Shopping in the bin

My sister-in-law lent me a big bin of maternity clothes a couple months ago.   Since I've entered that "awkward" stage of not fitting into regular clothes, I decided to open the bin finally.  Should have done it before, but how fun to find an entire wardrobe of really nice clothes, for various sizes and even seasons!  Growing up with only a brother, shopping in my sister's closet is an experience I missed out on, but now can understand why my friends used to love it so much.

WWII Canteen

Ever wanted to have a World War II Red Cross Canteen party? Really?! Well, you're in luck! We have found the definitive source, direct from the Red Cross, on how to do just that.

Just click here to find all the details!

Check out Dr. Watson

Here!

Snow, sniffles and hot soup

Is spring coming??!!  After a little more warmth last weekend and birds chirping everywhere, it seems like spring should be here.  But we had an inch of fluffy snow overnight, though it's all melted at this point.  Troy and I are battling our congested noses, trying to work and study even though napping is the most enticing of all options.  Not too long from now we'll be wishing it were cooler, so I won't complain too loud.

The right left hand

Here.

Profile View - 16 weeks

Listen...

your body talking to you!  I have always been a strong believer in paying attention to your body.  That concept can go the extreme and cause hypochondriasis, but if we are aware, then we can help ourselves.  Unfortunately, more often than not, I've been guilty of ignoring my body's subtle text, like drinking too much coffee, not sleeping enough, eating too many carbs, etc.  But I'm trying to do better.  For example, early on in the pregnancy I was hungry for cheese.  Rather unusual craving for me, but later realized I was in need of calcium.  Now that calcium hasn't been an issue, I haven't wanted cheese much.  What have I been wanting lately?  To name a few things: apricots, plums, oatmeal, tofu, lentils, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, broccoli, oranges, grapefruit, beans.  Guess what the common nutrient is?  Yep, iron.  Those of you nutritionally-savvy people might wonder about oranges and grapefruit.  No, they actually don't contain much iron, but vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed.   I realized my need for iron today when I looked at my latest labwork and saw that like most pregnant women with increased fluid volume, my red blood cell count is a little lower than before.  I'm not anemic but my body's talking to me and my mouth so I can stay that way!

Old Newspaper Clippings

Youngin and I are both home sick today.  I'm just working on homework.  Thought it would be nice to have a slideshow of old photos going on the computer while I work.  I found this old newspaper clipping in the archives...

Saturday musings

We woke up early this morning to hit the downtown church's semi-annual children's consignment sale.  We arrived before the opening time but were about 25 people late.   The big ticket items went quick.

After meeting up with a friend for lunch, we wandered around Cameron Village, thoroughly soaking up the wonderful sunshine and warmth.  There's a new tea shop there, a small chain to which I've been in Chicago and was pleased to find one locally.  This one opened four months ago.  I'd like to start drinking more green tea, but haven't enjoyed it much in the past.   The helpful store clerk, who looks just like Mara, pointed out some decaffeinated varieties I could try.  I bought a little sampler of 3, and hopefully will acquire a new love for green tea.  I might even move up to the Sencha eventually.  Three cups/day should be my goal, according to the book I just read.

I'm also library-hopping today.   First, I stopped at the regional library at Cameron Village which housed a few Indian recipe books, although at this point their shelves are depleted : )   I'm going to try my hand at more Indian cooking, especially after picking up some spices at The Fresh Market.   Turmeric is what I should eating-- 1/4 teaspoon per day!  I'm going to turn seriously yellow! 

Currently, I'm hanging out at the University Library.  Yep, you know why.... 

Latest book

I've started reading this book by a physician who has been successfully challenging his brain cancer with nutrtion.   I'm happy to think that we already had incorporated some of his principles in our eating habits but there's always room for improvement, particularly in the sugar and carb realm.  Especially if you work in my office....

Kid's Stuff

Via Little Seouls Blog...

Who said this?

"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  Yes, you got it right, all you Shakespearian literature lovers!  It was indeed Juliet Capulet from Romeo and Juliet. 

Troy and I jumped into The Name Game quickly after finding out about the baby's existence, though it's been on the back burner for a few weeks now, mostly due to the overwhelming number of choices.  Juliet is completely correct, and yet we feel very obligated to name this kiddo just the right name.  I mean, seriously, look what a name did to that fated couple!  Baby already has gone through about four nicknames, and even after being named The Perfect Name, will likely have a nickname anyway.  So it doesn't even matter if Wilhemina, Gertrude, or Prudence suits her precisely, she'll be called Princess Picklefeet.  (ah hah, you quick-thinkers, no we don't know if it's a boy or a girl).

We're aiming for an uncommon name, but one that isn't weird.  We don't want kiddo to be one of 10 in the class with the same name, but we'd like it to be easy for everyone to pronounce.  It should be a strong name but one with some character too.  Something meaningful but sensible.  Today, Troy suggests Gucci Gucci Gilmore.

Lots to learn about Korea

We bumped into this website about Korea.  It's the official government web portal and contains a lot of information about Korean food and culture.

Click through the publications in the library section on the left side of the page here.  Some of the publications are fairly large to download (5 to 30+mb), but there's a lot of interesting reading and a ton of beautiful photographs.

I also found a three-volume set on the history of Korea that has been recently released.  It looks like a very comprehensive history.  Maybe we'll try to collect all three some day, but for now it's inspired me to search th NCSU library.  Maybe tomorrow I'll pick up this, this and this.

I wish I would have thought to access the NCSU library a couple years ago when I was researching traditional weddings!

The links above are to the following books:
“A Review of Korea History” a three-volume series by professor Han Young-woo...

A concise history of Korea : from the neolithic period through the nineteenth century

Michael J. Seth.

Everlasting flower : a history of Korea

Keith Pratt.

The history of Korea

Djun Kil Kim.

 

 

Why didn't I think of that?!

This guy's Valentine gift puts mine to shame.

Happy New Year! (and Happy Heart Day)

February 14 marks the beginning of the lunar year, the much-awaited Year of the White Tiger, which only arrives every 60 years.  Koreans celebrate both the gregorian new year (always January 1) and the lunar new year (varies depending on the lunar cycle).  The white tiger is particularly special to Koreans, and we're excited our baby can enjoy the bountiful fortune of being born this year.  This video highlights some preparation for the festivities at the zoo.

Fluffy snow

This overnight storm from the south brought us a beautiful white blanket for our trees.  Refreshing to wake up to the brightness!

Easy Cheese

Nothing like a combination of laser therapy and old world cheese to diminish those aches and pains.

Respite day

After running on fast forward for the past week and a half, I'm thankful for today!  Great to catch up on life, chores and even a nap this afternoon.  Minestrone with crusty bread for supper, and caesar salad on the side.  Fun playing housewife for a bit. 

And windy has stormy eyes

It's been gusty all day, bringing some frigid temps along with it.  There are tree limbs everywhere.  When I arrived home, our power was out.   It must have just occurred since the house was still warm.  The electricity is back on and all is well... especially since the internet is now available! 

Yeah!

We'll take good news in any shape, form or style.  Heard today that our nuchal cord testing came back normal.  Go Baby G!

If you want to see Elvis, Elmo, Mr. Donut Head, Superman, The Cheesehead, and Banana Man all in one setting, checking out these photos!

And heartfelt sympathies to our snowbound friends and family, from Baltimore to Chicago.  Hope the cabin fever resolves soon.  Winter really won't last forever.

Whirlwind Weekend

Starting with a trip to Raleigh's Krispy Kreme store (packed on Friday night) to pick up race shirts and numbers, our weekend flew, full of activity and people.  I worked Saturday morning while Troy ran the race. We then met at the lab and went out for a burrito lunch with another couple.  Troy worked with the lab all afternoon, while I made a few stops.  It didn't dawn on me that the Superbowl was eminent until I popped into Trader Joe's for a couple of items and saw huge lines with a lot of alcohol purchases.  Saturday night we enjoyed a nice gathering with about 25 people.  Our gracious hosts included two bright teenage ladies.  One dish was particularly spectacular -- an antipasto salad of artichoke, olive, carrot, pepperoncini, salami and sundried tomato mixed in an italian marinade.  Yummy!  Sunday we stayed for potluck, again another huge feast with good friends.

Krispy Kreme 2010 Race Results

Here are the men's results.  #1152.  I ran the whole thing with Andrew Brown, who's at #1158.

This includes the time it took to eat the donuts.

tg

Krispy Kreme Challenge

Troy's morning is an hour-long race with 6000 other brave souls, who will start on campus, run 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store, eat a dozen donuts, then run back.  Of course, the biggest winner is NC Children's Hospital but other hospitals might end up with a few extra patients too. Good luck!

ADDENDUM:  Troy finished under the hour and felt decent with both ends of the run despite the last 3 doughnuts being difficult to swallow.  Great job!  Check out the photos!

Ultrasounds

One benefit to seeing a high-risk OB:  extra ultrasounds and three hour consultations!

Try it, you might like it

Quinoa is a grain with a long history but only recently gained some notoriety as a superfood.  This article highlights all its benefits. 

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Yep, it's numero dos already!  Amazingly wonderful.

Snowbound Day 2 1/2

Work and school started late today with icy roads causing potential driving hazards.  Once we got off our street, the rest of the commute was fine.  The parking lots at work needed some help but the bright sun did some more melting today.  Hopefully as the warmer weather creeps in this week, we'll be free of snow and ice.  I exercised my "stork" privilege and moved my car closer to the building, so as to avoid walking through treacherous ice.  I might need to utilize that one more often!