Following is an interview from today’s LAist.com. The full story is here.
LAist: How preggers are you?
Teresa Strasser: I am due October 2nd, so this kid is almost halfway cooked. If he’s born on his due date, he will share a birthday with both Ghandi and Groucho Marx. I guess this means he’ll either be staging vaudeville acts, or acts of civil disobedience. The other possibility is that astrology is total bullshit, but people kept asking me who was born on that day so I felt compelled to look it up.
Do you really say “preggers?”
Thanks for addressing a concern of mine. “Preggers” is like the word “boyfriend” — it kind of sucks, but is better than the alternatives. I basically got married so I could just say “husband” and get on with life. As for “preggers,” it has a fanciful quality I like, but maybe tries too hard to be cavalier.
“Expecting” is overly wholesome and formal, whereas “knocked up” is now too Seth Rogen for me. “I have a bun in the oven” or “I’m with child” aren’t even worth considering. And somehow, “carrying a developing fetus” is just clunky. If anyone has solved this problem, please let me know.
Preggers, On The Set of TV Watercooler
Why the blog?
What’s the point of having a baby if I can’t exploit the experience for some content?
Honestly, as a writer, I guess you “exploit” everything in your world. I’m not good enough to cook up prose about things I don’t know, so over the years I’ve written about my mechanic father, my hated evil stepmother, my beloved black stepfather, my neighbors, my bosses, my dead end jobs, my apartment buildings that were like villages of the damned, my road trips, my break ups, my unexplained rashes, my busted cars, my two-bit revelations and non-binding epiphanies, my accidental Myspace dates and everything in between. While having a baby is not original or special (Octomom has done it 14 times, so there you go,) when it’s happening to you, there isn’t much else you can think about.
Pregnancy is like nine months of acquired situational narcissism, it’s all about us and we want to make sure we’re normal. Every little cramp or worry or symptom sent me right to Google, not to mention to the pages of every book I could find. If other pregnant girls are like me, this is all new to them, too. I hope ExploitingMyBaby.com will be a place to do what I’ve always tried to do as a writer, tell the truth even when it makes me look like an asshole.
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Tags: Preggers
I was born on October 2nd!! Great Day. I wish you all the best with the baby. I loved listening to the Adam Corolla show when it was on. You guys would crack me up.
you are super gorgeous. thats all.
I have a question, thought maybe you maybe maybe able to help me with. It is about my daughter, she is 32…married once young..that didn’t work had a son he is 8. Fall in love with a man that was very over powering…like a drug she couldn’t get away from….after a off and on love thing they parted…but she slept with him..and got knocked up. Great! now what?…he wanted his rights “if” he had to pay, so she said don’t pay and see you ..that is the cutest baby boy age 2…All because he had to be an ass. NOW…Guess what? she didn’t date….but her dad worked with this nice guy…and they met. Went out for a drink..on the 3rd date…she is knocked up again. Due in Oct 2009. She is wrong and she knows that..her choices in men have not been good. I feel for her because..the man that got her PG really wants this baby….but he is not trying to be anything more …..no wedding bells…no fireworks…but…he says he wants 50/50 rights.On the day the baby is born he wants 3 days 4 days 4 days 3 days…she is having a fit,she wants him to be part of the baby’s life, but they are not married…he doesn’t want to pay support…..and feels if he has 50/50 he won’t have too. He has been married before and has a 12 year old son..this is what he worked out with their son and it seems to work for them. The kids gos from home to home each parent taking him to a prv school. By the way he is 47 and lives with his mother at this time. It looks like he is going to fight her…go to court I guess….don’t you think a court of law would say…each gets their weekend and a day during the week of some kind? A puppy isn’t removed from it’s momma till after 6 weeks. He tells her, qoute:”what makes you think you have more rights then I do”unqute.?
Ok girl……no hubby, bad choice….but keeping her baby…it’s a fight already and the baby is not here yet. What would you do?
T, you’re gorgeous momma!
My son was born on Oct. 2nd 2006…and we named him Jameson! I just love the name & didn’t realize I was naming him after Irish Wiskey & a porn star. But still, a strong name for a strong boy.
Listening to you talk about your pregnancy reminds me of myself in so many ways, I wanted a girl so bad & was sure I was having a girl & already had a name for her. My husband even said “Dammit” out loud when the Ultrasound tech showed us the pee pee.
But what always got me is the “bond” of pregnancy…I get the physical bond (duh) but it’s still a stranger inside your uterus. I always heard women talk about childbirth like it was this beautiful and spiritual thing. Truth in my case was a little different. When Jameson was born (C-Section) they literally plopped him up over the drape, I looked at him as he looked at me and I think we were both like “Hmm…that’s it.” I didn’t have the Magical feeling of Love at First Sight. And because of that, I felt like WTF is wrong w/me! I kept asking my husband if I am abnormal, and will I be a good mother. What if we never bond, he doesn’t like me. I know I am supposed to love him right away but it took a little time. It was the strangest feeling I have ever experienced. But we bonded and now he is my right hand man! Total mammas boy.
My point is, don’t feel bad if after the baby is born you still have to bond one on one, face to face! but if you have the Love at First Sight experience then I am so happy for you! (maybe more jealous j/k)
Now that I am done rambling on I hope you have lots of wonderful expierences with pregnancy, childbirth, & motherhood.
I would love to see more pics of you “with child”, by the way your boobs are way huge in this picture. Way to go! Knocked up can be kind of harsh and takes the “love” out of being pregnant. You could always tell people the rabbit died, but that’s morbid. You’re a smart gal, I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Good luck to you and your wonderful baby, boys love their mama’s unconditionally. Girls want to get as far away as they can & will hate you til they have their own child. My 13 year old daughter already has her bags packed for college.
I think “I’m with child” has just the right ironic touch. Do you regret the Ghandi/Groucho line? Your best is a lot better than that.
I’m two weeks away from my due date and never found it hard to say “I’m pregnant”. I don’t think I ever said anything different. My friends used the word prego as well and I just winced when I heard it. That’s a pasta sauce, and not a very good one.
How about belly fruit? Sounds a little strange but hey it’s new and fresh!
Love you T-bone!
I think you ate too many pickles,
I’m fond of “I have an abdominal parasite,” but I can see how others might not be comfortable using that.
I am loving the blog so far Teresa. Keep up the good work!
How about “I’m full of baby”
I am fond of the term “P.G.” because that’s how they described Rizzo when they thought she was pregnant, in Grease. That pretty much sums up my entire experience of pregnancy and the terms, so in an effort to be more helpful I went to the Urban Dictionary to see if those crazy kids came up with something new. Nothing new over there with the notable exception of “Preggertude”, which is described as the attitude thrown around as a pregnant person. I like it.
I love you Teresa! Everytime I hear your voice or read your blog, I get a smile on my face. Glad to hear that you’re almost halfway through the pregnancy and still have a great sense of humor about it all. Keep up the awesome work!
Still miss the ‘news’ each morning with AC. No one can tell a story as great as you!
I though this blog would be much more of a “how to”
My favorite is from Steinbeck… You are “in a fambly way”
I have to say thanks for telling us all about your anxiety issues… it makes me feel comforted…. that all my anxiety issues are normal. But, I would love it if you delve into it more… like your fears, your pain, etc. I know personally I am constantly looking up every symptom everyday… joy. Thanks again… I look forward to reading more entries.
When I was pregnant, someone asked me if I was “expecting” and I almost laughed until I cried. We live in Portland, not Kansas.
I usually went with good ol’ pregnant or knocked up.
Hi T, I’ve been a big fan for a while now. I just wanted to tell you that I love your work. I love how candid you are about your insatiable anxiety, and for some twisted reason I find comfort in it (who am I kidding, the twisted reason is that I too suffer from an unnecessary amount of anxiety). Best wishes to you and your little man.
P.S
How about just saying pregnant versus preggers?
I think the Aussies have solved your problem, T. I hereby declare you to be ‘up the duff’.
I feel the same way about “preggers” that I do about “hubby” and “hubs”. HATE!