22
Where’s the Music?
'Let's Go Everywhere' by Medeski Martin & Wood
I started sharing my eclectic taste in music with my little Monkey during pregnancy. Not only did I play a wide range of music for the kid, but I also kept up my love of going to live shows. I went to about 30 shows during my pregnancy, ranging from bluegrass and jazz to symphony and progressive rock. My last concert before giving birth was approximately a week before my due date. Let me tell you, I got a lot of dancing space at that show.
Exposing my kid to music certainly didn’t begin and end in the womb. Music is always playing in our house and, between me and The Dude, we have discovered quite a few favorite albums to share with our son. Many of the albums were already in our collection, but we did find some great albums that are geared towards kids. We quickly learned that we like to rock out to them, too. We like to mix up the “kids” music with some of “our” music, with the hopes that our Monkey will also have a good ear for awesome music. However, all of this might backfire and he’ll end up listening to death metal…or worse. Like Enya. (continues…)
14
Pregnancy Websites: The Good, The Bad, And The Scary
I was 31 when I gave birth and, even at that ripe old age, I was still one of the first among my friends to have a baby. I guess some of us just like to hang onto our youth for dear life. Nothing puts a damper on good times like something that needs a Pamper. Plus, having a baby means you’re finally responsible and mature, right? Unless you’re a Spears, of course.
When I discovered I was pregnant, there were very few women in my life that I could turn to for advice, wisdom, and commiserating. So who else could I turn to? Pregnant women online that I would never actually meet in real life.
The Good:
I discovered www.babycenter.com in my first trimester and was able to join an online forum with other pregnant women due the same month as me. I was immediately hooked. I would read posts from other women dealing with the same aches and pains, weird body changes, and anxieties. For the most part, the forum helped normalize so much of what was going on with me. Things that no one else could really understand, especially The Dude. It seemed like the only people who could understand were these pregnant strangers, all going through the same stuff together. (continues…)