where are you, mary poppins?

We've begun the nanny search... *current emotional state: anxious*

The idea of finding someone to take care of your child as well as you can is overwhelming at best. The list of qualifications is long, but top among them is, of course, someone who is competent, caring & who you can feel completely at ease leaving your child with all day. I always thought the idea of a nanny cam was intrusive, but these days it doesn't seem like such a bad idea...

Simply put, this is probably one of the biggest decisions we'll ever have to make. All of a sudden I feel like such an adult. How did that happen?

Fortunately, in the last week or so, we've had a couple recommendations from friends and work colleagues. I am extremely thankful for that, as the idea of picking someone out of a hat (in this town, the hat is enormous) is a scary thought. We met Nanny A on Tuesday night and really liked her a lot. She walked through the door bringing a breath of fresh air with her. Nanny A was so friendly and engaging, I felt at ease with her from the very beginning of our conversation. Baby S was extra smiley around her so I took that to be a good sign as well. The more we learned about her (mother of 6 grown children, years of nanny experience, etc.) the calmer we got. Her melodic Trinidadian accent is only an added bonus. All in all, it was a very positive introduction and I think we both feel like she will be a good match for our little family.

Knowing all this, however, I still feel like we should meet a couple other people, just so we have something to compare & contrast. Nanny N came over on Wednesday night and I can confidently say we were both lukewarm on her from the start. We plan to meet with one more lady, but I think we are both feeling like Nanny A is already hired. There are still a few nuts and bolts to be figured out... payment, etc. but I hope it will all go smoothly.

While Mary Poppins might only exist on screen, I don't think there's anything wrong with aspiring to find someone just like her!

review: www.diapers.com

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times. Babies are expensive. Sure, they enhance your life in more ways than you can count. They also (and I say this filled with love for my little darling) deplete your bank account. Okay, maybe that's a little extreme... but I will say that we are very aware of how much baby-related items cost, especially those things we now buy routinely. Like diapers. And wipes. And formula. And...

Until recently, we've been shopping at our local Buy Buy Baby store. Not only is it convenient (just 3 blocks away), but Husband can now cross its threshold without breaking into hives. No small feat, let me tell you. The store is, shall we say, overwhelming. Our current method is divide and conquer, getting us in and out of there as fast as possible. Typically it's a painless exercise, unless a herd of pregnant women have been unleashed in the aisles, followed only by white-knuckled men gripping registry scanners as if their lives depended on it. We smile for a moment remembering those moments of excitement and trepidation before making a beeline for the Pampers section.

Buy Buy Baby coupons routinely show up in our mailbox, making essential purchases fairly reasonable... even though I assumed with a little research we could find a better deal out there. Enter www.diapers.com. Months ago, we randomly found Baby S' crib on this site. I knew exactly what style and brand I wanted, so this was one of the few decisions I found easy to make (I'll be the first to admit my decision-making skills leave a lot to be desired). After researching online, the site gave us the best deal on the Jenny Lind antique-style white crib and Sealy mattress I had my eye on. Did I mention free shipping? Nice. The crib arrived safe and sound and after Husband cursed his way through the instruction manual, future Baby S' was all set in the sleeping department. We've been very pleased with it so far and have had no complaints from the Little One.

Ever since our initial purchase, we've gotten a fair amount of spam from www.diapers.com, relating to the obvious, um, diapers that they sell. I finally decided to take the bait after receiving a $10 coupon to try on my first diaper order. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a coupon/bargain/deal (a topic I'm quite certain I'll blog about more in the future). With free shipping and delivery to our door within 24 hours, I ordered a jumbo size box of Pampers (184 total) and refill wipes (360 count). Final cost for both? $43.04. Not too shabby, considering that same box of Pampers at the Triple B costs $40.99 on its own. Looks as though I'll be going back to this site in the future. Buy Buy Baby, watch your back!

Baby's First Brunch at The Half King

New Yorkers and the weekend brunch are as instinctual as a moth to a flame. Or, in the case of this blog, Baby S to my boob (too much information?) Husband and I were brunch pros long before Baby S came along. We had our standard neighborhood haunts, knew when to arrive to avoid a crowd and could spot a 'prix-fixe with drink included' sign a mile away. Looking back on those erstwhile days, I'm fairly sure we took each culinary outing for granted.

photo credit: www.kellyinthecity.com

For the past few months, mimosas and eggs benedict have been on the *ahem* back burner. Between the arrival of winter and a certain bambina, we've rediscovered our oven and Menupages. The results haven't been half bad, despite a little something we're calling The Blackened Waffle Incident.

This past weekend, we decided to venture out for our first sit-down meal with Baby S in NYC. We didn't go far, and yet, for some reason, it felt like we were miles away. The Half King is a block from our apartment and on the weekends serves a hearty brunch with included alchoholic beverage (after 12 due to NY state law). Getting through the front door with a stroller is simple as there are no steps. Hurrah! The main dining room is large and the two aisles are big enough to get a stroller through without attracting a lot of attention. We arrived at 11am and there were probably less than 10 people in the restaurant at that time. While that may be a bad sign to some, it's more likely that the neighborhood hadn't woken up yet. We noticed at least two other families dining while we were there, which added to the comfort level for us. (Side note: weather-permitting, there is an adorable outdoor garden with tables, though it's considerably smaller than the main dining area).

While we chowed down, Baby S sat comfortably in her stroller. Eventually falling asleep, she awoke only when the bill arrived at our table. Too bad she's too young to pick up the check...

2 thumbs up for The Half King.

the "ie" effect

I just published this post on the website Divine Caroline. See below:

My husband and I have a fairly significant problem brewing. With the arrival of our bundle of joy, a strange, vaguely disturbing phenomenon is taking place. If not resolved soon, I’m afraid it could become a full-fledged outbreak. I’m calling it the “ie” effect. Quite simply, our language is changing. Most baby-related words in our daily vocabulary have morphed into a language known only by other parents and inarticulate toddlers. A few examples:

diaper—“diapie”
pacifier—“pacie”
blanket—“blankie”
poo poo—“poopie”

The list, unfortunately, goes on. The worst part might be that as I hear myself saying, “let’s find your blankie so you can have a nappie-poo,” I simply can’t stop myself. “Nappie-poo” is, of course, “nap” with a little “poo” thrown in for extra measure. Truth be told, it rolls off the tongue with ease. At least my husband and I are in the same boat. When it’s just the three of us at home, the “ie’s” are flying left and right. If friends are visiting, however, we try desperately to keep it in check, as to avoid any curious looks in our direction. Sure, other new parents will understand and be able to decipher our new language. They might even nod in sympathy, as they too remember how they once spoke the King’s English.

While the Little One is certainly entertained, I gather she would be just as amused if we were speaking properly. So, I offer the following proclamation: we will fight against ending words with “ie.” We may not be successful right off the bat, but we will give it our best shot. We owe it to ourselves and our former ability to construct well thought out sentences. To the ears of unsuspecting strangers passed in the grocery aisle. To our baby and her future language skills.

But first, there’s a poopie diapie I need to change.

daddy day care

Currently, Husband has a new title. For the next month and a half, he will otherwise be known as Mr. Mom (I also like House Husband, but I'm not sure he'll be so crazy about that one). We were fortunate that he could arrange his schedule around my return to work, making the transition for me a bit easier. While it is tough leaving Baby S each morning, I am comforted knowing that Mr. Mom is taking care of things at home. It's quite possible that this will be the most undivided quality time he ever has with her, which is sort of wonderful and depressing at the same time. We'll concentrate on the wonderful...

We talk multiple times a day but Mr. Mom usually has it under control. He did wonder during the first couple of days on duty why Fun Baby had been replaced by Miss Crabby Pants. I explained it was most likely just a stage, or more likely Baby S was just hungry, tired, wet or needed to burp (I've learned thus far that babies are only so complicated). By process of elimination, Mr. Mom usually figures it out on his own with no problem.

While he hasn't ventured out much, Husband did take Baby S out for her first NYC bagel. He ate, she watched. On what would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday last week, they listened to a greatest hits album (this would no doubt alarm my grandmother if she were still with us, as she blamed Elvis' popularity on the downfall of America... but that's another story altogether). Not to exclude any one musical genre, Baby S has also taken in a healthy dose of John Coltrane and, for the most part, the classical music featured on [the strange yet mesmerizing] Baby Einstein. In a nutshell, the Daddy Day Care Experiment is thus far a success. Added bonus: it's given us an all new appreciation for each other. I realize while there are more than a few Mr. Moms out there, mine is pretty special. Baby S and I are two lucky gals.

a quick sidebar

I have to take a moment to whine.

Well, maybe more than a moment. In a blink of an eye, maternity leave came and went. Today is my fourth day back at work, and already I'm thinking back on my time off as if it were the good ol' days, when life was simple and I walked five miles to school in my bare feet. Clearly I have a flair for the dramatic...
In all seriousness, three months off is too short. It just is. By the time you have a remote idea of what you're supposed to be doing with this miniature person, your days are quickly coming to an end. Not to mention the time it took (for me, personally) to recover from her birth. Not that I expected to bounce back the next day, but the healing process definitely took a lot longer than I realized. Ah, the little gems of post-childbirth that no one tells you about... but I digress. Around six weeks of age, Baby S stopped staring off into space and began focusing intently on objects (and us). At eight weeks she was smiling and two weeks ago she decided overnight to become more vocal, as if testing us out on her own little language of cooing. It's beyond adorable.

While the uninterrupted computer time at work is nice, watching her sleep before I head out the door is just plain sad. The good news is that now when a colleague asks about the baby, I don't immediately burst into tears.

Thank God for small favors, right?