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!

Freaking Out

Halloween? Done. Which means it's practically Thanksgiving. And the stores already have Christmas items for sale, so it's just a matter of days before we hear carols while we shop. After Christmas, New Years blinks by, then, what? Valentines Day? It's admittedly a hard slog though January and February, but at least there's chocolate. Then OH MY GOD, the baby's due the first week of March? Excuse me while I go hyperventilate.

Candy Candy Candy