WGN Morning News Blog (old)

I admit it. I know nothing about any sport. Don't know the terms, don't understand any of it and I'm not ashamed. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good party. And no one can party like Chicago sports fans.

No matter how poorly our teams have been doing for what seems like forever now, Chicagoans are there ready to raise their beer glasses to them. Hence, it was no surprise that during our live broadcast with Eric and Kathy from the MIx, at the Harry Carry's Tavern on Sheffield this morning, Cubs fans were ready at the bar at 7AM.

Granted, they had to wait for the booze because the bar was not allowed to sell alcohol until seven. But when the imaginary bell rang, they were there with their livers ready to start the legendary partying.

Come to think of it, when you are a faithful fan of a perpetually losing team, you need a drink or two to make it through and keep the faith. And that goes for the Sox too. I'm a fan of both and of neither. I'm just an observer. Let's play ball and drink up.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

First off, thank you so much for the supportive feedback to my previous blog. Sadly, I have to report that things have gone from bad to worse. Puerto Rico was great. Amelia enjoyed it so much she barely napped and woke up every night twice. We love her grandma and grandpa, but they are from the school of "I've raised my kids, now you raise yours", so there was no midnight help. Lots of help during the day, though.

Back in Chicago, she either has a cold or is theething or both, so the night time has been even harder than before. She's congested and uncomfortable, so going against what every book says about there first cold, I took her to the pediatrician yesterday.

I admit that I love being at my pediatrician's office. I hate taking her there and expose her to all the kids that spent the night projectile vomiting, but once I'm with her doctor, I feel so safe. The doctor and his staff make me feel better about my worries. They seem to have all the answers. I wonder if we can move in.

Dr. King says we can start getting her on the sleeping schedule again, but I feel awful letting her cry it out when she's so congested. So we've decided this weekend we will get back on the wagon. We are between crying it out and the Ferber system, but the last one might have us sleep deprived for another week.

I'll let you know how it goes. Meanwhile, I'll pile on the make up and have 2 cups of coffee instead of one so I can be my perky self Around Town.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Right when you thought your child has a pattern, the little sucker changes it on you. Words of wisdom from my brother before Amelia was born. And darn it, he's a wise man.

Since last Sunday, I've been trying to teach (use the word loosely here) my five month baby how to sooth herself when she wakes up, after we put her down for the night. I've been following that sleep bible by Dr. Weissbluth called "Healthy Sleeping Habits, Happy Baby". In fact, Amelia's pediatrician is in his practice, so every time she goes in for a check up, Dr. Aaron King asks about her sleeping habits and kindly suggests that we let her cry, so she can learn to self soothe. There's a whole plan in the book that many parents swear by.

I admit we have waited as long as we could to have to do this. But last Sunday, our daughter kept waking up around four in the morning and by the third time my husband put the pacifier in her mouth (or pressed her snooze button, as he likes to say), we knew it was time.

The first time I let her cry it out was during nap time. She cried for 40 minutes and slept 15. That night, after I put her down asleep, she woke up 8 minutes later and cried for 20 minutes, but then slept through the night. The second night, cried for 45 minutes and slept through the night. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday she slept through the night. I thought we were home free. My bright baby had learned her lesson!

Yeah right, last night our little sucker woke up at 1:42 in the morning and cried for twenty minutes like we were killing her. We picked her up, afraid the neighbors would call DCFS on us. (We live in a high rise with a lot of single people) It took her father 2 hours and 4 ounces to get her to go back to sleep. She was up again at 4:30, but then she only needed her snooze button.

What the hell! Where did the pattern go? Where did all our hard work go? I thought we had gotten over the hump. I don't know if I can take the crying out all over again. And now we are going to Puerto Rico for a long weekend, so is the pattern gone forever???

I guess I have to get back on that horse. So if you are my neighbor, we are back on Tuesday, so please forgive us if you hear a screaming baby for an hour at 1AM, we are doing it for her own good. Unless you pray hard for us and hope a miracle happens and Amelia goes back to self soothing without making a peep. Yeah, right.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I think it happens when you belong to any minority. You celebrate every success and cringe at every crime. It's almost a knee jerk reaction when something bad happens, you are hoping it's not a member of your minority who did it because that just perpetuates sterotypes and resentment, even racism. But when something good happens and it's one of ours, we celebrate like he or she was related to us.

That is why last night, I got all chocked up whe Javier Bardem won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I burst in to tears when he spoke in Spanish to his mother and his country. You would've thought I was Spanish. I'm not, I'm Puerto Rican. Remember Latinos are from different countries, we are not all the same. Unless we do something really good, so last night I was definetely Spanish.

Javier Bardem is a very famous and respected actor in Spain and so is his mom. Actually, his entire family is in the business. I've seen a few of his movies. My favorite was a Spanish tear jerker called "The Sea Inside". I cried doing the entire movie and almost cried when I had to interview him about his performance of a quadraplegic man who just wants to die.
But, as we all know, you are not a world respected actor until you win an Oscar, no matter how big you are in your country. Right or wrong, that's just the way it is.

What makes his Oscar win even more special is that it was for a role performed in English. My Benicio del Toro (I call him mine since he is Puerto Rican and went to my elementary school at some point. So as a good Puerto Rican, that makes us cousins, for me at least) won an Oscar for an amazing perfomance in Spanish (Traffic). Penelope Cruz was nominated for an Oscar for a Spanish role, as well. But Javier Bardem had the added degree of difficulty of performing in a foreign language and nailing it.

Not that I'm comparing us, but coming from a long career in Spanish, I feel I've had to prove that I could do this job just as well in English. And to this day I worry that my accent will get in the way of my perfomance or that my work is not as sharp because English is my second language. It's all in my head but it happens.

Anyway, thank you Javier Bardem for the feel good story of the day for Hispanics in the US. And thank you for being so genuine and true to yourself when you got the award.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You know it is a terrible winter when born and raised Chicagoans are complaining. You can hear them all over the city and suburbs. I know, Julian Crews knows and Marcella Raymond knows because we have been going out to get those reactions every time a storm is coming and/or Paul Konrad talks about dangerous conditions and his map says frigid rather than just cold. Frigid has never been a good adjective, think about it. It is definitely not a compliment.

Granted, thanks to my being a feature reporter, Marcella and Julian have done most of the freezing out there. But in my 11 years as a reporter, six of them as a general assignment reporter in Chicago, I have frozen my butt many times. But this winter takes the cake.

I say all this to pose a few questions, as viewers; do you enjoy watching other people complain about the cold weather or the snowstorm? Does it make any sense to you that we stand outside in “frigid” temperatures or “dangerous” conditions when we are telling you to not stand outside? Don’t we look foolish saying “any exposed skin will suffer” and there we are with our exposed faces saying this?

It probably makes sense to you. As viewers, you probably love to hear others agreeing with you about how horrible this winter is. That is why all the newsrooms send the their reporters to do the same thing during extreme weather conditions. You’ve seen plenty of reporters holding on to a palm tree or a lamppost during hurricane season.

We complain, we question it but we do it because it’s part of a job we love. The yearly bronchitis is a badge of honor in our journalist resume. But you know what would make us feel better, if once in a while weathercasters would head out there. What a better way to tell us about the cold temperatures than feeling it for yourself.

I love you, Konrad, but it wouldn’t kill you and your comrades to give us the forecast from the outdoors once in a while. You love cold weather. You don’t even own a coat. I know, I know you have to be in the weather office updating your maps because, believe it or not, Mr. Konrad is a one-man band. No employee of the month and no interns or producers for him either.

Oh, and by the way, all of you who told me October was a great month to have a baby are crazy. Amelia has not left the house for a week at a time this winter. Every time she leaves it, you can only see her eyes, which get watery when the sunlight hits her. You should have seen her sleeveless and sock less in Puerto Rico. She didn’t know what to do with herself in the warm weather. And too think she has to wait three more months to get enjoy her hometown

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

It's very hard to write about anything light and funny so soon after last Friday. Not that Randy Salerno was a close friend of mine. I barely knew him in person. We met a couple of times while I was a general assignment at Univision/Chicago. He was always cordial.

I knew Randy more by word of mouth. Even if it sounds corny, the WGN newsroom is like a family and Randy was a beloved relative. And since I've been at the station, I've heard a lot of stories about his excellent news reporting and anchoring style. But even sweeter are the stories about the kind human being he was. Friday, from former interns to anchors were deeply affected by his passing because, as everyone said, he was one of a kind.

As the new kid on the block, since I've only been at WGN 2 and half years, I felt so bad for my coworkers and friends. I admire the work all of them did to keep the show going on Friday, while being overwhelmed by sadness. Even today, I could tell, was a hard day to face. I think what pulls them through is all those wonderful memories they have of Randy.

I think all of Chicago, myself included, feels heartbroken by the untimely death of a talented man who always put his family first. So for this Monday, I could not blog about anything else, but send my deepest sympathy to his family and friends, both at WGN and at home.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Motherhood can be a wonderful club and a very judgmental club all at once. I've noticed that , as soon as a woman becomes a mom, we all feel entitled to ask the most inappropriate questions, share our feelings and give our opinions to be considered as the right ones by all. That said and since I'm a proud card carrying member of the mommy club for all of three months and three weeks now, let me give you my opinion on the latest statements by stylish, young and filthy rich Mom, Katie Holmes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I love her grown up make over. I literally copied her haircut. But that's about all I'm emulating her on. Especially after her recent comments about her one and half year old. Here's what I read on msnbc.com

>
> Meanwhile, seemingly beaming in from a galaxy where babies mature at
> an accelerated rate is Mrs. Tom Cruise, who gushes to People of
> preternaturally winsome daughter Suri, "She's a very strong woman."
>
> "I'm very proud of her," adds Katie, who is currently out stumping for
> "Mad Money." "She's actually teaching me a lot -- probably more than
> I'm teaching her."

Ok, what the hell is Katie Holme's on? I'm a 33 year old mother, wife and professional and I still don't feel like a full blown woman. How can a toddler be called a strong woman who teaches her 29 year old mom. Suri is not even a girl yet. She still drinks out of a bottle (although a lot of women I know do too. except the bottle is usually glass, doesn't have a nipple and is full of beer) and she's not even toilet trained. Come on, her teeth are called baby teeth for a reason.

Ms. Holmes has gone as far as saying that Suri and her have great conversations. Yes, Amelia and I do too but these talks mostly include gibberish, screaming and a lot of drool.

I know a few mom's that call their children gifted geniuses ,but most of them wait to say these statements when the child starts at least day care. And trust me, I find those remarks very uncalled for as well. If your child is a tested genius, don't throw it at other people's faces. That's what grandparents are for. It's just basic manners.

Besides, most of us think our child is the most beautiful, smart and charismatic kid in the world. And we might be right, but we may also be blinded by love. Hence, these statements can make you sound arrogant and even foolish, if your baby, God forbid , is average.

My problem with celebrities like Holmes talking about their kids like this is that, just like I copy her hairdo, other women might want to follow her mothering style. Or worse yet, some mothers might wonder why their one and half year old is not a woman yet or why is her 2 year old still grunting when Suri Cruise is already having enlightening conversations with her mother.

These comments annoy me as much as when celebrities say "I'm such a devoted mother", and then the next sentence in the article reveals she has two nannies for one baby. Or when they pose for pictures with their post baby body and they "miraculously" have their abs of steal back and no horrendous dark line on their stomachs. Fess up ladies, you either hit the gym right after delivery, starved yourself and/or asked for a tummy tuck during the c section.

But see, I shouldn't judge Katie. That is the way she feels and that's just great for her... The hell with it, let me judge. I guess is my right as a member of the motherhood club.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I was warned... by my mother and my girlfriends, as soon as you have your first baby, everyone, and I mean everyone will ask you, when are you having your second one? A very inappropriate question in so many levels, if you ask me. Especially when no one knows, but the woman who gave birth to the token first child, how was her post labor recovery. Mine was a living hell. The worst six weeks of my life. My body gave out on me like it never had.

My baby was in perfect health, and thank God for that because, if there is one thing you learn the moment you know you are pregnant is that YOU rather go through all the pain and suffering known to womankind, than to see baby suffer at all. Nevertheless, I was a total mess, physically at first, and then an emotional wreck for about four weeks.

So when at week three of my post partum nightmare, my loving husband kept alluding to the second child and went as far as asking me if we should save some of our baby clothes for the next one, I almost killed him right there on the corner of Fairbanks and Ohio. You'd think the fact that he took me out for a walk so I would get my mind off my overwhelming sense of inadequacy, would have kept him from asking. After all, he was the one helping me with my pain, he was feeding our daughter because I couldn't sit for 2 weeks and calmed my constant crying. Why in the world would he ask that?

I literally answered, "of course, since this first delivery went so well, why not have another one". His only defense was that having 2 children was our original plan and that since he's older than me, he had to think about having another one quickly. "Well" I answered, "since your old, you'll die and then leave ME with the 2 kids, great idea". And a quick note for husbands, anything discussed before having a baby is put on hold while your poor wife gets her hormones and body under control, so, give it about a year.

From then on everyone from my mother in law to strangers at the supermarket asked the question. When I was finally feeling physically better and crying less and less, my answer was very much true to my usual self, "if I have another one, I'll go adopt him in another country, possibly South America. He will be 5 years old and eat on his own and will be potty trained".

My issue with this question is that not all first time mom's discover that motherhood is their calling when the doctor hands that baby over. Not all women adjust to their new life immediately. Babies don't come with instructions and for women like me who like it all under control, life as they know it takes a nose dive. Plus, physically, your body is a wreck. It nurtured another human being for 9 months, it delivered a full term baby through a very small cavity, it sure as hell will not bounce back.

I have a friend who told me she didn't feel she could have another baby until her first one was three years old. Another one called my only child husband to find out if it was horrible not having a sibling, just because she is not sure about having a second one. I'm feeling much better about the whole thing. Amelia has made me feel things I never thought I was capable of feeling. Making her happy and proud of her parents is my priority. She will have a sibling if her father and I decide we want to have another child, not because we want her to have a companion.

But that is our decision, no one should pressure us or ask us. So, a word of advise to all of us, since I'm sure I've asked the inappropriate question before having Amelia, do not ask the obvious question when someone has their first baby. Support their experience and enjoy the moment. We don't know how they are adjusting to parenting, we don't know if they CAN have another child. We could really hurt feelings with that one single question. It's none of our damn business anyway.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ana Belaval, who never believed in awards, never submitted anything and claimed to never care, has won an Emmy and is almost sleeping with the statue.

Let's put it all in context.  Submitting material for any award show is a pain in the %$#.  You have to look for a category among tons of them. Gather your material, which can mean looking at hours and hours of tape. That's if you find the tapes since the filing system at most newsrooms is not the best. Then you have to copy the material on to a DVD or tape, and then fill out the paper work, which can be as confusing as filling out tax forms. 

Many of my colleagues have the system down pat or an intern who has the system down pat.  I have neither so the prospect of submitting anything once a year, stresses me out.  I seldom do it. To be honest, I've only done it twice and have been nominated both times.  At this point, my mother would say that goes to show me I should submit more often.

But this year I submitted on three categories, at the constant nagging of my Around Town producer.  The process was grueling and I could've sworn I had gotten something wrong.  Since I never win anything, I convinced myself I wasn't going to be nominated. But I was, for our One Tank Trip series. And honestly that was enough to make me proud. Now I could say that I was a twice emmy award nominated journalist.  That's an accomplishment.

So when the ceremony came around, I was busy with my one month old baby. My husband encouraged me to go since a night out would be nice. I went with my producer and his wife. My good friend Dean Richards was my date. Steve had to stay home with Amelia. We are on a formula budget so we can't be spending money on babysitting and a ticket for my husband to an award ceremony where his wife wasn't even going to win.

I put on the only dress that fit me, put on make up for the first time in a while and off I went.  Our category was the second to last one, so I was almost ready to leave. Dean had to hold me down.  But then, the unthinkable happened.  We won!  My producer Terry Barthel and I were shocked.  Since he had won one before, he was gracious enough to let me take the statue home.  We will split the cost of the second one. Hey, even NATAS is on a budget, so you get a statue per category.

Once that gold statue was in my hand, I was a believer. So proud to be a winner, especially after a month of trying to figure out my new daughter. I had spent weeks feeling physically sick and mentally inadequate, so it was a fantastic feeling to be a winner.  To know that I still had my career and that I knew how to do it well. "You love me, you really, really love me" to quote Oscar winner Sally Field.

As cheesy as it sounds, I was also happy to show my daughter that women can almost have it all.  So I came home with my new man Emmy to my great husband, changed into a t shirt and bathed my new baby.  The best of both worlds.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Hi everyone. After 12 weeks of feeding my baby, burping my baby and changing my baby's diaper, I'm back...baby. Trust me, while in the thick of maternity leave, those days where I couldn't go anywhere because of the weather and it felt all I did was feed and burp Amelia and try to have her nap for more than 45 minutes, I was sooo ready to get back to work.

Work is the one thing I know how to do pretty well. I love my job and with some exceptions, I usually know how to make it right. Not so much with motherhood. It is a constant guessing game and when you think you have something down pat, the little bundle of joy changes the rules of the game. Add to that how sick I was after labor and how I cried every day for 2 weeks thanks to lack of sleep and hormonal mess, and I almost begged my boss to call me back to work.

That's why it was so strange when I started feeling sad about leaving Amelia to go to work on Friday morning. I am blessed with a great schedule that allows me to be home much earlier than most working moms. Amelia has an amazing nanny that has been taking care of her often since she was born, not to mention a great father who took over for me when I was too sick to sit down and feed my own child. All that said, I realized how attached I've become to my little girl. How I was going to miss seeing her first thing in the morning, especially now that she smiles when I peek into her crib and she's awake.

The Wednesday before coming back to work, Amelia caught her first cold. That was the last drop for me. I thought " No one knows her sniffles like I do and what if on Friday morning, her sniffles get worse and I'm not there??". Wow, I could not believe that I had gotten to that point. I wish I could've blogged during my leave because I had a tough time adjusting to motherhood when Amelia was born, so if I would've written about it, you would've probably seen how much I've changed.

But Friday came and went and I was so happy to be back with all of you. Thank you so much for the well wishes and support during my leave. You'll be happy to know that baby and Mom are doing great. And don't you worry--- now I'll write about my first encounters with motherhood---trust me, you will laugh, and since I'm feeling 100 percent better and almost normal---I'll laugh too.

Ana

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I know, I know, Val is already done with the pregnancy and has a beautiful son to show for it. You are not the only ones looking at me like a ticking bomb. Trust me, all my co workers are too. Since Val went into labor a week before her date, people just assume I'm next.

Well, we are almost there. Remember my due date is 10 days after Valerie's original date of October 2nd. I know it can be any day now and my doctor is very confident it will be close to or on schedule. This girl is just like her Mom, aching to get out and heading for the exit since week 36.

So sit tight, relax and keep watching me go Around Town this week. I'll also be there next week, but in studio since I don't want to chance it and end up having to name this baby after the state trooper who helps deliver her on the highway.

My only hope is that Amelia Victoria waits until my parents get here from Puerto Rico this Saturday. I've told her many times, but as all parents know, kids never listen.

Thank you so much for all your well wishes and keep us in your prayers for a good delivery and a healthy baby girl.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

So we were coming home after the Cubs game on Saturday, which by the way, was a great day at the ballpark since they won, and we hailed a cab on Addison. First clue this cab ride would be like no other: the driver had his wife or lady friend with him. But I really wanted to get home so my husband and I just got in. We tell THEM where we are going and right when the taxi driver says he was on his way home but...my husband and I see the bird. A real bird, a parakeet to be exact. And not a small bird, I would say medium size, not in a cage, sitting free as a bird (no pun intended) on the steering wheel.

I quickly offered to get out, taking advantage of the fact that the cab driver wanted to go home, but his wife said they had a half hour of work left. That led me to believe this was his wife because a girlfriend would have rather have him go home with her to snuggle, where as wives we work them until the end. But I digress.

So my husband and I are stuck in a hot and smelly (yes, smelly) cab with a couple and a wild bird. The woman spent half the ride urging the animal to "Say hello" to us and went as far as putting the bird on the partisian so we could see it better. I actually think she wanted us to put our finger out and let it come to us. No way Jose, I might have been born on an island, but I like my wild life in the wild, far away from me.

When the bird would not respond to her commands, she started playing with it and kissing it and passing it over to the driver. He would put it on the steering wheel and coo at it as if it were a child. All this while he navigated 4PM traffic on LSD, as if we were on a boat on the lake. When she was holding the green and yellow parakeet, he would sing to it in his native language, interrupting only to curse at the other drivers as only a cab driver knows how to.

Our wild and feathery trip was prolonged by traffic. We had to take the Inner Drive and my husband kept suggesting streets where we could get off and walk home. But my feet are holding a lot more weight than they are used to these day, what with being eight and half months pregnant and all, I had already taken the train to the game, walked up and down the stairs at Wrigley and went to a bar afterwards where I couldn't drink, all for my lovely husband, so needless to say I wanted at the door drop off.

We made it home unscathed but emotionally scarred. I've taken my fair share of cab rides in Chicago and they are always challenging. I've even been asked to get out of the cab because the driver didn't want to take me to a certain neighborhood since he wouldn't score a ride back. I've almost driven the car myself when I get those cab drivers that don't know where they are going. But to share my cab with a wild bird, now that was a first.

Just thought I shared.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This is what I don't get. I waited 5 years to start a family. I pursued my career, traveled with my husband, had myself some fun. My choice. Meanwhile, most of my girlfriends got married and had children, most of them right away. Their choice. Granted, I was never first choice to baby sit and I'm sure I must have made a face once in a while when their children screamed uncontrollably in public places or hid behind their mother's skirt when I tried to be sweet Auntie Ana. But I was never, ever unsympathetic to the plight of the new mom. I never left them with a crying baby at home and rubbed in their faces that I was going to a quiet dinner with my husband. I was always helpful, changed diapers, and fed babies. I'm even the godmother to four girls.

So I'm having a hard time understanding why some girlfriends of mine have this vengeful attitude towards my impending motherhood. Lately, when venting about their own children, I get a comment like : "Just wait until you can't take a nap in the middle of the day and get your nails done, EVER."
If I say that we are going out on certain weekend, I get the: "Ha, that's going to end. Once the baby is born, it's over".
One mother of two, who I call my sister from another mother since we are so close, went as far as telling me "I can't wait until you call me all miserable because Amelia doesn't let you sleep. I'm going to laugh out loud while my two kids are asleep and yours is not."

Why the hate, why the venom. I know it will be hard but aren't girlfriends supposed to tell you it's the best thing you've ever done in your life. Something more along the lines of, "your child's face will make it all better". I already wake up at three in the morning having anxiety attacks about feeding her the right way, loving her the right way so she doesn't hate me at 13.

It's like some women are happy that I will be as miserable as they once were or are. Like they've been waiting for 5 years, watching me enjoy childless life, knowing it eventually had to end and they would be there welcoming me to the hellish club.

I'm not a confrontational person so I have hinted to my "spiteful" girlfriends that I need love and support, not more horror mommy stories. It took a couple of emails and a sweet warning from my husband for those girls to get it. Now even the worst of them all has apologized and her message of motherhood is back to a positive one.

I've found very supportive women throughout my pregnancy but boy can we girls be spiteful when we want to. Even so, I would never, ever give up my girlfriends because no matter what, I know they have my back and always mean well, even when they sound doown right mean.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

For all of you who sympathized or gave me suggestions, I'm glad to let you know I found a maternity bathing suit that suits me fine. My beautiful belly looks nice and well covered. I had to keep searching because if you watched today, I was on a charter boat out on the lake and every time I'm near a body of water, I end up soaked. Besides, with this heat, the swimming pool is calling my name.

So thanks for the support and suggestions. And no, I'm not planning to wear it on the air. I'm all for dressing up in costumes when the story calls for it but bathing suits...no way.

Adios.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

If buying a bathing suit under normal body circumstances is frustrating enough, imagine how mortifying it is to go bathing suit shopping when your pregnant. I had a feeling it would be, so I cut to the chase and, a month before the pending pool party, I by passed going to the stores and ordered a one piece on line.

Yes, I know women look adorable in those two pieces with a bit of belly hanging out but, believe it or not, I'm not that comfy exposing my bare belly, pregnant or not, so I went for the one piece. A gorgeous shocking pink number from gap maternity.

After a week, it arrived at my doorstep and I was so excited to try it on. I thought since I'm mostly belly and chest, how bad could I look. Well, putting it on should have clued me in. Let's just say it felt tight on all the wrong places. One look at the mirror was enough to decide I will not be partaking of the summer swimsuit season this year.

I looked like a hot pink sausage. The bathing suit flattened my voluptuous chest. I looked like my future daughter will probably look like in her first bathing suit a year from now, with her baby gut sticking out. Cute on a one year old, pathetic on a 32 year old. Not to mention that the bottom of the bathing suit had a low rise so, can you say "thunder thighs".

As you can imagine, I quickly returned the suit and wore a cute maternity dress for the party. But I have to admit, I'm dying for a dip in the pool. Do you think maternity shorts and a tank top are as bad a cutoff jeans at the beach???

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The babymoon, that last romantic getaway before the baby takes over your life, is meant for a couple. But I took the next best thing when I went to check out the babymoon package at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, my girlfriend Valerie Warner.

Val and I are due exactly 10 days apart from each other. She on October 2nd and I on the 12th. Val has been more than supportive during my first pregnancy ever and I have been there for her during her second time around. So what better reward than a day at the Spa in the name of journalism.

Needless to say, as you'll see in the story attached here, we had a blast. Due to time constraints we literally had a taste of everything, so a short massage and manicure. But our favorite was the visit from the ice cream man. Every pregnant woman's dream come true.

What you didn't see was even funnier. Getting on the massage tables was quite a feat. We are at that point where they recomend you don't lay on your back for long periods of time. so we had to get up on those tables, lay on our sides and put a pillow between our legs. Also, since we are overflowing with gurth, we had to be mindful that no extra body parts were showing. Thank good we had a camera woman working with us.

The package is pricey but it includes a free copy of "What to expect when your expecting", a toast to fatherhood, a visit from the ice cream man and discount coupons from many baby stores in the area.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Don't take me wrong--BearS all the way baby!!! I want them to win. I'm rooting for the Bears eventhough I know nothing about football. Trust me I've tried. My husband loves football, actually any sport and watches all of them on TV. So when we started dating I sat by him and tried to understand who was who on the field and what the object of the game was. But most of the time I couldn't even follow where the ball was. A sport that deals with yards and numbers sounds to me like math which I have never been good at either. Also, the tackling, the shoving, the pushing was too much for me so after constantly complaining and yelling at the TV in horror, Steve, that's my hubby, gave up his dream of taking me to Soldier Field dressed in matching shirts and enjoy the sweet taste of Bears victory with his wife.

My lack of interest and knowledge has also been a problem with our friends (i.e. the great people Steve brought into my life 8 years ago). They love sports. Some of them are Bears season ticket holders and have even played in coed leagues. So even the women talk the talk and play the game. I remember the first party I went to when we were first dating. It was a couple's shower where they were all watching the Cubs and then while the bride and groom openned gifts, the guests spoke about football strategy. Forget the language and culture barriers between us, my biggest problem was the sports barrier. But they have accepted my sports illiteracy and lack of interest and they have also resigned themselves to the fact that the only thing I can do when it comes to sports is correctly pronounce the last names of the Latino players.

Now I find myself immersed in the Bears fever. I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the impending coverage of the Bears Super Bowl visit. Covering the victory will be a breeze, a party is a party is a party, but as a reporter I'm supposed to sprinkle my reports with some facts about the game and I think that's when I'll screw up. Baseball and basketball I can improvise a little about, but footbal, not so much. So if you see me reading off my notebook, you will know why.

I'm sure I'll be watching Sunday with my trustee translator Steve next to me and in terms of TV land---I can stick to the two phrases I've learned this year "Robbie Gould rocks" and "I wonder what Rex Grossman we are getting today". I know Robbie doesn't miss a kick and that our QB is a bit inconsistent. I love my Urlacher because he is a machine on the field and very cute in the soup commercials. And I also love Mussin Muhammed just because I love to say his name. Oh and I know that they have a Mexican American player who is fluent in Spanish---he should be my favorite right. Wow, maybe I know more than I thought---now if only I could keep an eye on the ball...

GO BEARS!!!

Posted by Ana Belaval at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I admit it, I've been forgetting to blog. Actually before Ms. Warner caught wind of it, I thought I had time to come up with some great topic and finally blog. All my coworkers seem to have plenty to talk about. You'd think I would too, since it's hard to get me to shut up most of the time. But by the time I'm done with Around Town, I'm literally talked out. Besides what you see on TV is the most exciting part of my day. I know, I have the best gig in town.

I don't have kids yet so I don't have any cute children stories. So after work, I go to the GYM and then go home. Pretty lame...Oh, yeah, I have this embarassing hobbie now that I'm hoping others out there have as well. I'm back to watching soap operas. I do my housework with them on and lately I've caught myself recording the last half hour if I have to leave the house. It embarasses my husband beyond belief. But if you're home at one or two in the afternoon, that's all you can watch. The weird thing is that I switch between the soap and CNN. So if it's not harsh reality, I watch the cheesiest fantasy I can find.

Maybe I should get busier with more important things but I have a feeling I would probably record the soap opera and what it when I come home anyway.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry, sorry. I apologize for not writing in a while. I've been out sick, so unless you wanted to know about all the cough medicines, inhalers and anthihestamines I'm on, plus my impending root canal, I haven't had a lot to say. One of my Around Town crew members suggested I don't visit anymore doctors for the rest of the year. Not a bad idea, unless I want to start the year still coughing.

I'll stop myself before I start giving you details that you don't need. What I really need you to know about is the Toy Drive coming up on Friday at the WGN studios. It starts at 5AM and ends at 1PM. We will all be waiting for your unwrapped toy to benefit the children at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. Dean Richards and I will be out there the entire time, freezing our butts of for a good cause and for a chance to say hi to everyone. You don't have to worry about the weather since it's a literal drive through. You don't have to get out of your car. We gladly do all the work.

So while you are shopping for everyone on your list during the next couple of days, pick something up for the Toy Drive. You don't even have to wrap it! We would love to see you and feed you some doughnuts and coffee from Dunkin Donuts. So come on by and say hi before I leave to get my root canal that afternoon. Hurray for good health!!

Posted by Ana Belaval at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Holidays are off to a great start in Chicago. We can't complain: perfect weather, good bargains (judging by all the people who slept overnight at a store's parking lot and then trampled each other when the doors opened @ 5AM in the spirit of the season) and the city can't look more beautiful. I was honored to help the Mayor of my favorite city in the US to light the Christmas tree in Daley Plaza. I say honored for many reasons. First, because I've only been at WGN for a little over a year and to receive this invitation was a nice recognition that I've become a part of this city. Secondly, because I got to see thousands of you taking in the REAL spirit of the season, caroling together and peacefully celebrating. But I think I was most flattered because I truly love this city.

As many of you know, I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My Christmases were NEVER white, I only know the chorus lines of most carols in English and my immediate family lives there. When people ask me where I'm from, even after living in the US mainland for more that 10 years and marrying into a true Chicago family, my immediate response is "I'm from Puerto Rico". I'm very, very proud of being from another culture, from a tiny island and making it in the big city. But ever since I've returned to Chicago from New York (I lived here for 6 years before leaving to NYC. For more info read my bio) I've know from the bottom of my heart that I have a second hometown. Chicago has welcomed me since the day I got here all by myself 10 years ago at age 21. It has been the city that made me a professional and a well rounded adult. I met my husband here and, as I said, now have a true Chicago family and identity. When I lived in NY, I defended this town's honor from everyone who would say that there's nothing here to see. Just as I encourage everyone to visit my island, I have become the number one ambassador to the windy city.

So, to be invited to dress it up for Christmas and see Chicago in all its shinny holiday splendor has been one of the highlights of my career. When I was a Spanish news reporter in Chicago and covered this event, I always thought of one day being the one to flip the switch with the Mayor in front of the Picasso statue and the brat vendors from the Chriskindl market. (Only in Chicago you get this kind of cultural diversity). That's why being on that stage and saying hello to many of my fellow Chicagoans filled my heart with joy. I have to thank the Chicago office of Special Events for the invitation, our viewers for embracing me and Chicago for making me one of it's very own. Now when they ask me where I'm from I'll say Puerto Rico AND Chicago. Happy Holidays everybody!!!

Posted by Ana Belaval at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I could write about dancing the polka, the holiday windows at Macy's or even pocket puppies, all stories that I've covered in the last week, but I would rather talk about Support Our Troops Illinois. Last Thursday, Around Town took me to a small warehouse in Lisle, IL were parents, relatives, veterans volunteer to prepare care packages for soldiers who are currently in conflict zones, primarily Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group was created by soldiers' parents working from their own kitchens, but the outpour of support has been so great that group is currently in a warehouse where they receive all sorts of supplies and goodies for the GI's. Peanut butter and slim jims are the most requested items but these perfectly packed boxes include everything from socks to cds.

The assembly line works like a charm and the thank you notes from appreciative soldiers decorate the warehouse walls. School groups and individuals are constantly dropping by with donations. But what touched me the most is that Support Our Troops, Illinois has also become a support group for awaiting families that, many times, are fearing the worst. Mother after mother, father after father told me how packing these boxes next to other people in their same situation was incredibly comforting.

In that Lisle warehouse there is constant laughter, except when a nosy reporter with a hard name to pronounce starts asking about the kids or the husbands that are away. Tears come pouring out just thinking about the loved one you haven't seen in almost a year, or the one that has been to Iraq twice and is getting ready to leave for a 3rd tour. That's when I saw the support first hand. Just with a certain look these men and women tell each other "we are in this together and we understand your pain". One mother told me she is scared to death but proud as hell. A mixed emotion that only a relative of a GI understand. For these worried folks it's not about the war being wrong or right, it's about getting to see your first born alive again and making sure he or she has all the support they need while living in combat.

So when you help Support Our Troops Illinois, which I hope you do, you're not only helping those in harms way but the many families left behind in constant vigil. Their website has all the info you need, www.osotil.org
By way, last year five thousand GI's received a care package from Support Our Troops, Illinois.

Posted by Ana Belaval at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)