Erica Kane meets Erica Dun

When I was a little girl I went on a quest to discover the meaning of my name.  Something I found out about Erica, besides meaning "Regal and Ever Powerful" were the "famous people" associated with it.  The only two Erica's I remember were Erica Jong, a writer, and Erica Kane, a character on All My Children. dialoge

Another childhood memory was of soap operas.  Mainly how I wasn't allowed to watch them and that my Aunt Vicki loved them.  It worked out that I couldn't even sneakily watch them with interest whilst playing with my closest cousin Heather.  I truly had a distaste for them.  Funny because I love my Aunt Vicki immensely and don't think of her with them unless I hear talk of the daytime dramas.  

Yesterday my husband and I left the house for an hour and biked down to Publix.  The strong breeze dictated our in-and-out conversation about names for our child (or children as I remind him often that the Twin Gene runs in the Eggen bloodline).  So we discussed names.  I had him say both the boy and girl name that I like, and luckily he agrees on...you have no idea how long it took to deliberate and finalize an agreement for the name of Riley our cat.  

"Can you both yell, as if they're in trouble, and say nicely, like everyday, with each name?"  I asked just as we approached a stream of hedges that blocked the wind and allowed for dialogue of sorts.  "_ _ _ _ _!"  He yelled.  "_ _ _ _ _."  He smiled.  And it went the same for our girls' name.  I was pleased.  But, boy, was I concerned about if I could stick with this male name.  Yes, I love it.  Yes, I've been idealizing the funness of it for MONTHS.  But, the significance of a name was hankering away at my mind and I'm having trouble shaking it.  In true cliche fashion, I asked if both names will be taken seriously in a professional setting when they're AD-ult-s.  I was given a positive reply.  Then, not that I believed the next question to be an aspiration and not that I wanted my embryo to think it impossible one day, but the "will blank, blank Dunhill" make for a presidential run and sound solid topic was discussed. I was given a "well, probably" on the boy and a "yes" on the girl.  Okay.  More thinking.  A name is important.

That brings this blog full circle, I'd say.  Tonight we went to watch The Lincoln Lawyer.  The husband's stomach growled for grub and we headed over to Moe's.  My head couldn't shake the fact that I still hadn't found a fun pregnancy journal- you know, one that's pretty, asks intimate questions, covers important medical forms, tells me about the new things and person developing in my body, etc.  So I searched.  I never did find a journal that I love but just as Kevin and I were discussing whether or not we needed a Baby Naming Book, who should walk by?  Susan Lucci, aka, Erica Kane.  How's that for looping names, meaning and randomness together?

And now I will rant a bit about how clueless we were and how informed and important she was treated.  Picture this:  

Barnes and Noble book signing in Gardens.

Kevin and Erica needing a baby book in Gardens.

They find the lone, vacant corner and scan the books.

Kevin leaves Erica to an anticipated long perusal of hmmm...pretty book...where...

Kevin comes back.

Erica is still looking for a pretty book...where...

The two nix the baby name book (well, mainly he nixed it).

They agree to buying an everything pregnancy book.

They'll both read it.

Now to find it...

Suddenly an odd group of people are disturbing the serenity of the baby and me section.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY" is about what was yelled at us sternly.

Uh, okay.  

We're two people quietly reading up on creating another, what gives with the insistence on yelling?

Next thought cues to "Uh, is that Susan Lucci?  I think so.  Odd.".

As the thoughts passed through my conscious so did the group of 5ish race by us.  

I turned to my husband, "I think that was Susan Lucci.".

"Oh, yah, there was a long, wrapping line in the CD's and DVD's section of the bookstore.  I figured that whoever it was for, I didn't care about".  Ha, ha.  The worst is that I believe one of the last in her leopard print dress and black heels following entourage, (or shall we say book store version of security?) heard me.  I didn't think it was a big deal, more laughable as we were the only ones on the premises minding our own business and not seeking the presence of anyone had a brush-by.  As it turns out, I think there's some level of full-circle symbolism there, 

and that's pretty cool.

  

Four Score and a Year Ago...

It's weird to think about how this whole "Okay, we're ready to get pregnant!" idea has been cultivating for a year now.  True, my husband and I agreed that we'd "Start in June".  But that agreement happened around this time in 2010.  Do you know that it's been such a plan and thought that now that the white bar showed two lines it still doesn't seem real?  Not enough firm evidence has proven to me that I am in fact "with child".  I wonder if all of these quotations marks imply an underlying sarcasm and disbelief?  Notice there are a lot of question marks too. 

So there are definite differences in my body but my body has always been a bit of a curiosity in itself so it doesn't much phase me.  I was the high school girl who played sports and would go sometimes three months without the womanly course (sure, this only happened but a few times, still, that is more than any of my girlfriends have ever experienced so I believe it to be noteworthy).  And, a tender chest (no, not just my emotional heart!) comes and goes with the months too.  So dealing with a throbbing bounce is not new.  I've always had vivid dreams- rather explicit ones at that!  Thus, that is not new news.  However, one thing I have always been is a solid Eggen sleeper.  Always.  Hurricane Andrews threatening loom and high winds?  I slept like a baby.  My father's room-penetrating snore throughout the house?  Didn't know snoring ran in the family.  A tornado ran through our Langarado campsite whilst concert music was blaring and my back was planted on a tree root?  Ah, a good stretch with the rise of the sun the next day!  So those facts do lend themselves toward my mild consciousness of birds singing, my husband rummaging for running shorts and the morning arriving being a curiosity.  This is totally new.  I wonder if it's true that pregnant women have a more acute sensory system because of there new found maternal instinct.  Or is this just my subconscious being smartly aware of the "What to Expect" literature I read and translating it in my brain during slumber.  That sounds legit.  Maybe I'm too skeptical?  I'll argue in my defense that I've always been the type to have an intense sense of "Okay, I understand now that it's been colored as black or white" and until that moment there tends to be a blur of grasping my surroundings.  I tell ya.  Hmm, perhaps a offshoot of my stubborn nature? 

Whatever the case, we're four days in and I'm very eager for Monday the 18th so that I can re-pee for further research into this current search for a definitive answer.

A Magazine that Surprises

In my lifetime I've read many-a-magazine.  My introduction to magazines was probably those Redbook's laying around the house from my mom's subscription.  And it never failed that there was a Highlights magazine at Infant's and Children when we waited for Doctor Roberts.  But it's safe to say that my very first magazine (you know, where I got to browse what the Publix stands had to offer and ponder which titles were most fetching of my 13 year old attention!) is probably still in one of my keepsake hatboxes somewhere.  I don't believe that it's still in publication but lasting was the grown-up feeling that "this is awesome!".  It was something that was older than me and it catered to those girls who were old enough, and big enough, to actually were a size zero in the 5-7-9 store (lust!).   Sure, it was hard to find a publication that covered topics that my watchful mother approved of while still appealing to my young-girl self.  Think:  too old for Cats Magazine and too young for Cosmopolitan.  We went on the trip, my highlight was a way cooler (and less connect-the-dot) magazine than that called Highlights and I loved it.

Insert a gift of a Y.M. that was delivered to our family mailbox and I was in heaven!  I'll never forget the fresh images of my-aged Yasmine Bleeth and Jessica Biel on the Young Miss cover.  They too were young, fresh, sporty and pretty.  It's certain that there was a stretch of time when magazine articles overshadowed reading books in the hobby department.  What's not to love about something topical, informative (reading about the pangs of menstruation can be formatted in a hip way?  Who knew.) and indulgent?

By this point, age 29, I have been washed of my ability to form excitement over magazines.  Particularly those geared towards women.  Time magazine is my favorite and travel-focused publications based on where I'm planning to visit next in the world.  But, honestly, I'm at a stage where I'm into expanding my brain and enjoying the pining for this.  My nightly "these 20-30 are just for me" minutes have been filled with either book reading or BrainAge practicing.  I'm getting older you see.  And I recognize it.

Well, today I'm back on a short-read kick.  I bought my first copy of Fit Pregnancy.  Result:  I'm far from wise!  Every article was packed with information that I didn't know.  Autism from meds?  Moderate exercise while pregnant?  So many articles and none were a wash of spiffed up topics that I'd see a million times over.  My mind was slightly blown away by this phenomoneom.  This had to be comprable to me picking up a gun enthusiast magazine.  I did.Not.Know.A.Thing!  Wow.  Cheers to always being able to learn!  I am one excited mother-to-be.  

If Day Three of known pregnancy is this surprising then I think I'm in for a massive processing overload when my husband and I arrive for Delivery at Good Sam Hospital in December!