it was bound to happen...

With our families situated in the Midwest & South, flying somewhat regularly is part of our lives. And since the arrival of Baby S, we've had remarkably good luck with her during flights. I can remember her very first flight like it was yesterday... I was so worried about her tender 3 month old ears, but she did great, sleeping nearly the entire stretch to Wisconsin. The real concern became how to breastfeed her on the sly so as not to flash the elderly gentleman sitting beside me, thus causing him to have a heart attack. Note to reader: elderly gentleman was not Husband (he was sitting across the aisle).

This Easter, the little gal & I headed down South to spend some time with my family.  The flight from LGA was, in typical fashion, delayed almost 3 hours. Funny how you fully expect something to happen, & yet it's still kind of a shock when it does? She actually did okay, thankfully... we walked up and down the concourse about 85 times, & the only real missteps came when she ran off with a couple bags of popcorn from a snack cart, & I had to go chasing after her to retrieve them.  Little thief.

We had a great time with my family in Georgia, but like all vacations, it came quickly to an end. Before I knew it, we were heading back to the aiport, facing yet another delay. I was not panicking, however... I was armed with the iPad, snacks, beverages, books, etc. Plus she hadn't napped yet for the day, I knew she was exhausted.  I assumed once the plane took off, she'd sink into sleep & I'd catch up on Tina Fey's Bossypants, like we did on the way down.

WRONG.  That sweet little angel to your right cried, fussed, kicked, screamed, bit & was generally miserable for the majority of the flight.  Oh, she did sleep for about 20 minutes, but that was just the calm before the storm.  It was so bad that I was crying too when we got off the plane.  Call it pregnancy hormones, stress, mental exhaustion or a combination of all 3 -- I was at my wits end. 

I'd like to say thank you, thank you to the other passengers who came up to me & offered to help.  Though they'll likely never read this, I appreciated the kind words & offers of assistance more than you know.  And I must admit, I wonder when I will fly again as a result... while I know this was somewhat of a fluke (her track record has been so good!!) I can tell you that I will be more than a little nervous the next time we decide to fly the friendly skies.

the mother's prayer, by tina fey

I am so in love with this excerpt from Tina Fey's new book, "Bossypants," that I had to share it with all of you.  As the mother of a daughter, it rings clear as a bell and unbelievably close to heart.  And it's absolutely HILARIOUS. Thank you, Tina, for giving me one more reason to join your fan club.

The Mother's Prayer for its Daughter
by Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.
 
May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.
 
When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with beer.
 
Guide her, protect her... when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
 
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes. And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.
 
May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.
 
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short - a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day - And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.
 
O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers and the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
 
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
 
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
 
Amen.

big apple books: hello, new york city!

Hello, New York City!
by David Walker

This board book filled with colorful pictures is the perfect way to introduce your kiddo to the sights & sounds of the Big Apple.  Each page demonstrates the wonders of this city from the perspective of a little one... who else would notice pigeons with such enthusiasm?  The allure of an underground train?  Or "the pointy lady" aka The Statue of Liberty?  From passing by the Natural History Museum to the aquarium on Coney Island, I think Hello, New York City! is a great "first" book for toddlers.

... and then there were two

Well, at almost 15 weeks I've decided to make it official...

Baby S 2.0 is on his/her way, arriving at a hospital near us this fall. We are beyond excited and have really enjoyed sharing the news with our family & friends. I've been looking forward to writing this post for weeks. I must admit this pregnancy happened a tad bit sooner than I was expecting, but it's all good, really.  I always knew that I wanted to have 2 kids and would like them close together... just never envisioned them 23 months apart!  I fully realize that it will be TOUGH at first (on many levels) but I hope that in the long run they will be good buddies as a result.

With general excitement & a million different things going through my head (not to mention absentmindedness, intermittent nausea & lack of clothing frustrations) I've been a little bit stressed as I think about what needs to happen before this new little one arrives...

A) We have to move
B) Did I mention we have to move?

Everyone knows packing bites the big one, & this scenario is more difficult with an active toddler thrown in the mix. Our current apartment is the perfect size for the 3 of us, but with another baby, well, I'm all for cozy but you gotta draw the line somewhere.  We hate to leave our neighborhood, but I don't see that we have much choice... Husband has been renting our place for a decade, & our rent is significantly cheaper than what an average apartment would go for in Chelsea. 

So, the next question is, of course, WHERE to go... We'd love more space, yet aren't ready for the 'burbs (if ever).  We have a few neighborhoods in mind, but need to start the process of actually looking at places and making a decision, as I'd like this to happen sooner than later (though a gigantic belly is a great way to get out of moving boxes). 

Long story short? Wish us luck! I am psyched to find my dream apartment, get Toddler S acclimated & be completely organized long before Baby S 2.0 makes an appearance on the scene... umm... because that's gonna happen, right?!  Right?

If you'd like us as a neighbor, please feel free to offer your 'hood/borough suggestion. :) 

big apple books: abc nyc

ABC NYC: A Book About Seeing New York City
by Joanne Dugan

There are not many children's books that I would qualify as artistic.  Sure, there are plenty whose illustrations are simply lovely, but I'm not pulling them out for top placement on my coffee table.  I don't even own a coffee table.  And for that I blame Baby S' toys, but I digress... because if and when I ever do own one again, ABC NYC will be on it! I absolutely love this book and think it's just as much for adults as it is for kids. 

Dugan's photos showcase letters that are as vibrant as they are clever & artistic.  This stylish book is a great way for your child to learn his/her ABC's while highlighting their very own hometown.

Furthermore, in what other city would "B" stand for bagel?  LOVE.

review: tiny prints

A good friend of mine is expecting her first child in April, & I was more than happy when asked to lend a hand with her baby shower.  Making things easy, I knew exactly which part I wanted to handle -- the invitations!  If you know me well, you know I have a little thing for paper.  Basically, I could spend all day at any random stationery store out there... from the lovely Kate's Paperie and Paper Presentation to my local Staples.  Paper products make my heart flutter & if connected to a hand-written note, well, I could swoon right here.  Go ahead & can call me old-fashioned (though "classic" sounds so much better).

With not a lot of time to spare (& most of my days spent in front of a computer), I turned to Tiny Prints.  The website has long been a favorite of mine: Husband & I ordered our first Christmas cards as a married couple from the site (featuring a photo from our wedding day) & three years later, we chose Tiny Prints for a combination Baby S birth announcement/Christmas card.  I had such a fun time picking out each design, so I knew it'd be fun checking out their baby shower offerings.

I must admit I wasn't expecting the decision to be so difficult... they have such cute designs!  I wouldn't call my friend a "girly" girl, so I tried to stay away from anything too cutesy, & thankfully with the variety of designs to choose from, it wasn't a problem.  Honestly, I had so much fun perusing the choices -- here are a couple I considered:

And here is the design I ultimately chose:

I love the vibrant colors of this invitation.  Using the "my picks" tab on Tiny Prints, I was able to put all my choices aside, & though the decision was a tough one, I was very happy (as was the mama-to-be!) with the final product.  I found it very helpful that I could edit the back of the invitation -- it was here that I put directions & a map to the baby shower.  Ordering with Tiny Prints was a smooth process, & I liked the fact that you can save your work and come back to it later.  Honestly, the hardest part was just deciding on the actual card.  Although, I must admit, my paper-lovin' heart wishes more of my decisions were like this one!

Disclosure: Tiny Prints provided me with a credit to purchase cards on their site. All opinions expressed therein are my own.

a girls weekend

Husband escaped flew out to Arizona this past Thursday for his annual "boys" weekend.  He and his childhood buddies meet every year at Spring Training to watch their beloved (beleagured?) Milwaukee Brewers play practice games and to gorge on Mexican food.  Their annual trip has become a tradition, and though I kid him about abandoning his ladies, I'm actually glad he's able to go forth and hang with his buds every once in a while.  We all need our "me" time, right?

Toddler S (let's face it, at 17 months, she's a baby no longer - sniffle, sniffle) and I hung out at home, an official girls weekend all the way.  I am really enjoying this time in her development, as it's almost possible to see the wheels turning in her head - she is literally taking in everything around her with surprise and delight.  The little doll is also beginning to have an opinion about things, and when she doesn't like something, well, she's not shy about telling you... at a decibal I'm pretty sure everyone in our building has also experienced.  You're welcome, neighbor!

My extended one on one time with Toddler S begs the question: can the Terrible 2's start early?  I'm thinking the answer is a big ol' fat YES.  While she is generally a very laid back and chill kiddo, she does have her moments... usually when I'm using the word "no".  Sure, I don't like to be told "no" either, but good grief child, get it together.  As we begin this voyage into more & more Toddler S independence, I am frankly curious as to how it'll all go.  For starters, having a power struggle with a person wearing a diaper requires a lot of patience, something that I have difficulty with at times. 



This moment of reflection is coming -- I'm quite sure -- as a result of being a single parent over the weekend. Temper tantrums aside, however, it was really fun having the "mommy & me" time.  We hung out at Appleseeds on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, joined some good friends for brunch at The Park.  We snuggled on the couch with Elmo and played with blocks and her baby doll.  And though I might have breathed a sigh of relief when Husband came through the door, I also felt how truly lucky we are to have this child in our lives.  

Burgeoning independence and all.

Side note: this post is brought to you by my continued support and admiration for all the single parents out there... especially after this weekend.