7/26/10

the sound of music

HM and i have had plenty of discussions about what we have in store for baby c or baby z. learning an instrument is definitely near the top of that list. we found that music is one of the few artistic expressions that we both enjoy to great extent.

other than shower singing and occasional karaoke nights, neither HM or i have displayed any musical talent whatsoever. personally, i'm fond of the piano and guitar. i feel that there is so much range someone can do with either instrument whether played together or individually. coupled with a great singer and song, i could listen to acoustic music all day. HM's reasons are slightly different. even though she is also a big fan of listening to music, she believes that children who learn an instrument tend to do better in school. being multilingual also displayed a higher capacity of learning. you can see where she is going with this....

in any case, we both would be happy parents to see a dream of ours accomplished through our child. isn't that what most parents expect anyway? i've feel that one of the main goals in parenthood is to ensure that their child grows up to be more successful or be better off than themselves. i know that's a fairly broad statement..... i mean, do we really expect michael jordan's son to be more successful? that's an extreme case, but for us normal folk - i don't see why we couldn't do it.

last night, HM and i went to the Keane concert at warehouse live. they gained the most notoriety in the US for their song on Grey's Anatomy. this is one of, if not my most favorite band to listen to. it's no surprise that their music is mainly based around the piano/keyboard. they are similar to Coldplay (whom i'm also a fan of) in which their song lyrics seem to talk about nothing. i'm sure there is plenty of meaning behind their writing, but to me...the music is easy on the ears. (sorry MR - underground hip hop just doesn't do it for me!!)

some pictures from the event:

tickets purchased 2 months prior... damn you surcharges!

opening song from their Hopes and Fears album -- in my opinion, their best work.

tom chaplin singing away


unknown to me (and many others)...they added a 4th member to the group!


being from the UK...you can see his skin wasn't a fan of houston's heat.

closing out a great show...

just as a fair warning to those of your who like to go to concerts -- standing room concerts are NOT made for short people. we were lucky to get as close as we were considering how crowded it got...but we also showed up early. it was almost a good 3 hours on our feet before Keane started their show. HM was a trooper the whole night! the pictures above represent me holding my hand as high as i possibly could. also, try not to surround yourself by stinky obese women.

in the end... the performance was well worth it all!

- EZE

7/18/10

final stretch

31 wks, 6 days.

when people ask how far along HM is (which happens quite often), my mind has already been programmed to blurt out the exact number of weeks. now that we're within the final 10 weeks, time seems to have flown by.

in the last 6 months we've gone from regular couple to aspiring and expecting parents. that's a big deal. i spoke with HM the other night and talked about how far along the journey has taken us. i told her that there's been so much preparation to become a parent that i haven't even had the chance to think about actually BECOMING a parent!

we've done research on cribs, crib mattresses, and crib sheets. we looked at cars, car seats, and car seat covers. we're moving tv's, couches, books and boxes. getting used to heavy cleaning around the house is a must. all of these things to physically prepare and welcome our little one into this world.

now i've got less than 2 months to THINK about it all in my day to day responsibilities. what am i going to say when i first meet him/her? how will i feel holding the baby in my arms for the first time? will waking up in the middle of the night really suck or will i be so excited to take another look at our creation?

i couldn't ask for anything more so far. we're blessed that everything has gone smoothly and i continually pray each night for the good fortune to continue. HM has been wonderfully glowing and in good spirits throughout the whole process. her excitement and energy continually amaze me. how can i complain about anything when she works 60 hrs/wk on her feet while carrying an extra 20 lbs of somersaulting mass in her stomach? i'm just trying to keep my own gut in check.

i made a list -- i realized that i NEED lists more than i thought i liked making them -- for the final stretch of to do's, purchases, and don't forgets. HM snickers at my detailed creations, but applauds the fact that i get things done. sometimes i get so caught up in checking off my tasks that i don't take time for myself to sit back and just enjoy it all.

until the baby arrives, i'll be one big pile of mess......and i'm fairly certain that it won't stop there. cheers for our last few weeks!

7/4/10

red, white, and baby

29 weeks, 6 days.

happy 4th to everyone. i feel that past few years, holidays aren't what they used to be. HM and i had a talk and we blame her residency program. no such thing as a regular schedule in her life...which in turn transfers over to mine.

this year, we ate at james coney island for dinner. we agreed that we will make it a tradition to eat a hot dog every 4th of july. we've done so the past 2 years...so why not? think i sound crazy? then you probably haven't seen THIS. yuck.

HM asked me if july 4th reminds me of anything from childhood. i remember spending the hot summer days at the local pool and then going to shoot fireworks at night. years later, zoning restrictions put a damper on neighborhood festivities, so i would typically spend the holiday with MR and some other friends. my personal favorite fireworks to light up: roman candles. every since i saw a guy run olympic torch relay-style in circles, i couldn't resist from copying (kids - please do not try at home!) runner up: the m-90. these little bad boys don't look like much, but they are pretty much a mini version of dynamite with a waterproof wick. throw them in a pool and have a blast. literally.

in terms of weeks... we are basically 3/4 through the pregnancy. i couldn't be more excited! congrats to CC/AC and their newborn son a few weeks ago. i always look forward to talking with fathers and experiences with their children. having an unofficial support system can only help my goal of being the 'world's greatest dad' in my child's eyes. asking questions can't hurt my cause, right?!

holiday bonus: HM has to be at work early in the morning and she asked me to give her a quick back rub before she went to bed. afterward, i said goodnight to her and the baby.... and as i laid my ear against her belly, the little bugger kicked me! it was a very pleasant, scary surprise....if that makes any sense.

...my respect goes out to the mothers. it's hard enough for me to sleep comfortably with my own overweight belly. couldn't imagine having one that moves. sometimes it reminds me of ripley. name that movie!

...oh mom, why did u let me watch this stuff when i was younger?!


-EZE