Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered...

Today we had an appointment to find out the sex of little bambino number two. This was a big deal because we didn't find out with Indio and it drove everyone crazy. Totally crazy. No one likes to buy sage or buttercup yellow outfits apparently. Thinking that knowing the gender would be cool and practical for this baby, I thought finding out and throwing a simple little gender reveal party for our families would be fun. That was before discovering that schedules didn't jive and we were looking at a June reveal. With the prospect of not finding out sooner I was threatened with physical harm and called nasty names if I actually held out that long before simply revealing it over the phone (seriously, what kind of people do that? Our families.) So today we took in an envelope and decided not to find out ourselves until we had a resolution to this silly little quandary.

The only picture that gives away the gender is in that envelope...sealed and stapled.

Here's how the prediction methods are going:

• Chinese calendar = girl
• Mayan predictor = girl
• No morning sickness = boy
• Indio = Tells us about his baby sister (he doesn't even know about the baby yet, so not sure what he is talking about)
• Wives tales = Mixed, but similar to my first pregnancy, so we'll call that for boy

Or we could just open up that envelope and know for sure.

Unveiling the nursery

The past few months our big project has been transforming a ho-hum home office into a nursery - a task spurred on by bouts of nesting or nagging, whichever you believe in more. But, after shoving all the items into closets throughout the house in a somewhat organized fashion, we started with a clean slate.



We quickly settled on a forest theme - heavy with gender neutral greens and requiring no new wall color - and set to work on an eclectic mix of design and furniture (a good way to mask the fact that we don't have any designer know-how). Here is the end result...drumroll, please:


Ta-Da! A few of our key items and projects:

• Rocking chair from The Bent Tree
• Curtains from Anthropologie...and are actually tablecloths
• Changing table was a down-on-its-luck dresser refinished and topped by my parents
• Project: Mural
• Project: Origami branch
• Project: Crib skirt (future post)
• Project: Pendant 'tree' lamps

Days late, hopefully not dollars short

Today starts my first day of maternity leave and, quite honestly, I thought I'd have a little baby to show for it. I had delusions of working right up until the last minute - biting down on a pen cap or breathing through those early contractions - until calmly shooting off an e-mail to my employer explaining my immediate need to run off to the hospital and promptly have a baby. Silly Nica, due dates are for...actually, I have no idea who due dates are for. In fact, I prepared myself to have a late arrival since, statistically speaking, firstborns are 1 week and 2 days late (I have actually heard the range of 1 week 1 day to 1 week 3 days, but close enough). A week before our due date I was counting on the baby being late so I could tie up those loose ends, procure necessities and cross off all the items on my numerous to-do before baby lists. Now staring back at a long week of being overdue I see that being overdue is a lot like a little kid 'hitting the wall' after staying up well beyond an appointed bedtime - you periodically feel that throwing a monumental temper tantrum is exactly what needs to be done. In fact, everyone who lays eyes on you will tell you what needs to be done to make the baby come faster and with this one action you will have a baby in a matter of days. The fascinating part about this whole process is you will take these random suggestions to heart with each passing day. Day one of overdue and I signed up for acupuncture. Day two and we were taking long walks...by the time all is said and done I wouldn't be surprised if we hunt down a cannon or two to shoot off in our backyard (read on for that last part to make any sense). Here are a few labor-inducing suggestions we've heard...repeatedly:


[Me...2 weeks ago.]
Acupuncture. Acupuncture in known locations will stimulate the labor process. Though not as quick acting as Western medicine (Pitocin), with a successful session or two you should go into labor within a few days. Studies are available on this and vary signficantly with the overall thought summarized as "can't hurt, might help."

Walking. Probably the number one suggestion by the public at large - take long walks or walk stairs. The theory behind this is that it will help position the baby lower, thereby kick starting the steps leading up to labor. The real impressive part of this suggestion is that what seemed like an impossibility 1 week ago - walking like a normal person for reasonable stretches of time - becomes not only possible, but routine.

Sex. Have sex to stimulate contractions or introduce pitocin naturally to start labor. This suggestion seems to have the greatest medical support and, usually, the most favorable partner support.

Indigestion. Okay, so it isn't presented as such, but basically spicy foods and ingesting Castor oil is all about upsetting your stomach to create a chain reaction that starts contractions. Downside to this one is you could just have an upset stomach or worse and still not go into labor.

Now for the good part - historical methods of inducing labor:

Cannons. A friend informed us that sometimes women were allowed onto sailing ships that were unknowingly pregnant. If the female was determined to be overdue or in the middle of a difficult labor, they would take her down to the cannons, load them up with powder and set them off in hopes of starting or hastening labor. This is one possibility of how the phrase 'son of a gun' got started.

Attacks . Some plains Indians were known to tie an overdue pregnant woman up and create a false attack to send her into labor. Really, it sounded like a good idea...

Recipe for success: Baby Bellini

Here is my new non-alcoholic drink of the week...or two weeks...or maybe drink of the month. It is both delicious and super easy, requiring only 2 ingredients and no blender. AND unlike the good ol' cucumber/pineapple/ginger concoction I think this one always turns out pretty. What a relief!

Assemble the ingredients: Peach nectar ( found in the juice section) Sparkling apple cider Add 2 oz. of chilled peach nectar to a champagne flute and top off with the chilled sparkling cider. *

*For those of you wanting to get a little booze action, substitute champagne in for the sparkling apple cider. Just mix it with the peach nectar, take a sip and then call me up and tell me how much better it is then silly sparkling cider.

Recipe for success: Agua Fresca mocktail

The word is out that we are expecting...which means this blog is going to be totally dedicated to all things baby from here on out. Just kidding. It does mean that I guzzled enough sparkling apple juice and pretend sipped on any cocktail in front of me to coast through the holidays. But now that the secret is out I am ready to join the big kids table with some caffeine free, non-alcoholic drinks of my own. To start is a cucumber/pineapple/ginger agua fresca that is very refreshing and magically delicious. The picture on LA Times made the drink look like a tall sip of Ireland, but I whipped up the drink and it looked more like pond water. But not to worry, just serve it in a colored or opaque glass before serving to your more discerning guests.

1. Assemble the ingredients:

   Pineapple juice 1 cucumber Ginger ale

2. Dice and blend the cucumber, then strain the juice. If you leave the peel on, be sure to scrub it first. And I tried mixes with and without the peel and it didn't make the drink any prettier.
3. Mix 3oz. of pineapple juice, 3oz. cucumber juice and 3.5oz. of ginger ale.
4. Pour over ice and garnish with a slice of cucumber or pineapple.

The Royale...my neighborhood bar not in my neighborhood

My sister and her fiancee closed on their house yesterday (congrats!) so Daniel and I went over to pass judgement on their painting efforts. The group of us then decided to go over to the neighborhood bar for dinner and drinks since watching paint dry is notoriously boring. Just walking up to The Royale and I knew I was going to love this place...let me count the ways:

1. No smoking policy - extremely rare for a bar in STL


2. Vintage exit sign


3. Pressed tin ceiling (or replica tin ceiling)


4. The menus came housed in large children's books
5. Booths made of church pew seats


6. The check was delivered on a small clipboard created from a cigar box
   
7. Good music
   
8. Large selection of cocktails and beers - most of the cocktails are dedicated to a ward of the city and have clever names to accompany. The beer selection seemed very large and Daniel ordered a Brazilian beer that one friend in Los Angeles claimed was the best he ever had, but couldn't find it in the U.S.


9. Good atmosphere
   
10. Our waiter sported a rat-tail.

As you can see, little things go a long way for me. The whole experience was so exciting and I can't wait to visit again.