I don’t really know what to say. Michael Jackson was so much part of my teen years growing up. He brought so much joy to me with his music, his dance, his beautiful personality. I’ve been a fervant supporter of his when people had doubts. He had talent like no other.

I’m at a lost for words.

Michael, you were always my King of Pop.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the 2nd season of Weeds (yes, I know, that’s so 3 seasons ago. I like watching shows late!). Particularly the intro song, which I had always loved, but they now get various artists to sing.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there’s doctors and there’s lawyers
And business executives,
And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf-course,
And drink their Martini dry,
And they all have pretty children,
And the children go to school.
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
And they all get put in boxes
And they all come out the same.

And the boys go into business,
And marry, and raise a family,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

They all look just the same.
The suburbanites in America.
Singaporeans.
The hipsters in Williamsburg.
The breeders in Park Slope.
The hippies in San Francisco.
They all look just the same.

The Original Belly.

Found from the archives. Taken in April 2004. No, I wasn’t pregnant back then. Believe you me, even having a cat, let alone a baby, was farrrr from my mind back then! Someone just liked to call me Kelly Belly as a nickname. How things have ch-ch-changed!

…when I find this so funny:

“Her” was the start of a company name
“Anal” was the start of “Analyst”

Michael’s awesome.

Fascinating! A time when the Internet was “something called the internet”.

I particularly like the 4 pound laptop WITH the CD-ROM player and the pager.

Your pregnancy: 30 weeks

How your baby’s growing:
Your baby’s about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it’s not very keen; even after she’s born, she’ll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she’ll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

How your life’s changing:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Holy Mother of God! How did 30 weeks go by that quickly! There are only 10 weeks to my due date…6 weeks to being full term aka thebabycanpopanytimeafterthat.

All things considered, I have been feeling really great this week. The belly felt comfortable and in its element. No stretched out discomfort. Maybe it’s just not growth spurt week. It also helps that I finally know my stamina and limits. It’s hard when you are just getting pregnant to make yourself sit down more and not move as much as you are used to. You don’t know what your limits are at that point. I’d do a million and one things that I’m used to doing during the day, and by 3pm, I’m POOPED and can hardly move.

(Note to everyone: PLEASE GIVE UP YOUR SEAT TO PREGNANT WOMEN ON THE BUS/TRAIN!!
Note to everyone who have given up their seats: THANK YOU!!!! I am eternally grateful.
Seriously, it is not easy carrying a watermelon everywhere.)

But now that I am in the homestretch, I know to limit my movements, to try to sit as much as possible so that when I really have to walk, it doesn’t tire me as much. I have also learnt to take naps during the weekend. I have never been a nap person, but NAPS RULE. It helps me function as a relatively normal person after, say, 4pm.

I don’t know what Babycenter is talking about having trouble sleeping. I’ve been sleeping like a pig more than ever and getting up in the mornings is harder than ever before. It probably stems from (a) carrying around a watermelon all day and (b) not drinking caffeine. I fall asleep more easily than ever. I nap and still am able to sleep at night (I used to never nap unless it was a disco nap, because it kept me up) the moment my head hits the pillow. I think it’s such a blessing to be able to sleep (Macbeth knows), the “chief nourisher in life’s feast”. And the lack of sleep as a mom is probably the most challenging thing I’d have to deal with (check back in in 6 months).

I have woken up more times during the night to pee like a racehorse because I’m still on my program to chug 3-4 liters a day, but it bothers me less than I expected. Having a baby sitting on top of your bladder is the strangest thing. Sometimes, Baby Chansidine rubs up against the bladder when I walk and I have to pee RIGHT NOW even though there’s not much in there.

Baby Chansidine is definitely moving about almost constantly these days. It’s the best feeling in the world, especially since the lack of movement is sometimes a cause for worry. She tickles my sides almost every night when I lay down on my left to bed. The mornings are my favorite part where, in between the 5 times I hit the snooze button, she’d shift herself about.

The reality of a baby is starting to sink in as we enter the homestretch. I feel increasingly ready to bring this challenge called parenting ON, we do, as a couple. It may be too early to reminisce about the pregnancy, but I’ve recently been asked many times by many random people “so, how do you feel?” and when I stop to think about it, I can only say “I feel really great, actually!” And I do. After the horrendous first trimester, it’s been, despite minor discomforts here and there, really smooth sailing. Pregnancy, and growing big beyond my imagination, feels better than I expected, and all in all, I really can’t complain. Pregnancy is a really special time. I have caught myself at times feeling “ugh! Get this over and done with already! I wanna be able to jump out of bed, not roll over like a huge whale”. Then I think, this WILL be over pretty soon and I’d have bigger challenges than rolling out of bed to deal with once the baby’s here. Better not hate, just appreciate!

Mike&Vicki’s wedding, 6 Jun 09, Bubby’s.

Yesterday, prior to David Byrne’s very enjoyable free concert in Prospect Park (NYC Summer Concerts begin!! Woohoo!!), I picked up a large can of Sapporo beer that Pat requested from a corner store. As I waddled to the checkout with a can of beer bigger than my face in hand, I suddenly felt really wrong. I couldn’t quite put my finger to why I felt weird. Then I realized I was waddling. With a big belly.