90210 spin-off details and pregnant alum

So I can't resist giving an update on the 90210 spin-off I blogged about last week. Apparently the new series writer Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) said it would be based around a new family from Kansas (where I live!); obviously a parallel to the Walshes from Minnesota. Thomas also said they plan on bringing back one of the original characters but has no idea which one.

Perhaps it will be Clare Arnold, aka Kathleen Robertson, who joined the original series during the gang's frosh year at CU (I admit to my pathetic aptitude on the show's history!). Apparently she's expecting her first child - click on her name above to see the revealing bump photo - and may I say she's quite gutsy for wearing that swimsuit, pregnant or not.

YJ is a great resource for the yogi in you

Yoga Journal magazine is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in learning more about yoga. I received it as a gift about a year prior to teaching yoga and have had a subscription ever since. It's so cheap considering all the information provided such as suggested sequences, health benefits, meditations, etc.

YJ's Web site also is a great receptacle of knowledge for yogis and recently had a redesign and added some new features, such as a new weekly podcast and a sequence builder where you can create a practice with correlating photos of postures. I also love reading blog "Teacher Tells All," by a yoga teacher just starting out who I nominated for an "E" for excellent blog award a while ago.

Also on YJ.com is a ton of online newsletters to sign up to receive, and I recommend "My yoga mentor," which is written with the yoga teacher in mind. The last edition had a wonderful article, "Tools for teaching prenatal yoga: the first trimester" by another one of my favorite bloggers - Ground thru the sit bones author. Very good advice for teachers and for the expectant yogini.

Prenatal yoga pose: squat
Squats are great for opening up the hips and preparing for birth. You can do it against the wall or on a block.

Spring Fever!

Boy, do I have a case of spring fever, especially since the weather is at a perfect 72 degrees in Kansas City today - much warmer than it has been in MONTHS! Of course I had to go to work today, but it was still nice to know spring has officially arrived. (Sadly I think the forecast for this weekend is snow - welcome to the Midwest!)

In the latter half of the day, I attended an IABC luncheon/seminar about social media. The speaker was informative and topical, but what really struck me during the event was all the pregnant ladies attending - I swear there were five others plus me. With about 10 eight-top tables, I'm estimating 80 attendees, so 1/15 at the event were expecting. Isn't that crazy? With fashion these days, it's harder to tell if someone is pregnant or not, but I am fairly confident in my estimate. I kept pointing out all the other preggers to my friend/coworker who attended the luncheon. Maria replied that she better not drink the water... good idea. Looks like there's a baby boom in KC!

So our crib arrived the other day - now the hubby needs to assemble it. So excited! One step closer to having the baby's room ready, and next week is our first baby shower with my coworkers. A lot are going, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I think they are purchasing one of our big registry items, like the stroller/car seat or baby's bedding. Can't wait because I hate to buy too much until we see what all we receive from the showers. I did find a good Web article about what is really necessary for the baby when he or she first arrives. I especially appreciated the list of how many clothes or layettes to have on hand at first:

• Two or three one-piece stretch suits
• Two sets of separates
• Four or five T-shirts
• A machine-washable sweater
• Four nightgowns or sacks
• One bunting (a hooded nightgown)
• One hat
• Six pairs of stretchy cotton socks
• Six receiving blankets
• Diaper covers or plastic pants if you’re using cloth diapers

Prenatal yoga pose: modified cobra
Great for the back since we can't do cobra the traditional way (on our bellies) during pregnancy. It's so easy and convenient to do so I try to do this pose every day, like when I get up out of my chair at work.

Another celeb baby is born

And I digress to my gossip habit of celebrities but tie it in with pregnancy ...

Halle Berry gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday - I am obviously not keeping up on People.com because I just saw this today! There was an interesting article about Halle Berry's Baby Name
which was Nahla Ariela Aubry. Apparently Nahla is Arabic for honeybee - cute.

I liked Berry's quote in the article. "We didn't have a name picked out until just before we left the hospital. For us it was hard to name the most important person in our life until we met her."

I feel the same way about naming our baby-to-be. However, when I say this to others that I can't really decide until I meet the little one, people look at me like I'm CRAZY! Good to know I'm not alone.

One of my music playlists for yoga

Many of my YMCA yoga students comment about how much they love the music I play in class. I've created a few different mixes (I love the mixed tape! HA!), and last night I dug up one I hadn't played in a bit. A few people said how much they enjoyed it so I thought I'd share it today:

Yoga Mama's yoga playlist #1

1. "Silent Morning" - Feng Shui: Music for the Harmonious Spirit
2. "Imagine" - John Lennon, Imagine
3. "Om Prelude" - Daphne Tse, Jala
4. "In the waiting line" - Zero 7, Garden State
5. "Conroy" - Cake
6. "Let Go" - Frou Frou, Garden State
7. "Sweetest Thing (Mahogany Mix)" - Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
8. "I just don't think I'll get over you" - Colin Hay, Garden State
9. "Save me" - Aimee Mann, Magnolia
10. "Remembrance" - Benjy Werthemer, Jala

I am missing a couple songs in the middle from a CD my friend had loaned me that didn't copy over the artists or song names - sorry. Still a fairly solid yoga mix. Some songs do have words to them, so if you don't like having that in the background of your yoga practice, this mix isn't for you.

Rock-star parking

Although it was a gloomy, stormy Monday, I didn't mind because I knew I had a rock-star parking spot waiting for me at work thanks to my little jelly in the belly!

People at the office told me I could request parking for expectant mothers, but I just kept forgetting to follow up. I finally remembered to send an e-mail Friday - the contact told me my own personal spot would be ready for me on Monday - even has my name on the sign! It's all mine and is about 15 steps away from the front door. A huge improvement to the parking I typically find at work by the time I arrive at 8:30 a.m.
I also saw these two geese walking together tonight as I left work. Thought they were cute...

After a week off from teaching yoga due to the wood floors being redone at the YMCA, I returned to the mat. Boy what a difference a week makes. I teach power vinyasa-style yoga, and at 30 weeks it's getting more difficult for me to teach and demonstrate various postures. The hardest part is talking as I'm doing even the simplest things, which causes me to easily lose my breath. Plus, I'm just getting large enough to be uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, yoga is still doable as a pregnant woman and very beneficial, but power yoga is probably not the best type, especially in the third trimester.

Here's a great posture to do for your hips and groin - plus it's nice and relaxing. Cobbler's pose against the wall; feels so good!

Totally random post about my "addiction"

If you've been reading my posts for a while, you may remember me blogging about my addiction to 90210 and Friends reruns. And yes, I was a teenager in the 90s.

At the beginning of 2008, I set a resolution to watch less (Notice I didn't say completely quit; resolutions are supposed to be realistic.) of these shows which live in infamy in rerun heaven or perhaps it's hell. No matter your perspective, it's shocking to me to think 90210 ended in 2000 - I can't believe it's been eight years! Admittedly, I'm very lame for still enjoying these reruns. But to defend myself, I do TiVo them and watch them as I'm cleaning or doing other things (like I'm blogging now and watching one - sad I know!).

Obviously I haven't done so well with my new year's resolution, but maybe a new spinoff of the old favorite will help me trade one addiction for another. Apparently the CW network is in talks with Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas to write the pilot. With all the recycled ideas in Hollywood these days (Is there no creativity left in the world?) it doesn't surprise me the old teen drama is coming back. However, it will be interesting to see if the former characters are a part of the cast or if it's a whole new BH class.

I'm beginning to sweat with anticipation ... just kidding, kind of. :)