lake Tahoe, CA
38. Las Vegas, NV
39. Lihue, HI
40. London, England
41. Longmont, CO
42. Los Angeles, CA
43. Lucca, Italy
44. Madison, WI
45. Malmo, Sweden
46. Mammoth Lakes, CA
47. Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
48. Memphis, TN
49. Miami, FL
50. Miami Beach, FL
51. Milan, Italy
52. Milwaukee, WI
53. Minneapolis, MN
54. Monterey, CA
55. Napa, CA
56. Naples, Italy
57. Nashville, TN
58. Nelson, New Zealand
59. New Orleans, LA
60. Nogales, Mexico
61. Orlando, FL
62. Oslo, Norway
63. Owego, NY
64. Paris, France
65. Philadelphia, PA
66. Phoenix, AZ
67. Pisa, Italy
68. Poipu, HI
69. Pompeii, Italy
70. Portofino, Italy
71. Princeville, HI
72. Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
73. Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica
74. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
75. Reno, NV
76. Rochester, NY
77. Rome, Italy
78. Rotorua, New Zealand
79. San Diego, CA
80. San Francisco, CA
81. San Jose, CA
82. San Jose, Costa Rica
83. San Juan, Puerto Rico
84. Santa Barbara, CA
85. Santa Monica, CA
86. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
87. Seattle, WA
88. Sedona, AZ
89. Sonoma, CA
90. Stockholm, Sweden
91. Superior, WI
92. Tampa, FL
93. Tucson, AZ
94. Turrialba, Costa Rica
95. Waialua, HI
96. Washington DC
97. Wellington, New Zealand
98. Winnipeg, Manitoba
99. Wisconsin Dells, WI
100. Yosemite, CA