Stone Barns, snow days and one super healthy (delish) cookie recipe.

We’re waiting on spring here in NYC, or getting confused by the weather gods. One day it’s warm and sunny, the next snowing.

Here are a few sweet pics from last weekend that pretty much sum up the crazy weather.

Friday, we headed to our weekend house, making a pit stop at a favorite of ours, Stone Barns. It was a warm beautiful day, and Aria (ever the princess) decided to pick a few flowers…

until we realized they weren’t wild…(oops!)

…but not before gating a sweet bouquet for Oma.

Fast forward to the very next day, where we woke up to SNOW covering the cars and deck…

…and an anxious 4 year old ready to get out and enjoy it.

Ah…the parental joys of kids and snow gear.

The romp in the snow was short lived, so we moved on to a warmer activity.   I found this Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe online (always up for a healthy treat), and Aria and I baked them up. I’d cut the cinnamon down to 1/2 the amount called for, but really they were pretty stellar (and healthy!)

So, here’s to making the most of any weather, and hoping spring finally arrives… for good.

Four weeks In: Sleepily savoring every moment…

WOW! Have four weeks really passed since this little one arrived? It’s already flown by, but looking back been filled with excitement, anxiety, plenty of love and adoration, and, of course, SLEEP DEPRIVATION (definitely now set in).

My mantra these days

Why would I sleep in the middle of the night, when I can get your undivided attention, Mom?

Amazingly, this go around, I’m not nearly as agonized by the lack of my most favorite commodity (yes, I’m the girl who needs 8 hours a night, and struggled through years of working in morning news). Somehow with this little one, the love seems to surpass the drudgery of being tired all the time.

I recently went back and forth with a fellow blogger on Instagram, who had similar sentiment. We both marveled in how these little demanding people can have us completely exhausted, and yet still so in love (cries, cluster feeds, gassy bellies and all!)  I can only conclude that God gives us all these feel good hormones and this overwhelming love to help us deal with the trial of the first weeks of newborn life.

I must admit too, that the second time around seems SO much sweeter. I did not have this positive outlook with Aria. Perhaps it was because my body was in shock. Back then, what I was actually thinking was ,”Yikes, life as I know it is over. What the heck have we done?!”

Yet, this go around, I’m savoring every second.  It’s in part that I now know how temporary the tough time is, and also how fast the sweet parts go. That scrunched up little body laying on my chest, those funny little milk drunk faces….ahh. The fact that this baby is most likely my last also has me holding on to every little mushy, gassy, crying, funny faced, sweet, lovely newborn moment.  I also am now well aware of just how much love and happiness these little people bring, and how as they grow, that love and happiness does too.

 

 

Let’s hear it for the boy. Let’s give the boy a hand…

Let’s hear it for my baby…(ya know, you gotta understand-an-and)!

Brayden Adam arrived November 9, 2015 at 5:03pm
He was a whopping 10 lbs and 21 inches long.

A few pics from his first day here.

 

 

 

I’m a bit overdue on this post, but thought I would update you all after that never ending pregnancy wait. More to come on our my labor and delivery, our first weeks home, how Aria is adjusting as a big sister and some of our challenges and highlights to date.

Indeed, he is a little love. His favorite past times are eating and sleeping (and getting us all to adore him).

 

Mommyhood Take….2! Pregnancy the second time around.

Yes, so we’re six months in on pregnancy number 2, and, if you haven’t heard already, Aria is expecting a little brother come October.

He’s already suffering second child syndrome (yes, even in-utero), not nearly getting the attention that Aria did while I was pregnant. I can’t believe it, but I’m already 6 months. Time flies when you’re not really paying attention!

With Aria every week was relished — from tracking her size with baby.com updates to journaling and recording every little pregnancy milestone. This go-around I’ve barely even stopped to think about being pregnant. Perhaps it’s because I’m running after a toddler, or because it’s just old hat now (one kid, I’m a pro right?), but this time I already feel like I’m neglecting my second child.

He must sense this too because he has definitely tried to make his presence known. While Aria was a super easy pregnancy, this go around I got a little taste of what some women go through in pregnancy (albeit still just minor infractions). From waves of nausea the first trimester to feeling bigger and more limited physically now, I’ve been forced to reckon with this pregnancy.

With Aria I barely even looked pregnant at 7 months, did yoga until almost the end and amazingly, aside from a few minor infractions like the occasional charlie horse at night, didn’t have any real side effects. Only when I was overdue (she was a week late) did I feel heavy and limited and like she was bearing down.

But this time, it’s as my body recognized pregnancy and kicked right into it right away. Granted I still have it pretty easy compared to some, but I’m definitely well aware of my limitations, especially when teaching yoga or trying to lift my solid three year old. Lower back pain and carpal tunnel have already reared their head, and I feel much heavier and limited (despite having only gained 10lbs to date). I’m also much more aware of his very active movements, although I’d just like to think that I have a star athlete in the making.

Perhaps it’s my unborn boy already crying out for attention (“hey, I’ll show you mom!”), but I find it so interesting how we treat second pregnancies and, for that matter, second babies (imagine the thirds or fourths!) No more pregnancy journal, or lovely pregnancy photo shoot, but really, well, just moving right along.

And even as I write that, I get a tinge of mom guilt, and think I should commit to savoring these moments a bit more. I mean, to his credit, he has given me a little pregnancy glow this go-around (the old wives tale about girls stealing your beauty and boys giving you more apparently holds some merit.) So today, I’ll give him a little more love and attention and try to not let him get lost in the shuffle (already). I guess a dedicated blog post is a start… hang in there kid.

Aria’s Big Announcement (Mommyhood Take…2!)

Hey everyone. Aria here– taking over my mom’s blog for a minute since she keeps delaying telling you all the biggest news of MY life!! While she’s writing about yoga and all that healthy stuff (C’mon this is a mom blog, right??), I’ve been telling everyone on the street and everyone I meet, that….. 

Yes, my lifelong wish has finally come true! Thank God I finally learned to type (toddler apps are amazing these days, huh?) so you all can be in the know too. I’ve been asking for this day after day for the last year, and finally my parents decided to cooperate (persistence does pay off!).

So, yes, I’ve got a little brother coming. This first pic is a few months old, but isn’t he cute? I’m working on a dog next. Oh, and a baby sister. Stay tuned!

Arizona Dreaming….

Since spring is taking it’s time to be steady in NYC, I still find my self reminiscing about our latest vacation. I’m all about the luxury resort (always have been), but now that Aria is usually in tow, I also have my eye out for “family-friendly” spots. Our latest find was the Fairmont Princess Scottsdale, which is totally kid-friendly without feeling kid-friendly (yes, that’s a compliment)!

The expansive resort combines lots of great amenities for all ages, and still feels like a luxury resort. They have 5 pools on site, two of which are great for the whole family. We spent most of our days lounging at the zero entry pool, where we could keep a close eye on the little one but still enjoy pool service, palm trees, and amazingly (for a kid’s pool) a good degree of peace & quiet. The same pool area also boasts a water slide on the back end, playground on the far end and a great covered sandbox for the littles to enjoy. Aria LOVED them all and also made a few little friends that made her time (and ours) more enjoyable.

The Fairmont also offers an amazing kids camp. Aria was still too young for that, but The Trailblazers Kids Club is another way kids get to enjoy and mom and dad get some free time to enjoy the adult amenities– which incidentally include 2 Championship Golf Courses and the AMAZING Well & Being At Willow Stream Spa (a must visit!).  We also loved that all the restaurants on site (including the high end ones) offered kid’s menus, and the resort’s VIP lounge made grabbing a drink or snack at any time of day easy (another necessity with little A).

All in all, we so enjoyed our time there. The Fairmont Scottsdale is the best of luxury & family friendly, without any pretense and with plenty of relaxation. So, until we can return (or until the sun & warm temps return here), we’ll all be Arizona dreaming…

Bye Bye Paci… or maybe not… (Difrax pacifiers to the rescue)

Aria loves her pacifier. Yes, we have been saved by the little suckers, but now it’s a bit of a curse considering she can’t seem to live without them. We were recently told by the dentist she should be giving up the habit, but like all addictions it’s not going to be easy. Fortunately, we have been weening her off of them (only for sleeping now or when mommy wants a quiet car ride), but there is no way this child is giving them up… not without a fight.

That’s why I was thrilled to find out about a pacifier that was designed to help encourage your child to give them up. Can you believe a company actually made that? No repeat customers there! Well, in fact it’s genius because I’ve found out (after lots of mom talk and googling) that I’m not the only mom trying to break up their child’s first serious relationship.

The Difrax 3-Stage Pacifier was introduced to me a while back, and as soon as I heard about it I thought we must have one. I had bought a MAM orthodontic pacifier in Duane Reade prior to getting the Difrax.  MAM also is supposed to be better for jaw and teeth development and claims to be recommended and developed by dentists, but I loved that the Difrax 18 + months has similar benefits and also is supposed to ween your child off (or encourage them to give up) their pacifier.

I was concerned when I first gave Aria the new Difrax pacifier. It’s more solid and stiff than most and she had been a bit of a pacifier snob, but after not getting her beloved Avent back, she seemed to accept the Difrax and now is very happy with them. So happy in fact, that I have to wonder if they are actually encouraging her to give up the habit. She may be the exception because so far she still seems hooked. At least I am comforted by the fact that the orthodontic model is supposed to be better for her jaw development and help with the orthodontics. Baby steps I guess.

Follow Up: I just discovered that Difrax also has a FREE E-BOOK on their website that is a 15 day stop plan to help little ones give up the pacifier.  Downloading now!

 

Dentists, Doctors and Big Purple Dinosaurs

Aria went for her first dentist appointment a few weeks back. She was not a fan.  We were actually about a year late since they say you should take them at age one. Aria had no teeth at one—or maybe one or two—so I decided to spare her. Here’s what the dentist told us after her first visit (at almost two).

1. We should be brushing her teeth. We had let her do it herself which seemed to be working just fine, but apparently even though she still waiting for quite a few molars to come in, we should be getting back there for her.  Also, toddler toothpaste only (it has no fluoride and is safe to swallow). So far, so good. She’s cooperating on these.
2.  She needs to give up the bottle and the pacifier. Granted, her teeth are perfect now but apparently if we don’t want them to get completely misaligned (and other issues), two of her favorite things have gotta go. So far, neither has been easy. I’m following up this post with a product that has helped, but going cold turkey on either just isn’t an option. Not yet at least.
3. She’s due back in 6 months (really, a toddler needs to go to the dentist every 6 months??)

Next, comes her 2 year old doctor appointment, which neither of us is looking forward to.  At her 18 month appointment she seemed to have put together that the doctor was not fun, and I felt like she was traumatized when they had to take blood for a lead test (for which I had to hold her down. Talk about mom-guilt, she cried and said “no more mommy…all done…all done,” over and over. Completely heart wrenching.)

I am not looking forward to shots this go-around. I am hoping that she’s a little bit more prepared for it this time, since a big purple dinosaur has been chatting her up about the doctor.  She’s a sucker for Barney and her go-to on Netflix lately has been  “Barney Goes To The Doctor” (over and over and over again.)  I’m hoping that the big purple guy has given her better understanding into it all.  Somehow she seems to think he is the king of all the universe and she’s a loyal follower. We’ll see.

I Pick Up Moms On The Playground

Seriously, I do. Or at Starbucks, or at the park, or on the street corner.  Gone are the days of scoping out the hot guy across the room at Soho House, I’m now passing off my number to new moms. It’s just something about that baby carriage that can’t keep me away.

So, yes, I am naturally social, but as a new mom you need to be— for your sanity. My biggest piece of advice for those new to the club (including Carol who I chatted up this morning over my Blond Roast) is find other new moms who get what you’re going through (your single friends will not– believe me.)

My mom-group kinda saved me those first few months. I had gotten hooked in because a fellow mom blogger (Arielle) and I chatted each other up on the corner of 7th & Bleeker, exchanged info and planned a (play) date. She had already met a fab group of new moms through the neighborhood Parent’s Association (check those out too), and our weekly play dates, lunches, swim lessons, library runs, etc kept me sane.

So next time a mom on the playground catches your eye, go over and say hello. You never know where it could go.

Road Trip: Fun On The Farm In Gansevoort

Until recently when I heard the name Gansevoort my only association was the trendy NYC hotel chain where I would sip cocktails rooftop or work them off at Exhale.  I came to find out, Gansevoort is also a town about 3 hours north of the city (near Saratoga Springs) which would become the destination of our very first road trip with little Miss A.

I had found a sweet little cabin on a farm on airbnb and since Aria is obsessed with animals I thought it would be an adventure. And, adventure it was since the cabin was without electricity or running water (I totally knew this going in), and although a very slight inconvenience at times, it totally added to the experience.

The cabin itself was gorgeous (beautiful wood interior from floor to ceiling and tons of windows) and the location was perfect for unwinding. We would wake in the mornings to total silence, except for the occasional distant whinny of one of the horses (Aria’s first word in the morning was always an exuberant “Horsey!”).  Each day we  would go for walks and wander down and see the animals.  Evenings consisted of watching the sun go down, cooking out ( on the fire pit/dutch oven, propane burners or charcoal grill) and sitting on the front stoop star gazing and using lanterns to light our way inside.  We throughly enjoyed “roughing it” and the beauty, serenity and fun we found there.

Although we could have easily stayed put and enjoyed the weekend without ever leaving the property, we ventured off and found some great local spots. On Saturday I dropped Aria’s dad to golf, and she and I hit Lake George State Park, a lovely spot with several little beaches, a very touristy beach main street and trails and campsite (we snuck in a hot shower there). On Sunday we all hit Saratoga Springs, which, much to my surprise, I loved. It has a great main street, cosmopolitan restaurants and a whole lot of charm. Of course, Saratoga is known for the horse race track so on the way back we checked out the ponies and placed a few bets which was good fun.

All around it was a winning weekend, and one I’d totally recommend for any urbanite looking to shake off the city and get back to the basics.