More Progress

The murphy bed is here! The murphy bed is here! Well, almost here. It's made it to the city and should be delivered to our place on Monday. Now we just need to schedule the installation. Stuff is actually happening! I'm very excited.

NYC Blizzard 2010

Well, I was certainly hoping that my office would close today. (They have in previous years for much less snow - Boo!) Alas, that was not the case. No Long Island Railroad or Metro North, and limited NJ Transit service kept the suburbanites away, but a handful of subway lines running made for an adventurous commute for us city dwellers. After over an hour and several transfers later, I did make it to midtown. The schlep to the subway, however, was definitely not without its charm. I look forward to the the day when I relay this tale to my kids with the requisite "uphill both ways in two feet of snow" - surprisingly not far from the truth.

10th Street 7:00am 12/27/2010

No wonder our block is not plowed.

Disabled Snow Plow #1 - Also why our block is not plowed.

The bus driver gave up and left.

Disabled Bus and Snow Plow #2

Down 9th Avenue

Stuck Snow Plow #3

Are you kidding me? Disabled Snow Plows #4 & 5.

Christmas Montage

We had such a wonderful day celebrating Christmas with the family in New Jersey. And Ellie certainly didn't hurt for lack of attention. Here she is reading a new Christmas book in the fancy party dress Mrs. Rao sent for her. So cute!

Think we had enough dessert?

Cynthie and John. And just what exactly is going on in the background? The wave?

Sarah and Mary blowing kisses.

Cracking up with Sarah.

Ellie says: "There are presents everywhere and you want me to play with citrus fruit?"

Carrie made the Negre Blanc. So rich....So good. And E liked it!

Janis FINALLY sitting down for a minute.

My two favorite people.

I hope all of your holidays were as full of joy (and bonus snow days!) as ours.

Moving Right Along...

 

Foot Loose and Fancy Free

Merry Christmas

More photos and an update tomorrow when we're snowed in (really?!? a blizzard?!?) but for now...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Apartment Progress

You wouldn't think it to look at our place, but we really are working feverishly behind the scenes to prepare for Baby Boy's upcoming arrival. All the big pieces (murphy bed, couch, rug) that will take a long time to get here have been ordered. All the smaller pieces that can be bought locally have been chosen. So, now we're in a holding pattern. Can't do much else until the bed arrives and Brian and I officially move into the living room. That should hopefully be by mid-January. With any luck at all, we may be done with resettling and organizing with a week or two to spare before the baby comes! I'm crossing my fingers.

Christmas Came Early

Christmas came early to Southern Vermont. Since my dad and Kathy aren't going to be able to join us Christmas Day in Jersey, we celebrated this weekend. The tree was decorated, we made (and ate) far too many sugar cookies, and Ellie was spoiled rotten.

Here she is hugging her Christmas Bear:

And figuring out the bow has adhesive and is now stuck to her hand. (Note: this is almost as much fun as putting peanut butter on a dog's nose, or tying a t-shirt around a cat's belly. Good times.)

We got to meet our newest friend, little Dylan Bouchard, but we also got to spend some time with my oldest friend, Kim. Kim and I have known each other since we were three - which is a crazy long time. She came over for coffee Saturday afternoon and to supervise the cookie baking (and eating). The girl has a good sense of timing. She also brought over some absolutely hysterical pictures of me from the decidedly awkward middle school years. Truly terrifying. We have to hold on to them so when Ellie decides she wants bangs we can take out the photos and explain exactly why bangs are a terrible idea for curly-headed girls.

Sweet Sweet Dylan

Ugh, I went to Vermont in search of winter, and caught myself a cold instead. But I had to buck up and stop feeling sorry for myself long enough to post these pictures of the GORGEOUS Dylan Bouchard. Seriously, this kid is far too cute. I can't take it.

Off to Find Winter

We're off to VT this weekend to find some snow, eat some sugar cookies, and meet Little Dylan Bouchard, who joined the world right before Thanksgiving. Dylan's dad Jeremy is one of my oldest friends, and I can't wait to meet his little bundle of sleepless nights. It's going to be a quick trip, since Bri can't take Friday off work, but still, it will be good to make cookies and sit by the fire. And Ellie should get to wear her snowsuit for the first time!

Tradition

So, we have this enormous, antique cash register in our apartment. It's a fantastic conversation piece, but let's be honest - a bit of an albatross in a small apartment where every piece of furniture has to serve a dual purpose to justify itself. Including the cash register in the apartment redesign has been a real challenge. Here's why we insist on doing it.

c. 1954

This is Brian's mom, Lois, sitting at the cash register when it resided on the counter in her father Joe's Army Navy Store. Unfortunately, Lois passed away in 2005, and Ellie, Baby Boy, Leila (Ellie's cousin) and any other future babies won't get to know their remarkable grandmother. Links to the past can be tenuous, and Brian and I treasure having the cash register, and especially this picture, in our home.

To keep the tradition going, we staged a little photo shoot yesterday morning. I love the idea of someday Ellie's baby posing with the cash register, a picture of her mom and her great-grandmother on the shelf.

Ellie Grapples with the Classics

We've got quite the weekend ahead of us. My mom is in town, plus Brian's friends Neil and David, PLUS Brian's friend Missy from college. Holiday madness is officially upon us.

A Glimpse Into My Psychosis

Ahem. Because I am just this crazy and this much of a control freak, I counted the number of
"free days" I have between today and March 8th (the day I'm scheduled to have my c-section.). 18 days. As Lauren from work pointed out, I could almost say "I'm having this baby in 18 days."

Hah!

Bring Out Your Knives!

Saturday afternoon Brian and I bought reams of pine garland and (already dying) poinsettias to decorate the apartment and bring on the holiday spirit. When the halls were decked, and we were quietly sipping tea and admiring our handiwork, we heard bells ringing in the street. Rudolph? Santa? No, the knife sharpener! We actually live someplace where a guy with a truck drives slowly up the street, ringing his bells, and inviting the neighborhood to bring out their knives, scissors, chainsaws, and whatever else you might choose to bludgeon yourself with. Brian was like a kid on Christmas morning! He brought out our knives, then ran back inside to grab anything else with a blade. 15 minutes later, our knives were shockingly sharp, and we're even more enamored of our neighborhood than we were before.

Slacking

Whoops! It's been a week without posting...I guess it was harder than I realized to ease back into real life and work after a week of play in Florida. But back we are. And now it's Chanukah! Ellie is enjoying the candles. I'm enjoying the chocolate gelt. And tomorrow we're decorating the apartment. No tree this year, since the living room is the one area of the apartment that Ellie has total free reign. It feels cruel to put up a tree, cover it in shiny baubles, and then tell her not to touch it. But don't worry, we're gonna get all holiday in other ways. I promise some pictures tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, enjoy this awesome chanukah song.

Zoo Story

Today we attempted to walk off our turkey hangovers by visiting the Palm Beach Zoo, home of pacing tigers, sleeping bears, and cuddly koalas. Oh My!

Still a little unsure about this whole carousel thing.

Really, dad? You find this amusing?

Dancing Doggie

Wanted: One Cabana Boy

Oh wait, we have one. Brian, two virgin daiquiris please!

Swings Are The Best

Bubble Bath

"Come on in - the water's fine!"

Chanukah Came Early

Well, we survived the flight down to Florida. Ellie wasn't exactly an angel, but thanks to Brian's bouncy-walking I don't think too many people hated us. At least, not openly.

And Chanukah came early to Florida! Ellie's Mommom and Poppop surprised her with a rocking rolling ride-em toy. Ellie is very impressed.

And now we have six glorious days of no plans except eating, relaxing and taking naps. Happy Holidays to us!

Vacation Countdown

35 hours till we're on our way to Florida for a week. Not that I'm counting.

The Plan: The Beginning

So, the plan is to make some major changes to the Tiny Apartment in the New Year. I thought it might be helpful for those of you trying to envision it to see where we're starting from. Here are some "before" pictures. Of course, these are really "before," i.e. before Ellie even. I think they were taken shortly after we moved in. I thought about taking new pictures to show the changes we've made since Ellie, but that would have meant doing the dishes, putting the toys away, and cleaning off the dining room table. Wasn't going to happen.

Living Room: A few major changes in here. The rug is now a neutral brown that doesn't show every stain quite so eagerly, the coffee table turned into two small leather storage ottomans, and Brian finally convinced me to buy a flat-screen TV. Other than that, Ellie is quickly taking over my bookshelves. I already gave up all my individually bound Shakespeare plays (don't worry - I still have two Complete Editions) and I'm afraid my cookbook collection and theatrical history tomes are next.

Dining Area/Kitchen: We're hoping to leave this area pretty much unchanged.

Bedroom: Hi Sophie! Ellie's crib currently lives where the chest of drawers is, and the chest of drawers went to live with Aunt Lucy. A new dresser/changing table is between the windows. Ellie's quickly taking over our storage in here too, and I don't even merit a drawer in the dresser anymore. Hard times. Luckily there are two small closets that you can't see in the picture.

So the plan is to give the babies the bedroom, and move Brian and I into the living room. I'll keep posting as we make progress!

Pre-Thanksgiving

This weekend we went with Todd and Bess (and dog Max) to Kutztown, PA to visit our friends Kevin, Shelly, and their dog Andy. We had a Thanksgiving Practice Run, complete with turkey, stuffing, baked carrots, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Note: if you ever forget to add the sugar to your pie? It can be salvaged by topping with brown sugar and broiling. Pumpkin Brulee! Crisis averted.

We also hit Letterman's Diner, which has the hugest, most amazing pancakes in the universe. Seriously they should explore sponsorship by Lipitor. It's beyond belief.

There was campfire sitting, jacuzzi soaking, and Pictionary blow-outs. Boys against girls. The girls didn't stand a chance: the boys clearly cheat. All in all a fantastic pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.

A Plan

We have a plan. It may not yet be a master-plan, but it's a plan nonetheless.

Tonight our friend Jacquelyn came over to share with us her ideas for how to make our tiny one-bedroom apartment livable for two kids, two adults, and two bitter cats. Essentially it involves giving the kids the bedroom, installing a murphy bed in the living room, and designing some clever furniture to make the most of our minimal storage space. We are super grateful to Jacquelyn for embarking on this project with us. She has such great ideas and is helping us think of our space in entirely new ways.

Of course, half an hour after she left - as I was floating on a high thinking about how we are going to make our tiny space work for our growing family - I found out that John and Becky bought a house in Vermont. Oh my god! Congratulations Coburns! I'm incredibly happy for them, but I'm also so envious and it's bittersweet. Stupid city. Why do you have to make it so hard to live here? And will we ever actually leave you and get a house? A real house with stairs, an appropriate number of bedrooms, and trees in the yard?

Of course we will. Just not right now. Right now it's time to make our cozy little place the best it can be. It's going to be tight, but hopefully it will be worth it. We really do love being in the city, and while I'm always fantasizing about Vermont, the time just isn't right for us. The goal is to have everything done three weeks before Baby 2 is due. Cross your fingers!

No More Helpless Turtle

According to all the "Baby Handbooks" Ellie should have learned to roll over around 5 months. Um, yeah, I guess we missed that milestone. I think the problem is that Ellie was just too darned content to hang out on her back. She lacked the anger necessary to propel herself all the way over. As a result, anytime we didn't want her to go anywhere? We could just stick her on her back, and she lay there - like a turtle. The doctors weren't worried since she was hitting all her other milestones, so we looked at the brightside. When she's a teenager and we need to ground her, we can just put her on her back and she's stuck at home like a good girl. Well, that plan needs to be adjusted.

Brian finally took matters in his own hands a few days ago, and taught her how to roll on the bed. And now, at almost 13 months, she finally figured out she can roll over in her crib. This morning she woke us up at 5am, standing at the crib rails, ready to start her day. Thanks, dad! At least the turtle let us sleep in.

Birthday Season is Officially Over

Wow. Months ago when we decided to combine Ellie's party and the Marathon, we didn't think it was a big deal that it meant delaying her party 2-1/2 weeks. In reality, it means it's felt like her birthday has gone on forever. It's been a fun forever, but it's finally time to retire the Birthday Crown.

Whew, what a day! Bess' cheering section arrived promptly at nine for cider donuts and coffee. Todd's "Go Bess!" signs were exquisite. Someone better send me a picture so I can post it. Ellie, in that magical way only babies can, fell asleep on Brian's back while cheering. Nothing fazes that girl.

Back at the house for the party proper, we feasted on quiche and latkes, while Ellie patiently waited for Maggie and her cupcakes to arrive. Finally! The moment was upon her!

(A plastic dinosaur appetizer, naturally.)

Yay! Cupcake!

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate the big day, and for spoiling E rotten with all your love and presents. Feel free to come back tonight and help us finish the keg!

Post Note: not only did Bess run yesterday, she ran a 3:32 and qualified for Boston! Run Bess Run!

Marathon Countdown!

Two days until the Marathon! Thankfully, we celebrate by eating donuts and quiche, not by actually running the darn thing. But Bess is running! Because she's crazy. And amazing.

Somehow, Brian and I have always lived on the marathon route: Upper East Side? Check. 4th and Bergen? Check (and with rooftop access - this is where we got our picture in the Times). Bay Ridge? Eh, close enough. And now on 10th Street we're technically an avenue away...details. Last year we put our annual party on hold. Something about having a 12 day old daughter. I know, we're slackers. But this year it's back in style! Right now my refrigerator is full of creme fraiche (the better for making killer quiche), and apple cider (for donuts!), and E's godmother-Maggie is bringing Birthday Cupcakes. It's one of our favorite days in New York, and our favorite party to host.

One Year Shots

So, yeah...I finally got around to having a mini-photo-shoot for Ellie's first birthday. Only two weeks late, but then we still haven't "officially" celebrated so I'm calling it good enough. Of course, this was done in 5 minutes while we were already running late to Maggie's Halloween party, and Brian was in the shower and so not available to act goofy and make Ellie smile. SO, not quite the shoot I intended, but I think they're still cute and will have to do for the time being. Really, it's all about the fur vest that I fell in love with and had to get for her the day before. And shoes! She's wearing her very first pair of real shoes!