Road Trips

We live in NYC, so in order to go visit family on the East Coast, it means renting a car and taking a road trip!  We traveled to Grandma's house this Thanksgiving with the whole pack to Rhode Island.  Both the Tater Tot and Noodles are great car travelers.  Noodles is used to traveling with us and always makes life easy.  The Tot has proven to be a good traveler as well.  He usually sleeps, but when he is awake, he plays and watches the cars out the window, which I guess is mesmerizing.

We enjoyed our three days out of town, since I think we both needed to get out of the city for a few days...Now we are home and prepping for the Christmas holidays.  I can't believe it is already December. Where did November go?

Our little Spud is amazingly 14 months old.  He is a crawling machine and has shown very little interest in walking, I mean, when you are such a fast crawler, why slow it down, am I right?  He is doing amazing and growing so much... He babbles and says a lot of words that mean, well, nothing really.  Noodles is NooDoo or DooDoo.  Dada is Daddy and anything exciting.  And Mama is saved for when we cry.  He was sick a couple of weeks ago, so we kept him out of daycare for a few days and when he returned, he surprised us with knowing his friend Ava's name.  When we arrived in the morning, he heard Ava call to him (she is about 2 months older than the Tot) and he started screaming ABA, ABA!!! It shocked us all and as he squirmed to get down, he raced down the hall to get to his friend while yelling ABA the whole way.  So cute.... My heart was full, but also sad, since my sweet baby didn't even look back to say goodbye.... "ABA".  Another transition huh?

Here we are on our way to Rhode Island!

Sleep

We are blessed with a good sleeper.  Around 3 months old, I put the Tot down at 8:30pm and he slept until 6:00am. These days he is in bed by 7:30pm or so, and up like an alarm clock at 6:00am.  Yes, there are hiccups along the way... when he is teething the sleeping isn't perfect.  Also when he gets sick, sleeping obviously is interrupted. And every so often we will have a week or so of "odd" sleep where he won't want to go to bed and/or will wake up with what I think are nightmares.  But that is rare.

The Tot also wakes up great.  We live in a one bedroom apartment in NYC, so from day one, (or more accurately, day 17 when he came home from the NICU) he has slept in our room.  We had a co-sleeper bed and once he outgrew that, we moved him to the pack-n-play in our bedroom.  So, he is in our bedroom. For those of you that are saying to yourself now "get that kid out of your bedroom", well... we might do that if we could.  But there is no where else to put the little spud.  We also like him in our room. Like I said, he is a good sleeper, so there seems no reason to chance what is working.  Oh, my point... he wakes up so happy!  At 6:00am, I can hear him stir and then he grabs some toys (we always keep toys in the PNP (pack-n-play) and a few binkies.  So when he wakes up, he plays, chats with himself, sometimes he "sings" to himself and generally has a good time.  Once I am fully awake, we get up and start our day, always with smiles.

There are many things to love about this Tot, but that is by far one of my favorite,  He is a good sleeper, and a great waker!

Reading his book in the morning

A True Story Transcribed by The Mommy

Scene: 3:30 am. A darkened bedroom in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan.  A 6 month old baby appears to be sleeping across the room from a mother and father.  The family dog, Noodles, is curled up at their feet.  The baby stirs and looks over at his parents. 

Baby: Hey, Mommy.... you awake?

Mommy: grumbles

Baby: HEY!  Mommy?  Hey Mommy, I'm awake... you?

Mommy: Oh no....

Baby: Mommy, I have an idea... let's get up and party!  Yeah!  Come one, let's get up.... Mommy? a pause while the baby looks across the room.  I can see you...

Mommy: Little baby... go to sleep.

Baby: NOOOOOO, let's get up!

The Mommy gets up and goes across the room and picks up the baby.  She lays baby on changing table to change the diaper. 

Baby: YES!  I knew you were game.  Ok, I'll kick and scream and giggle, you can sing to me, right?  Sounds awesome!

The Mommy puts baby back in crib and gets back in bed. 

Baby: NOOOO, this is not what I want... come on, let's party!! Get out of bed Mommy! AHHHHHHH!!!

Mommy: Sweetheart, it is late, Mommy has to go to work tomorrow...let's go to sleep.

Baby: I. SAID. NO.

This scene goes on from 3:30 am to 7:30 am.... At some point Mommy becomes delirious and unable to transcribe the events*.

The End. 

*There might have been fewer words than transcribed.  

More Love

When I was pregnant, I had a lot of concerns.... being an older mother, the health of the baby, my health, living in New York, having a small apartment, where would everything go, etc.  One of my biggest concerns was Noodles.  People said that she would get neglected, less love, she would act out, some even said we would eventually give her away.  These things concerned me.  Not that we would actually give her away, since that is insane, but that there wouldn't be enough love for her.  I gave her extra love during my pregnancy, and I could tell she knew something was up.  She was overly interested in my belly and seemed to know what was going on with me even before I did.

She has been amazing over the past 6 months getting to know the Tater Tot.  She is very curious about him with a good dose of caution.  She has been kicked enough to know to keep her distance from the bottom half, but is allowed to kiss to top part.  It has been fun to watch the little Tot go from not knowing Noodles was there, to being fascinated with the furry being walking by.

The Husband and I feel an overwhelming amount of love for Noodles.  She was our first baby, our fur baby, and our love for her only seems to grow with each passing day.  She is not lacking in love, she seems to get more of it.  She is not being neglected since we now carve out special time for her, especially the Husband.  She hasn't acted out and seems even more interested in pleasing us.

So I am learning that having a baby is an amazing journey for me, it has taught me that there is so much love  that I am capable of, and that will always include Noodles.

Don't Panic

The sign in the triage room at the hospital said "Don't Panic" and we couldn't help but laugh.  We were pretty close to the panic stage.   We had been watching the Presidential election results when I noticed that The Tot seemed hot.  He was fussy all day, so I had been a tiny bit concerned, but once I took his temperature I was very concerned.  It topped out at 100.6 which is .2 over the danger zone according to our pediatrician.  So, we called and were told to head to the ER.  This felt oddly reminiscent of the night I went into labor, but this time we were sleep deprived.

The problem was, we weren't totally convinced that our forehead thermometer was that accurate.... but off we went to the ER, which in Manhattan means packing him in his car seat, running down the street and hoping there is a cab.  ugh.

So it appears as if the thermometer was in fact slightly faulty, and although he was in the 99.8 range, he was not in the danger zone.  After being totally freaked out by the doctor discussing blood work and spinal taps, he decided to just observe the Tot for an hour.  So we waited.... until almost 4am until they finally sent us home.

So after a follow up trip to the Doctor and a crash course in rectal thermometers, we are ready for a nap.  The Tot is fine, The Husband is wonderful but tired, the Noodles is on high alert, and the Mommy needs to sleep.  Next shopping trip.... to get a new thermometer, this one sucks.

Hormonal Morning Rant

I had the luxury of getting a seat on the subway this morning. It is always
hard during rush hour since there are just more people on the subway, but in the
past few weeks, since I have started to really "look" pregnant, I'm usually
offered a seat. I can honestly say that I was stunned this morning while
sitting in my seat how rude people were around me.

A woman, who was obviously pregnant got on the subway, and was standing about two
people away from where I was sitting. This was not one of those "Is the pregnant
or maybe just fat?" situations... This was a "Is she pregnant, or is she carrying
a large watermelon in her shirt?" kind of look. And well, if you think woman
ride the subways with watermelons stuffed in their shirts, I guess you've
got bigger problems. Sooooo this woman was clearly pregnant. After giving it a
second, NOT ONE PERSON around me stood up to offer her a seat! Not the young
20 something man next to me, not the comfy looking 30 year old woman on the
other side of me, not the two business man across from me... no one. Now, I
know... sometime we get engrossed in a good book, or we are hitting that next
high level in Angry Birds... but COME ON PEOPLE not one of you noticed the woman
standing in front of you, CLEARLY PREGNANT???

Seriously, she might have corns on her feet that she's never experienced because
she is carrying more weight than ever before. She might have suddenly sprouted
hemorrhoids and is uncomfortable no matter what she does. Her back might be
killing her. Maybe she didn't sleep all night because she was up 5 times
going to the bathroom, or her body hurt and she couldn't get comfortable,
or the baby decided to play gymnastics in her belly all night, or she was up crying
most of the night because she realized she doesn't know how to swaddle a baby
and that skill might be the only thing that saves her from the depths of terrible parenting.
I don't know what this woman was going through, but let's just say it could have been any of
these. BUT NO ONE OFFERED HER A SEAT!

So I did.

Now, I am 31 weeks pregnant. But I was feeling ok this morning, and she was
clearly further along that I was, and I had already had a seat for the past 6
subways stops, so I figured I'd share my good fortune and give her my seat,
SINCE NO ONE ELSE DID. But when I stood up, she shook her head and said, "no
way, you are pregnant too!". So we exchanged the "how far along?" "you look
great" pleasantries within earshot of the idiots sitting around me and then I
sat back down. And then I was uncomfortable, and then I was mad, and then just
sad. Not one person cared that she is carrying a little life in there and
cooking that little life is exhausting and she might benefit from a seat.

So, my advice to you.... GIVE HER YER DAMN SEAT! Look up people and see all of
the wonderful humans standing around you every once in a while. I have lived in
New York City for 14 years, I understand, that time on the subway can be
difficult, or it can be the only time for you to read that good book you've been
wanting to read forever, or it can be the only time you can prepare yourself for
your hard work day, or your getting off the late shift and you are tired and ready
for bed... whatever, I get it. But please notice the people around you. Notice
that older woman who struggles to hold on to the higher bar. Notice that guy
with the cast on his leg who looks able bodied but is having a bad month.
Notice the happy, sad, excited faces around you. And please, notice the pregnant
woman standing right in front of you.

Growing it out

My hairdresser broke up with me.

Well, that's not really true. She didn't so much as break up with me, but she
is moving and it feels like she is leaving me. Well, that's actually true, she
is leaving me, but my husband says that I shouldn't take it personally, she is
moving out of town for very positive reasons and is leaving all her "clients"
and I just happen to be one of many. Whatever, I still think she is breaking up
with me.


I am very loyal to my hairdressers. I am not sure why. When I was in college I
had been going to this very cool hairdresser in my hometown. He was the kind of
cool hairdresser that would smoke weed with his clients, wait maybe all of them do that, but I didn't know it then… but he was also the kind of hairdresser that would forget he was coloring your hair and go into a panic half way through. One time I was getting a perm. Yes, I LOVED my hair permed and felt that it gave my long skinny face some umph!

Anyway, I was getting a perm by my hairdresser when I think he forgot, he would pop in and out of the salon in between checking on me, and didn't leave me in the solution for
very long, but the entire process took 6 HOURS. Not even kidding. Six hours
later I left with my curly locks. So, when I went off to college a few hours
away, I was beside myself, regardless of his many foibles, I was loyal. I
wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't trust anyone else… so every couple of months
I would drive to my hometown to get my hair done. Sometimes he wouldn't even
remember my appointment, but it didn't matter, I couldn't break up with him!


So, years later I arrive in New York and I go on a search for a hairdresser
because quite frankly I can't fly home to California every few months just for a
trim. After a few attempts I finally find The One. She is awesome… so cool, so
hip and totally gets my hair. I stay with her for years…. I follow her from
salon to salon. I am thrilled when she and her partner open their own salon. I
am loyal. I love my hair and recommend her to everyone I know, even complete
strangers who complement me on my hair. I am thrilled when she and her partner
embark on a personal life together and have beautiful baby twin boys… but
somewhere in the back of my head I know its coming. She is gonna leave me!!


So, I got an email from her the other day confirming my biggest fears. She is
going… taking her wonderful partner (who has also cut and colored my hair over
the years and whom I adore) and they are leaving for a far away land, greener
pastures if you will. And I am sad. Is that weird? Yes, yes it is. But she
has been with me through boyfriends, evil girlfriends, headshots, acting
stories, many changes in career, marriage to the wonderful husband, a move to
Brooklyn, a move back to Manhattan, getting a puppy… all of it. She knows
everything! She says she will come back every few weeks, but I have a sneaking
suspicion that it won't last for the years I would stay with her. So I am
mourning the loss of my hairdresser (a few months before she even leaves) and I
feel slightly crazy for being so sad.


Wish me luck during our breakup, I might need a lot of support, and a trim.

Bamboo!

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Met and saw the Big Bamboo exhibit by Doug and Mike Starn.  This is a picture I took while standing under it.  It is pretty amazing and if you find yourself in New York, I highly recommend checking it out.  It is up on the Roof Garden of the Met, and the day I went it was seriously windy and was a bit unsettling being underneath all of this bamboo!

The Husband and I have recently discussed the idea that we don't do enough "touristy" stuff, I mean "cultural" stuff in the city.  We have so much at our finger tips and somehow we don't partake in any of it.  We are trying to make a greater effort to do so. 

Anyway, speaking of touristy things in the city... can someone answer a question for me?  Why do tourist get confused by revolving doors?  They have them elsewhere, right?  On any given day here in NYC, I see multiple tourist jump into the same slot of the revolving door and then quickly shuffle their feet so as not to get it caught in the door behind them because they have crammed themselves into the door with their loved ones.  Why do they do this?  No judgement here... in fact everytime my lovely sister comes to NY she engages in this behavior as well... oh well.

A Hot Dog? Maybe a Spider? Or a Centipede?

  (picture taken of a brownstone near our apartment in Manhattan)

I am not really a fan of Halloween.  This "holiday" was really a big deal in my home town when I was growing up.  They would close off the street in downtown and have a bit of a parade... but I always felt like Halloween was just an excuse for drunk college students to put on masks and have permission to act like idiots.  It always seems scary to me (I guess that is kinda the point...) but a holiday that allowed people to hide behind a mask and exercise their desire to act like a dip sh*t did not go over well with me growing up. 

Now as an adult, I don't really mind Halloween as much.  I have even dressed up a few times, but I still don't enjoy the idea of going "out on the town" here in NYC where people can act like royal dip sh*t's.  It is fun though, to watch the kids.  Although trick - or - treating is VERY different here in New York.  In Manhattan, kids don't really walk from house to house, since, well, there are no real houses.  If a child happens to live in a really nice high rise building, they can sometimes walk from apartment to apartment asking for candy, and some buildings even host parties.  But for the kids who do not live in those lovely buildings, kids seem to walk from business to business and ask for candy.... and I gotta tell you, it is odd to witness. 

When we lived in Brooklyn, it resembled a bit more like my childhood trick or treating, but it still was a bit odd to me.

Anyway... the husband has told me that Noodles is not allowed to have a costume for Halloween, but then it just occurred to me that HE WILL BE OUT OF TOWN on Halloween, so he can suck it!  hahahahah! So, what should Noodles BE on Halloween?

Edward? Is that you?

I consider myself pretty hip.  Wait, no I don't... I just lied.  I would like to be hip, but I am not.  So, when a friend invited me to go see Vampire Weekend, I was sure it had something to do with the Twilight books!  I felt so hip, I had even read the WHOLE SERIES, I mean I knew who the Cullens were, come on.  After a quick Google search, I was still clueless.  A band? That started on the UWS? Wait, I LIVE on the UWS... shouldn't I know these guys?  Well I didn't.  But I do now.

They are pretty cool... I love the music.  I have not yet purchased an album, but they now pop up on my Pandora station, so I am slowing getting to know them better and better.  So, heres to getting a bit hipper!

Magic Umbrella Man

There are many things I love about New York and living in Manhattan.  One amazing phenomenon is the magical umbrella men that appear out of nowhere.  I remember the first time I experienced this wonderful gift... I had just moved to the city in September 1998 and was checking out different neighborhoods when I stumbled upon the Flat Iron building.  I was standing across the street admiring the architecture I had seen on TV when the sky opened up and it began to rain.  In California, this didn't really happen, when it was going to rain at home, we knew a good day or two before hand.  But here in NY, it seemed to happen at random with no warning.  Well, I didn't happen to have an umbrella on me, so I looked for cover!  By the time I made it under an awning, umbrellas had popped up everywhere!  It seemed that as quickly as it started to rain, there were men with giant black bags full of umbrellas.  I asked how much and the $5.00 seemed like a steal to me, so I bought one and was on my way.  Each time this happened, it never ceased to amaze me that as quickly as it would start to rain, these men would come out of nowhere with their umbrellas.

So last week, when I left for work, the sky looked sunny, but generally I don't worry, because I always carry my purse umbrella.  I always have one... I am nothing if not prepared folks!  But I had just purchased a new purse the night before and was giving it a go, and had not yet transferred everything over.  So when I left in the morning and the sky looked clear, I figured I was good to go and there was no need to run upstairs and grab the umbrella that would normally already be in my purse.

So, when I get out of the subway station a mear 15 minutes later, there are hoards and hoards of people perched on the stairs leading out of the tunnel.  I can't figure out what is going on, so I wait with them.  Then I hear the rain and muscle my way up the stairs.  Sadly it is coming down seriously hard, so there is no way that me and my white shirt are heading out from under a roof.  THEN, I see the magical umbrella man standing there and wala, $5 umbrella purchased and I am on my way. 

Love New York...