We're in

Moved in to our wonderful new apartment on June 8th. It was a whirlwind move as we didn't have the confirmation from the landlord to move in until 9am that morning! We had figured over the previous weekend that it was not a go so we didn't pack up the remaining 25% of our things. But once we got the call, we made a quick decision to go ahead and do it. So we called the movers and they said they could be there in a half hour! Chaos ensued as we packed up stuff like crazy-throwing dishes in boxes, pulling curtains off the wall, and throwing shoes in boxes. The one thing that worked out perfectly was Sophie decided to sleep in that morning until 10am! Normally she is up around 7 and needs to nap around 11 or 12, so this was perfect as she could most likely skip her nap that day, which was fine with us as the crib would be moved and she'd have nowhere to sleep!

The movers were from Oz, who were recommended by a friend, and who I will highly recommend as well. They were super fast, and the foreman was really knowledgeable and really helped us out with our last minute packing. What was estimated to be a 6 1/2 hour move turned into 8 1/2 hours, but it was well worth it to be in the new place so quickly.

We are SO happy here. It's almost double the space. With amenities galore. What seem like luxuries to us are probably pretty standard to most, but New Yorkers go without a lot here. We now have a real separate kitchen, a dishwasher, an elevator in the building and a laundry in the basement! These are all things I've never had (except when growing up in Miami of course) so it's really made my life SO much easier. And the new neighborhood, which is only 3 blocks from the last, is so quiet and peaceful. No more trucks going by, no more crackheads hanging out downstairs on our block making a ruckus. Now the only noises we hear are the occasional practicing by an opera singer somewhere across the way and a trumpet player in the evenings, both who are really good and pleasing to listen to, and not overly loud. Other than that we hear no one else in the building. It's so odd because there are tons of families with children, but the halls are always so quiet.

Sophie is slowly adjusting. She occasionally wakes up at night asking for "more blanket" which is her way of wanting us to come in, put a blanket on her to make her feel more secure. She also wakes up in the morning and after her nap crying as I still think she is surprised to wake up in her new room. And her room is HUGE. Almost too big. Her crib looks lost in there but hopefully soon we'll find the time to decorate it nice and make it feel more homey. Eventually we'd like both children to share this room and use the 3rd small bedroom for something else, maybe an office or something. But for now it's all hers. We still have some unpacking to do, mainly clothes as we need a closet system built in the master closet as the old tenant took their closet shelves/bars with them and it's pretty much an empty room.

I've only tackled painting the living room, which was a nightmare. I've wasted time and money on a few paint choices that didn't work out, but finally decided on a light green that will do, for now. David loves it but I'm still not sold. But I'm happy it's done and can live with it for some time, if not permanently.

Big move, big belly

We're finally moving! This apartment is pretty much EVERYTHING that was on my wish list. It's on the Upper West Side, only 3 blocks from where we currently live. 3 bedroom, 1 bath pre-war place in an ELEVATOR building with a DISHWASHER and a LAUNDRY in the building! These are all things we've never had the luxury of enjoying while living in NYC. It truly is a dream come true. It will be a bit of a stretch to afford it, but with some cutbacks (cut out 2nd cell phone, reduced Netflix, reduced cable, etc) we can make it work. It's amazing what we go without that so many people take for granted. Mainly, space. But this new place is somewhere between 900-1,000 sq feet. A far cry from the 550 sq feet we have now. And I was lucky enough to find it very quickly as it was only the 2nd place we viewed. I had nightmares of spending hours and hours on Craigslist searching for the right place, viewing hundreds of apartments only to be dissapointed time after time. Luckily we didn't have to go through any of that.

Our lease starts June 15 but the super gave us the OK to move in earlier. Already I've met another Mom in the building who has a set of 2 1/2 year old twins and an older daughter. She was so welcoming as was another tenant I met a few minutes later. This place really seems perfect for us as I've always wanted Sophie to have friends in the building. She is now at the age where she is trying to play with other kids at the park. It makes me sad that she really hasn't had any playdates or friends yet. I can't wait to watch her interact with other kids her age.

Luckily I started packing SUPER early. Something that is pretty uncharacteristic of me. We are about 75% done so this weekend we will complete the remaining boxes. I'm nervous about Sophie settling in but I'm sure she'll be fine. We've already taken her over to the new place several times and told her it's our new house. But she keeps insisting her room is the baby's room! Her room is so enormous compared to her current one (currently 9x10 compared to 11x17!) so I really want to make it feel homey for her and not too empty or lonely.

Unfortunately with all our energies placed on this move and Sophie, my pregnancy has taken a back seat! But I am 19.5 weeks now and am really getting bigger by the day. Pants that fit me last week (with the help of a Bellla Band) are now getting too snug and uncomfortable to wear. But man, that Bella Band is the BEST as far as extending your current wardrobe by a couple of months. I decided to get an amniocentisis this time around, only because of my age. While my numbers from the nuchal scan and sequential screen were great, we still wanted the reassurance that everything was ok. While it was a horrible experience for me to get it, only because I was petrified of complications, we got the results back a week and a half later and everything is fine. This week will be the 20 week anatomy scan which is always exciting as you get to see the baby in great detail and usually leave with quite a nice photo of the little one : )

It still hasn't really hit me that we'll have another little on come end of October. Just so much going on. Can't wait to get settled in and get Sophie comfortable. Then I can concentrate more on the next change coming our way.

#2 due 10/28/09

Surprise I am pregnant again! 15 weeks today and everything is going well. It was a bit of a surprise and a little earlier than expected for us, but still in the overall plan. I am VERY nervous about handling two children as I hear from many that one is a breeze and more than one complete chaos. We will see come late October/early November. The whole thing seems kind of surreal and not yet real as it's hard to concentrate on being pregnant when chasing after a two year old, dealing with changes at work, planning a big trip to Trinidad in July (and trying to convince my Husband that yes he CAN handle the planeride) and planning a move in two months! I think once we move and are settled then I can concentrate more on baby #2. We will not find out the gender of this one either so it'll be a complete surprise for all!

Spring Has Sprung

Finally warmer weather has arrived. I felt like it would never come. And even though we are fluctuating between warm and cool, anything is better than freezing.

Last weekend we managed to spend two full days in Central Park. Saturday was absolutely mobbed as it was the first sunny day in the 70s. We couldn't even see the end of the line for the zoo! But on Sunday we did finally get to go with Jenny & Erik which was nice. Sophie seemed to really enjoy running around and especially liked feeding the animals at the petting zoo.

She turned 2 almost 2 weeks ago and is definitely talking a lot more now. But she's also a lot more cranky! From the beginning she's always woken up a happy baby. No crying, just cooing and calling out our names. But this past week she wakes up once in the night crying for about 5 minutes or so, then falls back asleep. Then she wakes up between 6:30-7 crying and calling out our names. And boy is she CRANKY. The first hour is just a mixture of crying, tantrums, throwing herself on the floor, begging to watch Elmo and just plain old unhappiness. We're not sure what is going on. We think maybe it has something do to with her first molar coming in, but when we ask her if her mouth hurts she says no. She's had a runny nose for the past two weeks too. Who knows, but I just hope it passes. I want my happy morning toddler back! I also constantly feel like I'm walking on eggshells as far as being sure not to do or say anything that will set her off on a tantrum. I'm used to it now, and think I know what sets her off. I almost feel like I have to ask her permission if I can turn on a light, or put her shoes on, etc-as so often SHE wants to do it and if I do it instead watch out! Craziness. But picking your battles is key I think, as is allowing them independence and trust that they can do it themselves.

She is saying a lot more two and three word phrases which is so cute to hear. The other day David was eating almonds and Sophie said "Dada eating nuts". We couldn't believe it! Lots of other phrases too such as "I now sleep", "I climbing up", "I running", "I go outside" and so on. Very cute. Another recent development is her fondness of having no clothes! The minute we get home from an outing she wants all her clothes off, even requesting her diaper off-which is promptly denied. Now that the weather is warmer it's fine, as I read toddlers like to be naked and enjoy the feeling, and it hopefully is just a phase that will pass soon. Even when we put her to sleep at night in her pajamas, she immediately takes them off and goes to sleep. No blanket or anything. I must admit if it was Winter I'd have a big problem with worrying about her being cold but since it's Spring and her room is pretty warm I'll let it slide.

Below are some recent pics-a couple David took in the park and one I took this morning while she was jumping on our bed-no clothes of course!

First Potty

I bought Sophie a Baby Bjorn potty seat and step stool on Friday to see how she'd like it. Upon putting it on the toilet she immediately wanted to give it a try. I put her on first with clothes, then asked her if she wants her diaper off. Of course she said yes, as she is always ready to take off clothes as most toddlers are. Then she wanted ALL her clothes off, right down to the socks! She didn't do any pee pee or poopies, but she did enjoy feeling like a big girl. She got on, then off, then on, then off repeatedly until she felt comfortable. Then of course she grabbed a nearby magazine and I was able to snap this hilarious shot!

I think it'll be awhile before she actually gets the idea of using the potty for it's intended purpose, but at least she'll get the hang of it and be comfortable for when she is ready!

Let the fun begin!

Happy Spring!

First day of Spring and it's snowing! Well I can remember years back we had a huge snow storm on this day so it's not so much of a surprise. Especially after this dismal Winter we've had. SO glad it's over. Even though temperatures are just in the 40's now, it's still a world of difference from 10's and 20's.

Work has been super busy for both David & I. More so him, but now his busy season is winding down for a bit. Sophie is almost a 2 year old and certainly has MUCH more energy than she did before, if that is even possible. She is literally running around and talking nonstop from morning to night. Still a great sleeper sleeping 11-12 hours a night, with a 2 hour nap midday. Boy I'll miss those nap when they go away. I'm starting to wonder if I should start potty training soon. Lately she's been telling me when she's doing poopies or pee pee, so I think I may get a potty soon to start the process and get her used to it. From all I heard I'm not looking forward to it though!

She definitely has a bit of a language explosion now. I think she runs through all the words she knows every single day, with me trying to add a few a day to her list. Still no three word phrases, but doing great with the two and one words at least. And she just seems so eager to learn what everything is called and how things work. Especially cooking. Maybe she'll be making ME eggs soon. Very exciting to watch.

Jenny & Erik came over last weekend with their great news of being pregnant and due in September. We spent the whole day with them and they got a real taste of life with an almost 2 year old. It's going to be great seeing them as parents as they seem real naturals. Just look at the pic of Jenny reading to Sophie!

Still looking forward to moving in July. I check Craigslist constantly just to see what's out there. But still a lot of research will be involved for school districts, neighborhoods and prices. Still, very exciting. Preferably I'd like to live in the Hell's Kitchen area, close to our work and still within walking distance to Central Park. I can't imagine being too far from our beloved park.

We have a trip to Trinidad coming up end of July for our cousin Tricia's wedding which I'm really looking forward to. Although getting David on that plane is going to be a realy challenge that I'm quite nervous about! Still, really looking forward to being with family and friends and introducing Sophie to everyone and the island.

MIA

So I know I've been missing in action lately. I guess I haven't really posted on a regular basis since Sophie was born. Such is the life of a new Mom with a 21 month old. I feel like I don't even know how to post anymore : -/ I think being on Facebook also makes one less prone to posting as those status updates are so much easier than writing a whole post!

Sophie has been sick all week. Or has she? On Tuesday she woke up from her nap feeling red hot and crying. Sure enough she had a fever of 100 and was extremely unhappy. Soon after she threw up. All over the couch. All over the rug. Disgusting. I immediately thought she must have the flu since we went to the Manhattan's Children's Museum on Sunday. She ended up sleeping 15 hours that day/night! After that no more throwing up, but she's had a mild fever and now runny nose since. But what's odd is I think all of this revolves around her teething. Since all this began she's been putting her hand in her mouth. And now that I think of it last time she teethed her symptoms also mimicked that of a bad cold. It's amazing what these little ones put up with just to sprout some new teeth!

She's definitely been talking more lately which is so cute. Also lots of hugs, kisses and I love you's. There's nothing like hearing I love you from your toddler. Melts the heart every time.

As Sophie approaches two I'm wondering if we need to find her some group classes or something. Doing the same thing everyday seems to be getting stale, especially in the Wintertime and with such a small apartment. But all the classes here are SO expensive. Most run around $600-$700 for a 16 week session, meeting only once a week for an hour. That comes out to about $40 a class. And after taking the free sample art class with her that one time, I don't think the benefits outweigh the price. So I will continue looking for something affordable and fun for her. But we are also planning on moving in the Summer so I don't want to join a class and then move in the middle of it! Especially since we don't know where the move will take us.

Last month we stopped giving Sophie bottles and she seemed fine with it right away. She now drinks sippy cups around the house, and when sitting in her high chair we'll give her a cup which she is doing well with.

David's Dad is still not home. He is now at a physical therapy center for a few weeks and hopefully will be home soon. It's crazy how long the recovery process is for a bypass and stroke. But little by little he is getting better. Just seems like it's taking forever.

Because

Now that Sophie watches Sesame Street daily, I too have come to love it once again. I actually find it as entertaining for me as it is for her. So many of the skits are based on nighttime adult shows, whether it be "Law and Order: Special Alphabet Unit" or "Deal or No Deal", there really is something for everyone on this show. And it's great to see my old friends, as well as new ones (Elmo). Looking it up on the Wik I see this was exactly their plan from the beginning-to get adults as involved as the children so they don' t use the show as a babysitter but so they become involved in the learning process right along with their children.

Reading about the creation process, writing and history of the show is fascinating. It is reported that by the time children reach 3 years of age, 95% of them have seen Sesame Street. 95%!

While reading about the variety of characters on the show, I came across the clip below, which has been classified as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Moments in daytime television history. To me, it's just heartbreaking. Bye Bye Mr. Hooper.

Recent photos

Happy New Year!

Here are a few photos of Sophie taken recently. The first is her wearing her favorite rain boots-which she likes to wear all day around the house, all the time. Another is just her looking cute. The last is her first art project, although to be honest she didn't do much. I took her to a free trial art class recently. For one project they handed out all the precut pieces and a glue stick to make this penguin. I think she may have stuck and restuck the eyes about 20 times. But honestly it was mostly me. Still, it was nice to post her first art piece onto our fridge. And just look how proud she is :-)

Happy Holidays

Sophie and I are off to Miami today. A lot has been going on this past week. David's Father had a heart attack and subsequently quintuple bypass surgery. Yes, I said quintuple. He is doing better and recovering well. We expect him to come home in the next few days. Then the real recovery and hard work will begin. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a little R & R in Miami for a few days. Although with an active 20 month old, there isn't much!

Happy Holidays to everyone!