Cute Sheila-isms, and a crib for Just Baby.

Shashar, Jack and Sheila came over today with Sheila's crib for Just Baby. We spent last weekend and this weekend clearing out our second bedroom so we can make room for Just Baby when she gets here. Needless to say, with Sheila in attendance, there were stories to tell. She is the most entertaining human being I've ever known. She kept all 4 of us cracking up the whole time. I wrote down a few cute Sheila-isms to remember.

"Whatever Aunty Katy eats, the baby eats too."

"What color is YOUR peepee, Aunty Katy?"

"I poopoo-ed AND peepee-ed in your house, Aunty Katy!"

"Why do some of your shoes have shoe laces and some of them not have shoe laces?" Sheila asked Cary this while the two of them hid in our closet from the "bad tiger" (which was Jack at the time). Cary's shoe section was a mess when she was done with it.

"Don't worry baby, I'll protect you." This was said as Shashar, Sheila and I hid in the closet from the "bad tigers" (Jack and Cary this time). She would then pat my tummy to make sure the baby new she was protecting her.

Shashar emailed me this additional story:
As we were leaving your house Sheils stopped walking and stared at four young boys walking by with a basketball. She's staring, staring, staring and they just walk by and continue to do their thing. Then Sheila says to me and Jack, "Why they didn't say hi to me? I want to play with the basketball." I explained to her that if she wanted someone to say hi to her she should say hi first. So as two people were walking down the sidewalk Sheila floated over to them and said, "Hi." And the lady said, "Hey there, you're so cute, etc, etc" And Sheila just kept floating around them with a big smile on her face until it was time to go to our car.

26 weeks and counting...

Today marks my 26th week of pregnancy. This is the last week of my 2nd trimester. I can't believe how fast it has all gone by.

I had my monthly doctors appointment yesterday. When the doc measured my uterus, using a measuring tape, and feeling above my belly button to see where my uterus extended to, she said (judging by the size of my uterus) that I've got a big baby growing in there. I was in kind of a daze because I had taken the glucose blood test earlier and had fasted for 12 hours. The "big baby" observation didn't sink in till later that night. I forgot to mention it to anyone at work or to Cary. But when I told Cary last night, we were both really happy to know she's growing so well. Probably explains why I weigh 159 lbs already and why someone thought I was 8 months pregnant instead of 6...

Pass!!

This morning I got the email from the Groundlings stating "YOUR RESULTS: Pass (Eligible for Basic Level One)"!!! I started jumping up and down at work and Aunty Zarin was worried I was hurting the baby (so was I) so I stopped. I was so happy and then instantly nervous again to find out if Cary passed (even though he did a much better job auditioning than I did, but I wanted him to pass more than I wanted me to pass). So I keep calling and he doesn't pick up. Finally he calls and says he passed -yay!!!! We are so happy!!

Cary sent an email to our 3 friends to see if we were 5 for 5. We were shocked and sad to find out that two of our friends, who did an amazing job (better than me), did not pass. The auditioner doesn't give you feedback, so I have no idea why I made it and they didn't. It's really bittersweet. Ultimately, I really wanted Cary to make it in so he can advance in the writing ranks. It's just frosting on the cake that I made it. But so so bittersweet that the five of us are not moving on together. We plan to keep in touch with everyone anyway, but it would have been nice to be able to see each other on a regular basis during classes. That and I really wanted us all to be celebrating together.

I don't know how actors do it. If I had to audition on a regular basis, I would not last long at all. It is so unnerving. Just knowing that my friends didn't pass is heart wrenching.

For now, we'll just take it a day at a time, a class at a time, and enjoy it. I feel Cary and my little family has grown in the Groundlings together. We signed up for the first class before I knew I was pregnant (I was barely 3 weeks along) and I've been pregnant through out this whole experience. I'm so happy that baby girl has been kicking away through out this experience. She's already a part of our life before we become parents.

Last class, maybe?

Today was our last class for this session of Improv Workshop B. We are still waiting for results from our audition yesterday. If we don't get in, who knows if we will have it in us to audition again in 6 months. Biting my nails isn't helping with the nerves. It's funny how you grow attached to people in your class. It was a really warm and supportive group of people. Even though I'm not best friends with everyone, I'll miss seeing them all once a week.

All in all, this has been a priceless experience. I'm not sure how to explain what practical skills I've learned, but I've definitely learned things about myself that I may not have otherwise. Maybe I've gained a little confidence, maybe I've exercised my creative mental abilities that would have otherwise gone unused. Bottom line is that I had a blast and I got to do it all while I was pregnant. Someday, I hope that little girl will read this and know that I was thrilled to include her in this special and unique part of my life. I'm a little worried that when she leaves my body, I will lose some of what I absorbed during the class. If she gains every ounce of it, I will be thrilled.

After class we walked over to the Groundlings theater and Cary asked if they had any results from the audition. Apparently the lady behind the desk asked if any one of us had submitted a "weird headshot" (we had to submit a headshot and resume when we auditioned). I didn't have a head shot, so I used a picture of Cary and I, and put 5 post-it notes over Cary's head and body because it was a really nice picture and I didn't want to cut the photo in half. Cary used a picture where I was kissing him on the cheek....and he cropped me out of the picture!!! That's much more cruel, if you ask me. I thought for sure that since she remembered my "weird headshot", that she was hesitant to tell us who was in and who was out because the person with the weird headshot was out. I am totally sweating it!!

After class, with some post-audition-dazed feeling, Cary and I drove to Skye Taco on Pico for some lunch. The turkey tacos are the best!! And they have this drink called sorrel that is sooo good! They serve their sorrel and lemonades in a mason jar, which I love.
I couldn't eat my second taco, which was beef. This giant mastiff was tied to the fence post behind Cary and when I was about to bite into my beef taco, I saw the long strings of saliva hanging down from both corners of the dog's mouth and almost vomited. I have a high tolerance for getting grossed out while eating. Still,I had to spit out the first bite I took of the beef taco and I couldn't eat anything after that. Bummer.

First audition ever!

I haven't been writing much about the Groundlings classes we've been taking since I first posted about it in January (here and here). I took a 6 week improv class ("Improv Workshop A") during the first session in January/February with Cary, then I stopped because I was still nauseous from the first trimester nausea. Cary took the next class level ("Improv Workshop B"). in February/March. Then Cary repeated this class and I joined him for the most recent session of "Improv Workshop B" from April-May. Cary also took the sketch writing class, but I did not.

In order to advance to the next level of classes, called "Basic A", you have to audition. So Cary and I (and little girl in my belly) had our very first audition this morning. We went with 3 other of our friends from class, which was comforting. Normally the auditions are held in one of the classrooms and include exercises very similar to the ones you do in class. Since the main theater was not being used, the instructor decided that we would audition on the actual Groundlings stage. Needless to say, it was slightly intimidating...but AWESOME!! I even got to use one of the fake doors on the side of the stage.

Of the 5 of us that auditioned, I messed up the most, I felt. Everyone else got to do at least one scene with someone from our class, except me. I don't know if it would have made a difference in my performance or not, I was really nervous. Cary did awesome, I was so proud of him. Everyone from our class did really well and we were all rooting for each other. All of a sudden, it felt like we were a mini-family. I was really proud of everyone.

Afterwards, Cary and I drove around in a daze looking for somewhere to have lunch. We drove by Lemonade off of Beverly. It's always closed on Sundays after class, so we've never been.

I got the corned beef with Gruyere and a side of shaved fennel and sun choke. Fancy. Cary got the turkey and avocado with a side of sugar snap peas and edamame. I also got a cucumber mint lemonade which was freaking delicious. We ate in silence because our thoughts were deep in our audition. Every once in a while one of us would bring up something we noticed and then go back to eating in silence.

We don't find out till Monday if we passed or failed. If you fail you can't audition for 6 months and you only get 3 chances to audition. I've been anxious all day. The suspense is killing me. I want all 5 of us to make it. Mostly I want Cary to make it so he can continue moving up the ranks for the sake of his writing (and sanity... advertising isn't leaving him with much sanity). Finger crossed!! Or is it break a leg?

Drink a glass of water and hold your breath, maybe?

Little girl has had the hiccups since Sunday. It's gotten stronger everyday. Last night Cary and I watched my stomach bounce and jiggle as she hiccuped and kicked/punched/headbutted. It looked like there was a wild animal tied in a burlap sack inside of my belly. I love my wild animal. She is so cute.

Back-blogging

I just added a bunch of posts from March-April.

Baby girl has been doing pirouette's in my belly, which makes me believe that she wants to be mentioned in the blog. So there.

Coolest Grandma Ever!!

Mom and Sheila came over today and we walked to the little playground area in Park La Brea. She looked so cute in her little flower hat, I had to get a good picture. I told her to "say cheese" so many times, that I finally got this really exaggerated pose:She cracks me up! I think she was trying to communicate "All right, already. You've taken 20 pictures are we done or what?".

Here's my Mommy, climbing the dinosaur bones with Sheila. How many grannies hang out with 3 year olds like this? I hope I get to enjoy a grandchild of my own someday the way my mom enjoys Sheila. Love you, mom.

Peek-a-boo, Sheila!

Whenever Sheila comes to work, its a better day. She has a way of being totally distracting and disruptive and if I could have her at work every single day, I would be a happier person (and unemployed).

Daddy can't wait!

Not totally sure, but we think Cary felt a kick tonight. After a busy day at work and hanging out with mom, I came home and plopped on the couch not expecting to feel much because she's not that active at night. Baby Girl started kicking up a storm, and Cary thinks maybe he felt something with is hand on my belly. Since you can feel my pulse anywhere on my belly, its hard to distinguish her kick from my pulse for someone other than me. A pulse will beat over and over, what Cary felt was a single bump and then nothing. So we think it was a kick. Its just so strange that a little monkey is dancing in my belly. Strange and wonderful.