New York City!
Last weekend, Dan and I took a little trip up to the Big Apple! It was the holiday weekend, so we had 3 days to enjoy it... and Dan's brother, Sam, was visiting the US on a business trip and let us stay in his hotel room, making the trip very appealing!
We managed to pack a lot into 2 days (on Monday we just drove home)... and most of it starts with a B! The photo above is from the Staten Island ferry, which we took solely to get a good look at the Statue of Liberty (which you can just barely make out behind us). About 90% of the boat were tourists like us, and we all got off on Staten Island and turned around and got right back on for the return to Manhattan!
We also saw...
Broadway!
Bones!
and a Blue whale! (Plus this photo has Baby on Board!)
We got half-price same-day Broadway tickets (from TKTS) and went to see Rent. I've owned the soundtrack for many years (I think my sister got into it first, when I was in high school), and loved the movie, but this was my first time to see it live. It was awesome! The baby loved it, too, and kicked around to several of the songs :) After we bought our tickets, we went on the website and found out that they are going to be ending their Broadway run in June 2008 (after 12 years!), so I was really greatful that we got to see it before it ends.
We also went to the American Museum of Natural History (which is the museum from Night at the Museum), where we saw some dinosaur bones, and some other exhibits including the Oceans Hall. It's an interesting museum, with some older exhibits (taxidermy in particular) surrounded now by "renovated" surroundings.
And of course, what's a visit to New York City without a little bit of shopping? I visited Seaport Yarn (which will be moving to a new location in a couple of weeks), which is just as bizarre of an experience as all of the reviews I've read about it online. It's in a building with absolutely no signs or other obvious clues on the ground floor - you walk past a doorman to an elevator. The weekend I was there, the regular elevators weren't working so I rode up in the freight elevator with 4 bags of trash! Then you get up to the 5th floor, and the store consists of many small rooms (crammed to the ceiling with yarns) connected by hallways lined with shelves with more yarns and books. It's a packrat's dream (I loved it!). And I was happy with what I bought:
Baby Bamboo!
Brilliant stripes!
That's a machine washable (!!) bamboo/wool blend (Sirdar Snuggly Bamboo Baby) and 100% wool in a self-striping rainbow colorway (Diakeito Rococo). Both bought in appropriate amounts for baby garments...
And I stopped at Kinokinuya (which has moved, but the website still had the old address! Which ordinarily wouldn't have bothered me so much, but walking was quite a challenge, and I was a little peeved when I found out their new location was just a few blocks away from one of the subway stops we'd used earlier that day), where I bought:
Books!
Three new additions to my library of Japanese knitting books. From left: From left: Baby Knits (0-24 months) ISBN 4-277-14158-7; Women's Knits/Stylish Knit Autumn & winter ISBN 978-4-408-62830-1; Men's Knits (M, L, LL) ISBN 978-4-277-13332-6
I'm pleased to say that I've already knit one thing from the baby book! I'll have to share photos with you next post.
Baby-wise, we're doing good. She's quite active during the mornings, which can make it hard for me to concentrate at work! You can easily see the movements by watching my belly, though, which entertains me and my co-workers. She makes big movements at night (changing positions), which means that I can never plan on how I'll feel in the mornings. I've come to realize that my comfort level (doing things like walking or sitting) depends a lot on how she's positioned. The weekend in New York was fairly painful - I think she was crushing a nerve in my pelvis - and every step hurt. By the time I woke up on Tuesday morning, though, she was off of it, and I was feeling good. This morning she was sticking out the front, and walking again became painful, although in a completely different place. I wonder where she'll be tomorrow morning!
I'm still having a touch of morning sickness (a day or two a week with puking, some nausea the rest of the time), but it's so much less than it used to be that I feel like it's nothing. The heartburn is constant and completely obnoxious, plus the medicine I'm currently taking is becoming less effective the more I take it.
I'm doing pregnancy yoga in a class once a week, and then a bit at home. It's definitely helping - I can't believe how flexible I am, or how much I can still move!
I haven't really been having a lot of strange dreams - none (so far) where I've been pregnant. The worst one was an anxiety dream where Dan came home and said he was leaving me, but he wouldn't tell me why. I had a son and a small dog. It was one of those dreams where you wake up and aren't sure what the reality is - know what I mean? I have never been so relieved as when I looked across the bed and he was there. I think I asked him about 4 times the next day if he was going to leave me (and he is quick to reassure me that he's not going anywhere!).
I've only been having a few cravings lately (mandarin oranges being one!) but I've been making a lot of smoothies - pretty much one per day. I usually make enough for two glasses, so Dan is also on board with this plan.
My next doctor's appointment is on Friday, and I think after this I start going every week! Only 7.5 weeks 'til my due date! Yikes!
Posted by Sarah at January 27, 2008 11:10 PM | in: ABC-Along 2008 , baby , books , stores | PermalinkI saw Rent in NYC back in 2000. It was fabulous. I saw it again in Montreal (home) a couple of years later, and nothing compared to NYC's showing! I can't believe they're ending it this June.
The belly is looking great! Are you nesting yet?
Posted by: Robyn on January 27, 2008 11:58 PMI purchased some of the baby bamboo for my grandmother for Christmas. You are the first person I have seen mention it online. And you got a better price!
Sounds like a great trip. Glad to hear you had a good time!
Posted by: Stephanie on January 28, 2008 03:59 AMI'm sorry we missed you guys! I can't believe how fast this all went and I can't believe we're still freaking sick (sometimes) and I can't believe how HORRIBLE the indigestion/acid reflux can be!!!
Craziness!
You look beautiful!
Posted by: Cara on January 28, 2008 07:28 AMAww, you guys are so cute! Love the pic with the baby on board. :)
Can't wait to see her!
You're getting so close! It's very true that the baby's position can affect your whole day. And there's nothing you can do about it but wait until she moves again. Good for you and Dan for going on a trip at this point - glad you had a chance to get away!
Posted by: natalie on January 28, 2008 09:53 AMHey, Sarah! Love the pictures!! Your weekend looks wonderful! Can you please e-mail me the Kinokinuya address? I'm heading to NY and would love to stop in there to grab some of the Japanese books. I have one and would love to get more :)
Posted by: Erin on January 28, 2008 10:14 AMHum, is this where I say "Been there, done that" 31 and 27 years ago????
Hang in there. 7 and a half weeks will go by quick!!
Love you!
Mom
Is now when I remind mom that it was twenty-eight years for her second (will be twenty-nine in April??).
How crazy... I just talked to you and now I get a bloggy update too! I love it!
HOLY CRAP! Were you at the Museum of Natural History Saturday or Sunday? BECAUSE I WAS TOTALLY THERE TOOOOOO!!!! We went on Sunday... :) WE were trying to decide if the Taxidermy dioramas were REAL taxidermy or really looking fake animals. I was hoping for the latter, but considering how hold those exibits are, um, it's probably the former. :-\
Sorry to hear that pregnancy has been so tough for you :( If you need anything, you let me know, ok? HOME STRETCH!
Posted by: Lara on January 28, 2008 11:08 AMLooks like you guys had fun! I remember it being so weird when all the sudden I started going every week! Almost there!!!
Posted by: sarah b. on January 29, 2008 09:50 PMHow time flies ~ and you look great, Sarah! It looks like you had some real fun in NYC too! I went to that museum last year and was surprised - I definitely prefer the Smithsonian Natural History (or the Field!) but it is still an iconic landmark with some cool stuff :)
Posted by: Lolly on January 30, 2008 07:22 AMAny luck getting her to move if you push her around a little? I'm not saying, hurt her or you, but Allison would totally move if I rubbed the right place on my belly. Also not saying that it relieved any pain or pressure, but you never know!
Posted by: Kelly on January 31, 2008 02:59 PMIs C for cute? As in a cute nursery... or cure, as in you want a cure from feeling ill??
Posted by: Jenna on February 11, 2008 06:20 PM