Something Shiny!

Facepalm

emily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:10:32 +0000

Or, “How Reading Product Reviews Will Make You Lose Your Faith in Humanity.” Seriously, the people who write those things absolutely kill me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone was playing a good joke. When I needed to buy a mattress for Henry’s mini crib, I found one on Amazon and read the reviews. One of them, no kidding, gave the item one star and said “this mattress is ridiculously small! it’s like it’s made for some kind of miniature crib!” More recently, I went looking for a camisole for nighttime nursing and found, instead, a nursing sleep bra. One reviewer remarked, “I would never wear this during the day; there’s no support at all. I would only wear this to sleep in.” And those are just a couple examples. So, either there’s someone out there with a really sly sense of humor, or there are an awful lot of boneheads out there.

So close…

emily — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:36:17 +0000

Yet so far.

On sex and Navy SEALs

emily — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:26:29 +0000

Or maybe sex with Navy SEALs, I’m not sure. I’m teaching a Women’s Studies class this semester and so far, it’s been… interesting. It’s still the first week, so I’m trying hard not to make any judgments about the class overall and, at the same time, embrace the differences between History and Women’s Studies. But, wow, have our discussions been… interesting. Wednesday wound up being a lot of sitting around and talking about feelings, so I tried to take today’s discussion in a more concrete direction, getting the students to think about definitions within the field of Women’s Studies and such. And somehow, I’m still sort of fuzzy on how, we wound up talking about how women aren’t allowed to be Navy SEALs and are also not allowed to be in submarines because (as one student put it), a woman’s presence would be distracting to them men on board. THAT then led down the rabbit hole of ‘men need to learn to control themselves’ and ‘biology, schmiology’ and oh, wow, did we get off topic. Thankfully, Monday is a holiday, so I can take the day to regroup and figure out how to guide the class in a more academically-grounded direction while at the same time not completely squelching discussion. In the meantime, in case you’re curious, women are going to be allowed on submarines as early as this year, once new submarines come off the line with (as I understand it) women’s restrooms and separate sleeping areas.

My 2011

emily — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:51:26 +0000

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Wow, so much! I defended my dissertation. I graduated with my PhD. I (we) saw the cherry blossoms in DC. I (we) rented a beach house for a week. I got pregnant! I (we) had a baby. The list goes on!
Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for 2012?

January of last year was too difficult (having just lost Edgar) to make resolutions, I’m sorry to say. But we did make good on certain goals (finish the dissertation, get pregnant), so I guess that counts? As for making more in 2012… I’d love to say “get an academic job,” but I think that’s too much of a long shot to be realistic. How about “sell the house” and “move back to Kansas.”
Did anyone close to you give birth?

Who’s got two thumbs and is sitting next to a baby? This gal! Also, my BFF Sally.
Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully, but a number of dear friends suffered tragic losses in 2011 and I hope that 2012 is a happier year for all of them.
What countries did you visit?

Having spent a good deal of cash and vacation time in 2010 visiting England, we remained stateside in 2011. BUT, we visited DC for the cherry blossoms and that was breathtaking.
What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A home closer to family and friends.
What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

February 28th, when I defended my dissertation. Early May (though not technically a date, I know), when I found out I was pregnant. And December 25th, when Henry was born.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I’m sensing a theme here: Becoming Dr. Casey. Natural childbirth. Learning patience.
What was your biggest failure?

I’ve really struggled to balance the teaching part of my work with the research and writing part of my work. It’s like I can only successfully pull off one or the other, but not both.
Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really, thank goodness. I returned from our summer midwest trip with a nasty flu that lasted several weeks, but I was able to not-so-silently suffer through it in bed (the benefits of being unemployed, holla!).
What was the best thing you bought?

This isn’t really a thing, but: our homebirth midwives. These three ladies visited our house every couple weeks during my pregnancy, did all of their tests from the comfort of our own home, and made my pregnancy and Henry’s arrival completely blissful. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.
Whose behavior merited celebration?

John, a thousand times over. In the early part of the year, he did a yeoman’s job reading, editing, and commenting on my dissertation. When I told him I was pregnant, he learned everything he could about natural childbirth and homebirths. And throughout my pregnancy, he did everything in his power to make me more comfortable.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

I’m going to say it: the Republicans. Yes, there’s plenty of blame to go around and I certainly don’t exclude the Democrats from that, but wow, yeah, the Republicans.
Where did most of your money go?

Other than the obvious (mortgage, bills, and other similarly un-exciting things), our various trips (DC, beach, midwest). Totally worth it.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I got really, really exited about defending and then graduating. It was the culmination of eight long years, after all! And then I got really, really excited about the prospect of having a child. I’d fought the idea for so long, but when it became a reality after I saw those two lines on the pregnancy test, I got really jazzed about it.
What song will always remind you of 2011?

“Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” from Mary Poppins. Also: “Get Ready for This.” They play it at the start of college basketball games (at least at K-State), and I had it on repeat on my iPod while I was waiting for my dissertation defense to start, then again while waiting for my committee to decide my fate.
Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

Happier and, yes, chubbier, but also richer in so many ways.
What do you wish you’d done more of?

I wish I’d taken more photos. It helps me to slow down a bit and appreciate what’s going on around me.
What do you wish you’d done less of?

I spent (spend) too much time worrying about what other people think, instead of just not giving a damn.
How did you spend Christmas?

For the first time since we’ve been in Florida, we spent Christmas here, at our house. We had an enormous tree, a pile of presents, and lots of good cheer. Oh, and then my water broke. So I spent the rest of Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day in labor.
Did you fall in love in 2011?

Oh my goodness, yes.
What was your favorite TV program?

Not really a program per se, but we sure had a great time watching the Stanley Cup tournament.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No, but the next person who asks me about my milk supply is going to get a punch up the bracket.
What was the best book you read?

The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell.
What was your greatest musical discovery?

Rebecca Zapen.
What did you want and get?

My PhD and a healthy baby.
What did you want and not get?

A job for myself, which I’ve said every year for the last several. *sigh*
What was your favorite film of the year?

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Hah! Just kidding. In truth, I don’t really like movies. In fact, I didn’t set foot in a movie theater in 2011. I did see HPDH2 on dvd and thought it was miserable. So, there’s that.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 34 on my birthday. I opened presents in the morning, talked to family and friends, and turned in my grades for the fall semester. I’d intended to bake a pie, but at that point in my pregnancy, pie was the furthest thing from my mind.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

As I’ve said before: Being closer, geographically, to family and friends.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Maternity clothes! I finally cobbled together a decent wardrobe of maternity clothes that did not make me look like a) a desperate hooker or b) my grandmother’s curtains. Win!
What kept you sane?

Hard to say. After a lifetime of being a real type-A personality, pregnancy actually mellowed me quite a bit. I have no idea why. But finding that kind of internal peace helped a lot. Oh, and yoga. Lots of yoga.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Fancy, huh? Hmm. I’ve never figured out how to answer this one. Kate Middleton?
What political issue stirred you the most?

Contraception, probably. The idea that people are thinking it’s a good idea to ban contraception and take us back to pre-1965 makes me feel very stabby.
Who did you miss?

I missed Edgar, on an almost daily basis. He lived his life on his own terms, which made him a difficult companion at times, but I loved him like mad.
Who was the best new person you met?

Henry. Can you blame me?
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

You’ll never know whether it’s the right decision or not. The only strategy is to jump in with both feet and hope for the best.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“Once in a while, now and then/You’ll meet a guy or a girl/That makes you smile/You’ll never know, who knows when/You’ll meet the her or the him/That makes you smile.” Smile, by Rebecca Zapen

Glory to the newborn king

emily — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:00:26 +0000

On Christmas Eve day, John and I were running some errands around town when he said, “if the baby were to come tonight, would we have everything we need?” A couple hours later, my water broke. And shortly after noon on Christmas Day, Henry Miles joined our family and two became three.

Tree-normous

emily — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:38:56 +0000

Part of our lengthy to-do list yesterday was picking out a Christmas tree. As we walked around the lot, we found ourselves coming back to this one tree in particular. It had a great shape, a straight trunk, and good coverage (no gaping holes). Before we gave ourselves a chance to think twice about it, it was strapped to the roof of the car and we headed home with it. It was only then, as we tried to heft it into the house, that we realized we made a crucial error: we hadn’t done the angel test. Every year at the Christmas tree lot, John raises his arm to see if he’ll need a step ladder in order to place the angel atop the tree. If it’s far out of reach, we find a shorter tree. This year, we failed to do the angel test. As we tried to right the tree in order to place it into the tree stand, the top of the tree scraped the vaulted ceiling. Folks, this tree practically blocks out the sun, it’s so big. Oh, it’s gorgeous, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a good 10-foot high tree, in a 1300-square foot house. Thank god for the vaulted ceiling in the living room, is what I’m saying. Even still, we had to lop off several inches in order to get the angel on top (with a step ladder, natch), and the angel now rests just a couple inches shy of the ceiling. Still, for our first Christmas just the two of us (I can’t travel, what with being 36+ weeks pregnant), it’s nice to have such an over-the-top tree. And, hey, big is beautiful, right?

Step away from the belleh

emily — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:56:29 +0000

A stranger touched my belly last week. Someone whose name I don’t know (okay, she was a waitress where we were having lunch, but still), and whose hand was completely uninvited, touched my belly. I’d heard of this happening, of course. There’s apparently something about a pregnant woman’s belly that makes people lose all sense of personal boundaries and appropriate behavior. I always figured I’d say something like, “sure, if I can touch yours” if someone asked to touch teh belleh. But this woman didn’t ask. I was taking off my jacket and, before I knew it, her hand was on me. Being pregnant doesn’t make me public domain, folks. What gives?

Pimp my crib

emily — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:34:04 +0000

Sunday morning I was in the middle of yoga. Deep inside, inner peace, all that jazz. And, somewhere behind me, I heard our ~~fat~~ ~~orange~~ ~~jerk of a~~ cat, Amos, go padding into my office. I didn’t think much of it because, well, deep inside and inner peace and all that. But once I was done and feeling very refreshed and one with the world [insert foreshadowing here], I wandered into my office to see where he had settled. I should explain that Amos has a knack for finding the one place where he absolutely should not sleep, even if it means walking straight past ten other places where it’s perfectly fine for him to settle down. My eyes wandered around the room: no, he’s not on the dog’s bed; no, he’s not on the cushy chair; he’s… wait… NO! He was IN THE CRIB. In the baby’s crib, that I covered (well, fairly ineffectively, it turns out) with a giant yoga ball so as to keep cats out. Folks, the time it took me to go from “zen-like inner peace” to “YOUMOTHERF*CKERGETOUTTATHERE!” would make your head spin. Rodney Yee would be horrified.

The Final Countdown

emily — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:56:46 +0000

Nothing like a little bad ’80s hair band to kick off a blog post, amirite? So here we are. NaBloPoMo Day 30: praise the lord and pass the potatoes. I’ve missed this space a lot, I really have, but blogging everyday when I’m otherwise crazy busy was HARD. I like the idea of blogging everyday, in theory, but I found that I’m sort of lacking in material these days. Well, I’m pregnant, so I’m never lacking in that kind of material. But I don’t want to bore everyone (including myself) with day after day of MAH BAYBEE. That gets really old really fast. But I am hoping to visit this space more often, so hopefully I’ll see you around here too! Over and out.

Deep and gorgeous thirst

emily — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:09:20 +0000

I’d like to apologize to anyone facing a water or orange juice or lemonade shortage these days. It seems that I can’t get enough liquids to quench my deep and gorgeous thirst (The Philadelphia Story, anyone?). I drink and drink and drink and still wind up barking at the animals to get out of my way so that I can refill my water glass again. I have to confess, this was a side effect of pregnancy that I had NO idea existed! And yet, here we are. Can someone get me a glass of water?