May 25, 2010  •  In Asian, Beauty

Makeup Magic

A guy friend once told me that he would never date a girl until he has seen her sans makeup first.

“You never know what you’ll wake up next to in the morning,” he said. “And trust me — club, bar, and lounge lighting is cunningly deceptive!”

I personally don’t think my girlfriends and I look that different without makeup. Do we look better? Sure. But we still look like us…just a more polished version of ourselves.

So just based on this small sample, I dismissed my guy friend as being overly paranoid.

Now, I am not so sure.

Take a look at these photos from a Taiwanese television show. One side of these girls’ face is makeup-free, while the other is completely done:

The YouTube video of the entire show can be seen here.

I don’t know about you, but those are some freaky transformations! I can’t believe this was all done with makeup alone (well, contact lenses too) — the eyes, in particular, look completely different!

One part of me is a bit disgusted at the drastic changes that these girls believe they need in order to look attractive. However…

…the other part wants to learn how to do this!

I am reminded of my own transformation three years ago, when I had my wedding hair & makeup trial with the amazing Maureen & Claudia Pedala:

Yes, the amazing power of makeup.

I remember being so stunned after seeing these ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures that I considered taking a makeup lesson from Maureen…but alas, she charges $200!

Via Absolutely Fobulous.

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May 25, 2010  •  In Baby, Personal, Pregnancy

19, 20, and 21 Weeks

I’ve been majorly slacking on my weekly pregnancy updates. I have no excuse other than the fact that I got lazy. Sorry!

Remember that nasty case of round ligament pains? Well, they certainly contributed to a major belly growth spurt — just look at the difference between weeks 18 and 19!

…but then again, my gorging on tons of yummy food while we were on our babymoon may have had a lot to do with that growth.

After our second trip to the ER, the pregnancy has (thankfully) been free of complications. Sure, we discovered that that I have an anterior placenta and that the baby is in breech position, but we don’t need to worry about those conditions until I am much further along.

And with the major physical developments finished, there isn’t much on the developmental front either. The baby can now hear, has eyebrows and eyelids, and is swallowing regularly with the recent budding of taste buds.

One fun fact I learned yesterday is that the taste of the amniotic fluid changes depending on what I eat. And because research has shown that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero (via the amniotic fluid) were more eager to eat foods with that same taste after birth, my diet now becomes even more influential to the baby’s likes and dislikes. What horrible news for J — he’s always complaining that I’m a picky eater!

At our 19-week anatomy scan, we discovered that the baby is measuring at around the 50th percentile for overall growth, and she was estimated to weigh 9 ounces. So I’m going to take the following average measurements to heart…

19 Weeks (6 inches crown to rump, 8½ ounces):

20 Weeks (10 inches head to toe — starting week 20 they measure head to toe, not crown to rump — and 10 ounces):

21 Weeks (10½ inches long, ¾ of a pound):

And here’s a belly shot I took today at 21 weeks. I completely forgot to take one last week, so you can see quite a difference in the two weeks since I took the last:

My mother commented the other day that while my belly is certainly growing, the rest of my body seems to be shrinking. Hooray! And the scale doesn’t lie — I’m still a pound or two under my heaviest at 16 weeks.

One last, exciting news: I had reported that starting last Friday, I was able to feel the baby move from the outside. Now, those movements are more regular and even developing a pattern (she seems more apt to bounce around when I am lying flat on my back, and at nighttime…she’s already a night owl!). I’m still fascinated by this new development! It feels so weird yet so magical to be able to feel your baby moving inside of you. And frankly, I’m loving it.

P.S. — J can now feel her too. Every night as we settle into bed, he’ll put his hand on my belly and as soon as she starts kicking, he’ll whisper, “Baby girl, go to sleep so that mommy can get some rest.”

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May 25, 2010  •  In Books, Geek, Movies

Happy Towel Day! (Don’t Forget Your Towel!)

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fans rejoice — today, May 25, is Towel Day!

See how the world is celebrating by visiting the Towel Day Flickr Group, or by checking YouTube.

Is anyone else a huge Hitchhiker fan? I have loved the books since I was little, and I can honestly say that the 2005 movie adaptation is one of the few movies that is just as good as the book.

Via BoingBoing.

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May 25, 2010  •  In Facebook, Personal, Pregnancy, Web

Ultrasound Pictures on Facebook: Creepy and Inappropriate?

It has recently come to my attention that many people think using an ultrasound picture as your Facebook profile picture is creepy.

“I cringe whenever I see one. I don’t want to see a picture of your uterus or your fetus. TMI!”


A random Facebook profile using an ultrasound picture as the profile picture.
All personal information is blurred.

“I agree — it’s completely tacky and inappropriate. Does anyone really care aside from the parents?”

“Pregnancy and sonograms are PERSONAL. They should be kept private. The same goes for belly pictures and positive pregnancy tests!”

After reading these comments, I was glad that I deactivated my Facebook account, because I am sure that I would be offending a lot people on my “Friends” list with my pregnancy updates.

Long-time readers know my stance on what should/shouldn’t be shared online: while I do agree that some things are better kept private, I don’t think it’s right to judge anyone for choosing to share. Of course there are those who choose to share more than most on social networking sites…but if you feel uncomfortable with the level of that person’s sharing, just block them, and/or control your own privacy settings.

But that’s just me.

What do you think? Should ultrasound pictures be kept private? Do you feel uncomfortable when friends share details of their pregnancies on Facebook?

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May 24, 2010  •  In Funny, Star Wars

Carrie Fisher Roasts George Lucas

“George is a sadist. But like any abused child, wearing a metal bikini, chained to a giant slug, about to die, I keep coming back for more.”

Lurves it!

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May 24, 2010  •  In Christianity, Personal, Relationships, Touching

If We Had All the Answers, We Wouldn’t Need Faith

I read this story on WithoutWax.tv and I had to share…

*  *  *  *  *

Emotional Whiplash

Whiplash is a word I’ve used more than once when describing the emotions I often go through as a pastor.

Yesterday was a difficult day. I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I need to write this now more than you need to read it, so please bear with me. Let me give you a little back story to help you understand.

Over the course of the past 2 years Brandi and I have had two sets of friends who have experienced the loss of a baby. Todd and Angie Smith who lost their baby after 2 hours of life and Mike and Holly Phelps who lost their baby late in their first pregnancy.

I can’t even begin to imagine the heavy heartache and deep loss they went through. And while getting pregnant again doesn’t take a way that pain, you can imagine how excited I was to hear that both couples were once again pregnant.

While each couple faced their own unique challenges, they were both on track to have healthy babies. I couldn’t help but think of what a bitter sweet experience it would be for both of them. A glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness they’ve been walking through.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, in hospitals just two blocks away from each other, both couples had a pre-term delivery.

Yesterday morning I walked into two different hospital rooms. Both scenes could not have been more similar and yet more different.

Both rooms had moms who were laying in hospital beds. Both rooms had dads who were right by the bed holding and rocking a tiny infant.

However, the similarities end there as one baby was breathing and the other was not.

Todd and Angie’s room was full of prayers, crying and pure joy. There was life.

Mike and Holly’s room was full of prayers and crying, but no joy. No life.

The whole way to the Phelp’s room I cried. I knew the situation I was walking into. I cried out to God…

How could this happen to them again?

Why God, would you allow this family to endure this pain yet again?

Haven’t they been through enough?

Why God?

I’ve been criticized in certain circles for writing a book called Plan B, which is about God, crisis and pain. A book that clearly states I don’t think there are answers to all of life’s questions and complexities.

I dare any one of those critics to stand in the room with this young couple and even try to answer all of the questions they had yesterday as they sit there holding their lifeless child.

I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this as a pastor, but I’m going to anyway… Isn’t it amazing how in a moment like that you so desperately want God near, but at the same time you also feel secretly mad at Him?

Reality for Christians often means we have more questions than we do answers.

Reality is sometimes lacking the faith that will give us a sustained hope.

Reality is even though we know God is with us sometimes we feel completely alone.

Reality is even though we believe, we also doubt.

There’s a big difference between trust and understanding. They say trust is what we need when we don’t have understanding. So today I’m praying for trust. A big, huge, helping of trust.

It’s funny but the final paragraph of Plan B says,

I’m asking you to trust that one day faith will win over doubt, that light will win over darkness, love will win over hate, and all things will one day be redeemed. I’m asking you, right in the middle of your Plan B pain, to trust this process that is going on in your life.

I never knew when I wrote those words how much I would need them on a day like today.

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May 23, 2010  •  In Personal

Boys Will Be Boys…Or No?

Last night, I was taking Comang on his evening walk when I ran into a group of boys playing baseball.

There is almost always a group of middle-school-aged boys playing on this block when the weather is nice (I think one or two of them live on that street) — they are usually skateboarding, biking, or just hanging around.

However, this was the first time I’ve seen them playing baseball…on this busy urban street.

Allow me to clarify: they were spread out over the two sidewalks on either side of the street, with two bases on one sidewalk and the other two on the other. They were throwing and hitting the ball across the street, stopping frequently as cars drove by.

I know that this is a potentially dangerous game, but I am not their mother so who am I to judge? I continued walking my dog and stayed on the far end of the sidewalk, trying my best not to be intrusive as I always do whenever I encounter this group of boys.

As I walked by their makeshift diamond, I suddenly heard a CRACK!

Then I felt it. The unmistakable bend of air as the newly-hit baseball flew right by me.

It was just a mere inches away from my stomach.

I froze. Comang froze at my feet.

Then I heard…

…LAUGHTER?

I could not believe it. These boys were laughing at almost having hit me.

I flew into a rage. “DO YOU THINK THAT’S FUNNY?!!”

The continued to snicker.

“I AM PREGNANT. WHAT IF YOU HAD HIT MY STOMACH? WHAT IF YOU HAD HURT MY BABY??!!!”

No change in reaction.

I was tired from having been out all day. It was getting late, and dark. So I did the easiest thing: I walked away, tears stinging my eyes.

I recounted the story to J as soon as I returned home. He was unsurprisingly sympathetic and angry. Since we are just starting to enter the warmer months and these boys are always hanging out on that street, we decided that we should change Comang’s walk route to extend over a different block. It is a bit more inconvenient, but at least that block is quiet.

I’ve now had the night to think about the incident. I know that whoever had hit the ball had little to no control over its trajectory. HOWEVER, I also know that they should have at least paused the game while a pregnant woman (yes, my belly is big enough to be noticeable now and I was wearing a form-fitting shirt) walked by.

I thought about contacting their parents — at least the parents of the boy(s) who live on that block — but I’m not sure that would help because I’m pretty sure that they do not speak English.

What would you do, or have done in this situation?

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May 22, 2010  •  In Baby, Personal, Pregnancy

POP! Goes the Baby…

A big “con” of having an anterior placenta is that I will not feel the baby move as early, or as often as other mothers. Luckily, I first felt the sensation of fluttering butterflies at 16 weeks…but not much since.

The big exception was when we went on our babymoon and I felt her swimming around whenever the plane changed altitudes. But other than that, there have been slight flutters here and there but never frequently and hardly exciting.

Last night, as I was doing the dishes, I distinctly felt a “pop” in my lower abdomen. Like a big, STRONG bubble bursting inside my uterus. The sensation was so particular and distinct that I immediately placed my wet soapy hands on my stomach. And it happened again…

…and I was able to FEEL it from the outside!

Later that night, I felt a short succession of pops as I lay on the couch cuddling with Comang. And I was definitely able to feel those with the palm of my hand too.

Unfortunately, the popping stopped as soon as J placed his hands on my stomach.

It’s amazing how my being able to feel her move has gone from 0 to 100 in just one day, because I woke up to the feeling of her popping this morning too!

Maybe I should start calling her “Piggy,” after guinea pigs who popcorn:

As the pregnancy progresses, I know that I will eventually be able to see her move from the outside too. I know this is perfectly normal, but the prospect freaks me out a little because it reminds me of the Alien movies.

How far along were my mommy readers when you first felt the baby move? Did your stomach move like the video above when you were further along in your pregnancies?

P.S. — I promise to catch up on my weekly pregnancy updates soon, along with updated belly pictures. You won’t believe how big I’ve gotten…my stomach seems to have “popped” overnight too!

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May 22, 2010  •  In Music, NYC, Personal

Street Pianos Headed to NYC!

One of the (many) things I love about NYC is the abundance of street and subway performers.

May it be a classically-trained prodigy giving an impromptu concert, a struggling musician performing for dollars (often with the wish that a record executive will “discover” them), or an out-of-luck bum drumming some beats on some upside-down plastic containers, you can bet that these performers add as much art and culture to the city as do those who play sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall.

Heck, even street salesmen are world-famous performers here!

This is precisely the reason I was so excited to read that NYC will soon follow in London and Sydney’s footsteps to install street pianos in public places for anyone to sit down and tinkle out a tune.

According to The Village Voice,

This … is a pretty wonderful idea. New Yorkers are a talented bunch! Think of all the impromptu cabaret sessions that could come out of this! The project — actually called “Play Me, I’m Yours” — and its pianos are coming around from June 21 to July 5. All the locations are here — Manhattan has 27 locations — but the pianos will be making their way around all five boroughs (from the Bronx Zoo to Flushing Meadows), so you’ll likely cross paths with one at some point.

I can’t wait to see the pianos around the city and see what the talented people of New York have up their sleeves! And if I’m feeling brave, I might even bang out some songs myself…

Do you play the piano?
If so, would you participate in the “Play Me, I’m Yours” project?

I wouldn’t be afraid to participate, just as long as the piano is free and there isn’t a long line. As for my repertoire…“November Rain” is a favorite “safety” song of mine, but if I were feeling particularly playful (or silly) I wouldn’t be afraid to go with some Super Mario songs, or the theme from Forrest Gump. But then again, there’s always the classical and sentimental “Clair de Lune.”

What song(s) would you play?

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May 20, 2010  •  In Cute, Funny, Geek, Personal, Star Wars, Web

My Name is Jenny and I am a Serial Subscriber

I subscribe to over 500 sites via Google Reader (sadly, if your site doesn’t have an RSS feed, it’s likely that I’ll never visit it again unless it is spectacular) and I always have a heck of a time trying to “weed” through my feeds in an effort to lessen the number of posts/articles I have to read each day.

And yes, I must read ALL of them because I’m anal like that.

Unfortunately, as many feeds as I “unsubscribe” each week, my “subscribe” number is always higher.

How can I resist when there are sites like ZooBorns (which my friend Jillian introduced via Twitter earlier this week and started a “zOMG so cute!” frenzy)…

Or the weirdly obsessive, “Thanks, now I’ll always see that…” site Cannot Unsee?

What say you, readers? Do you have any tips for cutting down on your Google Reader subscriptions?

…or are you a helpless serial subscriber like me?

. . . are there any new sites you’d recommend?

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