Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Virtual Coffee Date

Hi friends! It's been awhile since I've done a virtual coffee date. It feels very winterish here as our highs are in the 30s ( and will be in the 20s later this week) and we've had 2 snow falls already (although the snow has melted each time). So it seems like the perfect time of year to grab a cup of something warm and catch up on life's happenings!



If we were having coffee today...

- I would actually opt for tea as I stopped drinking coffee shortly after finding out I was pregnant. It's safe to have a couple of cups a coffee a day while pregnant, but I was so turned off by the taste so I stopped drinking it completely! I could add it back in as the taste is more appealing now but I kind of like not being 'hooked' on something. I will occasionally get a decaf latte when I want a warm treat, though.

- I would talk about my upcoming travel plans! Later this week I am flying to NYC to visit my friend Alli. They had a beautiful baby boy in September. I can't wait to snuggle him and kiss his pudgy cheeks. I'm staying in Alli's neighborhood in Sunnyside, which is in Queens. I rented an airbnb that is a couple of blocks away from their home. They are in the midst of a remodel and are obviously adjusting to life with a newborn so it made sense to get my own place. Her neighborhood sounds so cute and charming so I can't wait to check it out. Plus I can be in Manhattan in 20-30 minutes on the train so it will be easy to get into the city. While I'm there, I am going to meet up with a friend that I made when I worked in Steamboat Spring, CO during college. I haven't seen her since 2009 so we have lots to catch up on!

- Next I would tell you about my trip to St. Louis in early December to visit Nora. Nora was diagnosed with lymphoma this summer and has been undergoing treatments this fall. In September she found out that the cancer is gone (hip hip hooray!). So this trip will be a celebration of being cancer-free and having her treatments behind her (she has her last two treatments this month). We are going to do some Christmasy stuff and visit book stores and just soak up girl time together. This will be my last trip before the baby comes. I could safely fly up to 34 weeks but I have decided to stop traveling a bit earlier. Luckily my boss is totally fine with me not traveling anymore.

- I'm sure we'd talk about the holidays! This year we are spending Thanksgiving with my family. My brother is hosting which is super convenient for us since he lives only 30 minutes away. Phil doesn't get the Friday after Thanksgiving off so it's great that we won't have to travel far. I love Christmas but I really love Thanksgiving. It's all about family and food and there's no pressure to decorate or buy presents! That said, I'm also excited for Christmas. We'll be celebrating with Phil's mom this year (we alternate who we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with). Phil and I are not gift people - we stopped exchanging gifts for birthdays and Christmas last year. Instead we focus on spending quality time together to celebrate the holiday. I'm already thinking about the special meal we'll make to celebrate our little Christmas (it will be Indian-themed since we both love Indian food). Plus we always bake something together so I'm starting to do some research on what we should make!

- We would talk about what we are reading/planning to read. Right now I'm reading Everyone Brave is Forgiven, which is a WWII novel. After I finish this book, I want to An American Sickness which is about our broken healthcare system. The next heavier non-fiction book I want to read is The Second Amendment. It's written by an NYU law professor. It's about the history of the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms) and which is one of the most misunderstood provisions of the Bill of Rights. Given the insane level of gun violence in our country, I need to become more well-versed on this issue.

- Lastly, we would probably talk about my pregnancy. I'm 23 weeks today! I'd likely whine a bit about the latest flare I came down with on Sunday evening. I'm pretty much getting maybe a 4 day break between flares these days. If they continue at this rate it's going to make for a VERY long pregnancy.  :/

If we were meeting for coffee or tea today, what would you tell me?

10 comments:

Marlys said...

Your trip to NYC sounds like a special time! You will have to take pictures of the new baby to share. It will also be wonderful to celebrate with Nora on her cancer-free report! YEAH!
I, too, love Thanksgiving as it is quite stress free except for the entertainers, but still does not require so much extras, like Christmas.
I am hoping the flares go away completely and very soon! It is taxing on the bocy, and now is the time to enjoy your pregnancy.
Safe traveling and be flare free!

missris said...

Speaking of heavy nonfiction I'm reading "Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry" right now and it is fascinating! I highly recommend it--I was thinking about you last night as I was reading it!

katielookingforward said...

Hooray for being over half way in the pregnancy! I hope you enjoy NYC! What a great idea to rent an airbnb!

Amber said...

Your trips to NYC and St Louis sound so fun - especially doing ALL the Christmas-y things in December!! I too love Thanksgiving more than Christmas but the one thing I really love about Christmas is how everything just really seems to slow down those few days leading up to it / that day. I also LOVE decorating for Christmas. Since we went to Hawaii last year we didn't do any decorating, so I'm super excited to decorate for Christmas this year and will actually probably be doing it next week after Remembrance Day :)

Jeanie said...

Both your trips sound loads of fun but extra joy that Nora is "clean" and probably so ready for your visit to celebrate. That is just huge. I remember doing "Christmas" shopping with her mom (oh, I can't wait to pull out those ornaments this year! It's like having Diana over my shoulder) and it was such fun to talk holidays with someone who loved them lots!

Your TG sounds beautiful. We'll do two -- one at Kate's on real TG and one with the kids the following Sunday. I'm not big on turkey so I was glad when Kate said she was making fish!

Stephany said...

I am so happy that you and Nora are going to have some time together! I'm sure both of you are looking forward to that trip so much. <3

If we were having coffee, we'd definitely talk about books and I'd love to pick your brain about Celeste Ng's book since we both just read it. I'd probably also want to know all about your pregnancy!

Nora said...

I would for sure be having tea with you. I have some yummy ones I can make when you visit, too :) Today I would tell you that I'm thankful for a job that allows me flexibility during my treatment time, that it's too cold for me outside right now, and that I can't wait for your visit in a few weeks. <3

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

I couldn't stand the taste of coffee while pregnant either. It immediately went away post birth. I also a person who would have coffee maybe one day a weekend, sometimes two. Post child it became a daily occurrence.

San said...

Oh yay,I am so glad you're going to spend some time with Nora (give her a hug from me!) and also your friend in NYC. That's precious time!

I am really hoping that your flares will let up a bit... every four days sounds awful :( do you think they're directly related to the pregnancy or is that coincidence?


P.S. Sorry for the comment galore - I often don't get around to comment during the week, as my work email goes through Google and prevents me from commenting on Blogger), but I always read your posts when they appear in my reader! ;)

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

Ooooh, NYC!! That's exciting!

Glad to hear you'll also be seeing your friend Nora.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how excited I am for our trip to Mexico this winter, as it's been too cold for me already, and I don't know how I'll handle five more months of this. I would tell you about our relaxing weekend at home this weekend, which we've been looking forward to for a while. I would also want to talk about all things Christmasy, as I am starting to get excited to decorate, shop for all the kids, etc.