Dearest people,
I know I have been awol these last couple of months, but, please try to imagine the following picture.
I was still working until mid- July. I resigned, which, as you can appreciate, takes its toll, both mentally, and physically. There were forms to fill, people to talk to, financial plans to consider, arrange, start or cancel. In the meantime, we had to ship the whole house to California, even though we still had around two weeks before the actual move. I had only a pan and a steamer, two plates, two bowls, two sets of chopsticks and other utensils, perhaps a few clothes, cats’ litter box and their food, finally, my work-related documents and paperwork. Two weeks passed, with regular visits to my beloved dentist (NYers, let me know if you are looking for a great dentist! Especially if you have no tolerance for pain either!) and OBGYN. Oh, during that time, we had to find another OBGYN in California, understand how the insurance system works there, find and contact a doula to see if she is available, organize the baby registry, arrange the trip with our two little tigers and try to stay sane.
We did do all that. Almost. Not sure about the sanity part. And then the time came to leave New York, which has been our home for around 15 years! We had started to feel the baby’s kicks, and have been above cloud nine, but the trip itself was excruciating, mostly because we were with two cats and planes are not particularly non-human-friendly. If it is this tough with crying cats, I can only imagine the trips with a crying child. We shall wait and see. People will hate us.
Our furniture, except for the mattress, had not yet arrived. Even the lights were not ready to install. So here is how we spent the first night in our new place on the West Coast:
Don’t you sometimes wish you were a cat?
The cats LOVED the new home from the first moment, as the bedrooms are covered with the softest carpet. I hereby present to you, Missy John, pretending to be a cute, nice, calm cat that she most certainly is not:
When the furniture started to arrive, the level of their coziness increased. Look at this little bugger occupying not one but both of the pillows on the new bed:
Us humans, on the other hand, had to get to work right away. Our day starts at 6 am, I prep the breakfast while David gets ready for work, we eat and have coffee (yes, I am back to having a cup every morning. Although I do matcha time to time), watch the news and get upset/frustrated/both, depending on the news, and he takes his shuttle to work, I start to unpack the boxes. For what seemed to us the longest time, we had boxes everywhere. Some of the unopened boxes came handy, though. Sometimes they became our chairs, sometimes our dinner table. Here is how I set up my “office”:
And our romantic table setting! (Hey, I might not have a dinner table, but I always have candles ready!)
When in need, people find ways to utilize every little thing, don’t we? Here is how my husband benefited from the chalk I had from my teaching days (again, note another box underneath!):
The Baby Stuff
Most importantly for us, in between work and unpacking, and discovering the neighbourhood, on the baby-front, we had our 20-week ultrasound. Thank God everything seems good with our little guy. The technician, Dawn, called Luka “the little bugger!” as he kept moving and preventing her from getting a stable picture. But she made us proud parents by also complimenting him on how photogenic he looked (are you laughing yet?). She said, and I quote, dearest people: “I can scan him all day long!”. I really loved her for her sense of humour and approachability. Personality matters every minute of every day, doesn’t it? Especially when it is related to something as personal as pregnancy and childbirth. Anyway, I couldn’t help sharing our news on Instagram.
And, on top of that, Babylist, our easy-to-use baby registry, sent us a welcome package with little essentials, including this adorable onesie in, as you see, one of our favourite colours:
And then, the sea
Then, dearest people, in only two weeks after the exhausting trip to the West Coast, we were on a plane again. This time, the trip took more than 15 hours, but, let me tell you this: It was worth every minute of it. Not only have I got to see my family and friends, but we were able to celebrate our 22 weeks on the beach. 
What about food?
I mean, the second trimester is MUCH better than the first, but I rarely have long and undisturbed nights of sleep, and the hunger is still real. During the day, I still keep getting hungry, but the amount of food I can eat at one sitting has shrunk, due to my stomach being pushed upwards all the way to my rib cage. I am not used to consuming small but frequent portions, but I think I should start getting that habit. Sleep can still be a problem. I rarely get solid, long hours of sleep at nights. It is either the baby kicking really hard, or that I cannot breathe easily. During those sleepless nights, at 4 in the morning, yes, you guessed right: I either make or eat something tasty – usually, I do both.
I will go back to sharing recipes soon, I promise! I am also working on an article on the 5-Element Theory of the Traditional Chinese Medicine. I explain how the 5-element acupuncture has helped me, with what, and how my pregnancy is related to all this. But before all that, I need your help!
Any recommendation?
I love discovering new blogs, podcasts, books, and products. Please do me a favour and let me know of any recommendation you may have or a suggestion you can think of?! Pregnancy-friendly products and material, as well as Oakland-based stores and restaurants, and tips are especially welcome! After a trial period, I would be more than happy to add them to the list or mention them in a brand new blog post so others can benefit, too. I am also working on a list of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and coffee shops both in New York and in Oakland!
Okay, darlings, excuse me for now, as duty calls: I have to go back to my reading under the olive tree in my parents’ garden!
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