<b>By Pamela Brownstein</b>

I always saw myself as a hopeless romantic. Like many women, I adore books about relationships and movies about romance — “Sense and Sensibility” and “Love Actually” are among my favorite movies (much to my husband’s chagrin).

I used to fantasize about a Valentine’s Day filled with the typical sentiments of love: giant bouquets of roses, gourmet chocolates, a fancy night on the town. But as I’ve gotten older, I haven’t lost my romantic ideals, but I have become more practical. Spending the evening at home with my baby and husband sounds like a perfect way to celebrate V-Day.

So when it comes to gifts, this year I’m getting a new tankless hot water heater. The pint-size tank we have now takes up a whole cabinet in our kitchen; it might have worked when the house was built in 1939, but it’s way overdue for an upgrade. As my husband jokes, what more could a woman want than the ability to take a hot shower?

It’s actually a two-part gift: With the tankless water heater installed on the outside of the house, it will free up a big space in our small kitchen. In its place we plan on building a floor-to-ceiling custom cabinet, and the possibilities for this project are pretty exciting. There’s even been talk of a getting a new refrigerator, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. It might not be the most romantic gift, but I feel like one lucky lady.

And in return, I’m giving my husband the gift of life. Because few things are more romantic than your needy, pregnant wife who can’t stay awake past 9 o’clock at night.
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