big brother

I have absolutely no doubt about two things:

1. A sibling will totally rock Garrett's world,
2. But at the same time, a sibling will be very good for him.

Also, for those of you who have only met Garrett through written descriptions, photos, and short videos on this blog, you should be aware that he has a distinct and frequently-surfacing sensitivity that not all toddler boys seem to have. This is especially apparent when he interacts with my friend, Emily's, baby girl, Elizabeth.


When Garrett sees Baby Elizabeth, his voice turns high-pitched and sweet (because apparently that's how you're supposed to talk to little ones, right?). He calls her Baby, and he'll rush to her side when she coos. She is the only person he'll share toys with, and he won't hesitate to play with her tiny toes and pat her head gently to demonstrate his friendship. And when he leans in to give her a kiss (by offering his forehead), it pretty much melts my heart.

This short video was taken about a month ago, but his affection has not wavered. I'd give you the typical disclaimer to completely disregard my obnoxiously high-pitched baby voice, but apparently that's how we're supposed to talk to little ones, right? And besides, you all do it, too, so I'm in good company.

It's moments like these that make me hopeful that the transition from one to two will be more smooth than rocky and confirms for me that Garrett has the potential to be a great big brother.

number two faq

You know, it's a lot of fun to share happy news with you all. Thanks for expressing your excitement for us. It really brightens my day.

As I suppose is usual with an announcement such as this, I've been asked a lot of questions. Today I will attempt to answer them.


1. How have you been feeling?

In a word, siiiiiick. Or blech. Take your pick. Oh, and very, very tired. Seriously, this time around has been so much worse than with Garrett -- and that was no picnic. Oddly enough, I've felt the best in the mornings. Then lunchtime hits and it's all downhill from there. Evenings and nights have been the worst. The cold winter weather hasn't helped much, either to boost my spirits and general outlook on life, or my motivation to get out and take my mind off of feeling crummy. We've had lots of low-key inside days these last few months. Happily, though, the good moments are starting to become more frequent.

I've also been feeling big. My body apparently knows what to do this second time around and isn't wasting any time in doing it. Of course, feeling big and looking big are two different things at this point, but either way, my belly is about a month ahead of what it was with Garrett.

2. Is pregnancy your excuse for less frequent blog postings?

Feeling sick certainly hasn't helped, but it's only part of the reason. I've also been extremely busy lately running the Primary (we've got our first quarterly activity coming up this Saturday, among other things), Garrett continues to demand much of me, and don't forget my New Year's resolution to spend less time at the computer.

3. How far along are you?

I'm a few days shy of the beginning of the second trimester. Hallelujah. I've seen sweet Number Two's heart beating several times now, and have started to feel a little movement.

4. Are you hoping for a girl this time?

Nearly everyone I know is crossing their fingers (or already assuming) that Garrett will be blessed with a little sister, and I'll continue to let them hope. A girl would be great (and it would make picking a name much easier), and a boy would be great (which, because we've got the clothes, would reduce the overall cost). Really, though, I just want a healthy child.

5. Speaking of names, any favorites for this one?

Of course! This is Lindsay we're talking about! But it's too early to share.

6. Do you like your doctor?

Yes! After scheduling an appointment with my former doctor, I had a minor crisis over how much I really didn't feel comfortable seeing him. Luckily, the crisis occurred while word was being spread over my neighborhood parents Yahoo group about this fabulous local doctor. He was accepting new patients, as well as my insurance, so I got myself an appointment. That initial visit confirmed all the rave reviews I'd heard. My new doctor is an older Egyptian man with gentle bedside manners. The other doctor and nurse practitioner at the practice, whom I've also seen, are just as wonderful. In fact, everyone at that office is great -- even the receptionists, which is an unusual thing in Brooklyn, I've noticed. If I could just convince Garrett that my appointments are for me and not him, thus lessening the tears considerably, the whole situation would be perfect.

7. Have you had any bizarre cravings or weird dreams?

Weird dreams? Yes, but that's not so unusual for me. As for cravings, yes, yes, YES. With Garrett, I didn't crave much -- just clementine oranges, cottage cheese here and there, and the occasional glass of cold chocolate milk. This time around I'm craving something new (and almost always difficult to find) nearly every day. My latest quest is for cheese curd (bizarre, I know), which I of course cannot find here (where are the dairy farms when you need them?). If the craving is still persisting in a few more weeks, I'm hoping I can satisfy it during my trip to Utah.

8. So I guess it's time for a double stroller, huh?

Not if I can help it. There's no way I can lug a heavy double stroller up and down two flights of stairs on a regular basis, let alone when we brave the subway. Also, they're a little large to squeeze into tiny, narrow NYC storefronts. Garrett will be old enough -- he can walk. I figure that, what with the fact that I'll likely be toting Number Two around in my Ergo carrier for the first few months, Garrett will have until next spring/early summer before he'll officially be booted from the stroller. He'll be nearly three by then -- definitely old enough to be more independent. I realize that this will likely make our excursions shorter and perhaps more whiny, but I'm not going to raise my oldest son to think his mother will always be doing the legwork herself.

9. Are you ready to be a mother of two in New York City?

Yikes! Two children -- in Brooklyn?! And without a car? No, I'm not ready. Not yet anyway. (Baby steps, right?) But there is no denying the strong and surprisingly peaceful feelings late last year that someone was very anxious to join our family.


Am I missing anything? Oh, probably. But stick around for a few more months, and I'm sure everything will be covered.

tummy time

Since tummies (and what's inside them) seem to be the topic around here, Garrett wanted in on the fun to share his latest trick:

While here he makes showing off his tummy look like a piece of cake, it isn't always so easily done. Sometimes when I ask him to show me his tummy, he blinks his eyes instead. Body parts can be so confusing!

in the oven

And due to be done September 7th -- which in 2009 is Labor Day. Ironic, don't you think?

baby play

You guys have got to see this. It's a time lapse video of a 9-month old baby at play. Garrett and I have watched this thing several times and can't seem to get enough -- of either the roly poly little boy or the French song accompanying him in the background. Enjoy!

friday factoid

When we moved here and started buying groceries, we noticed something a little odd stamped on the milk cartons: a standard expiration date and a NYC expiration date, which was usually dated a few days sooner. (The above carton from our fridge, in case the print is too small to read, says "FEB 26, IN NYC FEB 23.") I had always assumed that this was because the city's electricity was generated on a lower wattage to, I don't know, prevent blackouts or something. This city is, after all, pretty packed full of electricity-using people. (Also, no matter how cold I set our freezer and fridge, our ice cream never stays frozen and our produce seems to go bad almost instantly, leading me to wonder further about a lower wattage.)

While I suppose the lower wattage theory might possibly still be true, I did a little research today to solve the milk mystery, and it had nothing to do with wattage and everything to do with the unique quirks of New York City.

Gothamist reports that, according to the New York Times:

New York City is the only place in the state and one of relatively few in the country that has its own dating system for fluid milk, which may legally be sold only up to 96 hours after 6 A.M. on the day after pasteurization. The rule is the same for whole, skim or low-fat fortified milk.

According to Charles Reisberg, Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Health, the four-day period should allow the consumer three additional days during which the milk will remain in good condition. ''We know that at seven days after pasteurization there is a lessening in quality, even with milk properly refrigerated at 45 degrees,'' he said.

Outside the city limits the processor determines the expiration date.

John Gadd, a spokesman for the City's Department of Health, says that milk shipped to the city is more likely to be left standing unrefrigerated for longer periods of time, both before it reaches store shelves and as it makes the transition from store to home. "It's one of those uniquely New York sorts of things," he said.

Of course, if you purchase your milk at an establishment where there is always someone on hand to accept a milk shipment (thus not leaving the milk unrefrigerated for too long), and you bring it home immediately, as opposed to letting it sit out while you wait for it to be delivered, the standard date might be an okay one to go by. We've noticed that sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, and that consequently, when the NYC sell by date is nearing, it's best to check the milk before you chug it.

what we've been watching

Much to my delight, Garrett enjoys watching Sesame Street. He won't yet sit and watch it like a captivated preschooler, but rather in spurts like the wiggly toddler he is. I sometimes sit and watch in short slices with him, and I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed one segment in particular. I normally absolutely cannot stand Howie Mandel and his game show Deal or No Deal, but this puppet spoof certainly had me chuckling.

Also, have you seen this movie? Because it is one which you must.


I sat down to watch it yesterday afternoon while Garrett napped and really, really enjoyed it. Based on actual events, it is the story of the spontaneous Christmas Eve truce declared by Scottish, German, and French troops fighting on the front lines during the Great War in 1914. Joyeux Noel is beautifully told, depicted in French, German, as well as a Scottish-brogued English. The carols which bring them together in No Man's Land for Christmas combined with the sweeping orchestral score is alone enough to bring tears, but the unlikely friendships which are formed are by far more compelling. It was a powerful film (with, I should warn you, a few warranted reasons for the PG-13 rating), and a lovely one to curl up to on a quietly stormy afternoon.

this is the way he takes a nap

And this is the awesome bed hair he wakes up with:

the first five

A lot of my friends in the blogging community give regular books reports on what they've been reading. I like the accountability this requires of a reader, and I like sharing with you the things I've been reading, so I've decided to do the same. For every five books I read, I'll write up a quick report. Other than maybe a sentence or two telling you what the book was about, I won't be writing up summaries; rather, I'll tell you things like why I read the book, what I enjoyed about it, and whether or not I'd recommend it.

Today I finished the fifth of my first five books of 2009, so here is my first report.

1. Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck

I read this on the strong recommendation of my mom, and I'm glad I did. I've long been a fan of Steinbeck, and I wouldn't hesitate to rate this short work of non-fiction among his best. It's the travelogue Steinbeck wrote about his drive across the country with his dog, Charley. He drove east to west, then back again, making sure he stopped to interact with the locals. His thoughts and meditations of his journey are often profound and always beautifully written. I'd recommend this one to anyone who'd like to learn about America from something more than just a history textbook.

2. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

For the last while, I've noticed this one making the local book club circuit, so I thought I'd join the club. It is the straightforwardly-told true story of Greg Mortenson's personal mission to build schools in Pakistan after a failed attempt to summit K2. Aside from the fact that education can change lives, I took away from this book the reminder that you can't judge a country by their handful of terrorist freaks. The people Mortenson meets and befriends during his years working in Pakistan are among the friendliest in the world. It honestly was a privilege to get to know each one of them and to learn more about their culture. If world and culture-based stereotypes -- especially about that war-torn region -- are ever going to change, we ourselves need to become more educated, so I definitely recommend this book.

3. Marley and Me by John Grogan

This book has been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read ever since my mom passed along her copy, oh, probably going on two years now. The movie version (which, no, I have not seen) didn't make me read it, but it may have pushed it up higher on the priority list. Besides, I got a kick out of Garrett's barks everytime he saw me curled up on the couch with it. It was a lighthearted true story about a man and his horribly behaved Labrador retriever. I've never had a dog, and I don't truly understand dog love, but I did really enjoy this book. There were some especially lovely passages towards the end where Grogan states that perhaps if humans were more like dogs in how they unabashedly show affection without the care of outward appearance, maybe the world would be a better place. Recommend? Yes.

4. The Mother in Me edited by Kathryn Lynard Soper

My mom sent this for my birthday, and it couldn't have been a more well-suited gift. I'd heard about this book, and had wanted to read it, but since it was regional, I wasn't sure how I'd get my hands on a copy (this was before I knew it was available on Amazon). It's a collection of essays on motherhood written by the incredibly talented writers at Segullah. I cried through most of it (the tears were, you should know, sad and happy), and I commiserated through the rest. It was really, really good, and a perfect read for where I'm currently at in my life. My favorite essay was called "Creation out of Chaos" by Heather Herrick, a NYC mother of two young children. Oh how I loved what she had to say about lugging grocery-laden strollers through the streets and up and down subway steps: "When I said I love transportation in New York because I don't have a car to worry about, I wasn't thinking about times like these, when the load of groceries hanging off the back of the stroller adds another twenty pounds of weight. The experts say I should have more energy and a longer life due to these treks, but in the moment I don't exactly feel grateful." I couldn't have said it better. If you are or will be a mother, you should read this book.

5. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

I am related to a good amount of Dave Ramsey followers, but this was my first encounter with him. My cousin sent me this book a couple years ago, but until now, I'd never done more than skimmed through it. I liked what he had to say, but I can't say that I've joined these family members in their undying love for his methods. I am a very frugal person by nature, and so is Blake (though whether he is by nature or by marriage is up for debate). The only debt we have is his graduate school student loan, which we've been steadily working to pay off. I do think, though, that there are certain financial areas where we should be kicking it into a higher gear, and Ramsey offered some good suggestions to do so. The book is full of testimonials and rah-rah, but it certainly wasn't a waste of my time. If you're looking to spruce up your financial life, this is a good method to refer to.


And now I think it's time to go read a piece of fiction. See you after the next five!

love all around

Blake loves museums, Garrett loves animals, and I love my boys, so today my Valentine's and I spent the day at the American Museum of Natural History.

Just as we suspected he would, Garrett pretty much had the time of of life. All those rooms full of all those animals...he was in heaven!



He wandered around the Hall of North American Mammals, the Hall of African Mammals, the Hall of Asian Mammals, and Birds of the World just as any giddy year and a half-year-old animal lover would. The exhibits, with views and railings just his size, were almost more enticing than he could handle. He hopped from window to window -- a blurry mass of movement on my camera -- making his universal animal noise (which, unsurprisingly, sounds an awful lot like his dog bark). He didn't sit in the stroller once during our entire visit, too anxious he was to see everything.

We finished off our Manhattan outing with a pleasant walk through Central Park and a stop at F.A.O. Schwarz, where we nearly had a celebrity run-in (and if we recognized the woman the cameras were following, I'd tell you here, but apparently we haven't been staying current with our gossip magazines).

Happy Valentine's Day, my dears, and thanks for a fun day together!

his favorite playground

The groundhog might have predicted six more weeks of winter, but, perhaps to prove that even a bleak forecast like that has an end in sight, yesterday Brooklyn decided to sneak in at least one balmy 65-degree day. Knowing this could very possibly be too good to last (which, based on the wind gusts barreling through the streets today, it was, unfortunately), Garrett and I thought it wise to don light jackets while we could and get ourselves to the park pronto.


Garrett is still a little too small for most of the nearby playground equipment. However, there is one park we like to frequent with equipment that is now just his size. He climbed the stairs, turned the wheel, and happily ran back and forth across the bridge like there was no tomorrow. For about an hour, he was the happiest boy in Brooklyn.

Miraculously, his cheerfulness didn't taper when I told him it was time to go home. And he even walked the whole way, holding my hand or pushing his stroller, only stopping occasionally to point out airplanes overhead or bark at dogs out for walks of their own (he does that a lot). Considering that I thought his walk to the bus stop on Sunday (a total of 5 short blocks) a major accomplishment, this much longer walk home from the playground blew any distance he's mastered before right out of the water. We're talking three-and-a-half long avenues (the rough equivalent of about 11 short blocks) without complaining. And then he climbed the two flights of stairs up to our apartment. I was so proud.

I hope Brooklyn can sneak in a few more days like this before the muggy heat of summer melts us to useless puddles of sweat. Garrett and I both had a most pleasant afternoon.

down by the bay

The other day we decided to take advantage of the temperatures which, amazingly, weren't so bitterly wind-chilled -- seriously, it almost felt tropical -- and took a walk down to the bay. Once we arrived there, we let Garrett abandon the stroller in favor of his own two feet. He loved exploring the waterfront and barking at passing dogs. When he wasn't holding my hand as we walked along the promenade, he was bonding with his dad as together they pondered Staten Island in the distance. From my comfortable seat on a bench nearby, I froze their sweet, albeit short-lived, moment together, and as I did so, my memory brought me back to our first family walk to the bay a few days after we moved here.

Isn't it amazing what a year and a half can do to a little boy?

August 2007

February 2009

lest you think he can do no wrong

picky picky

*Note: These foods are listed in no particular order and are subject to change at a moment's notice.*

Foods Garrett Will Devour:
cheese (mozzarella and cheddar), bread, tortillas, cookies, grapes, strawberries, chocolate milk, regular milk, raisins, peanut butter & honey sandwiches, meatloaf, crackers, oatmeal, bananas, cold cereal, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, apples, muffins, pancakes, dipping sauces (ketchup, salad dressings, syrup, etc), beef, pizza, green beans, yogurt

Foods Garrett Has Recently Boycotted:
peaches, pork, eggs, chicken, potatoes, olives, soups, most pasta, salad greens, tomatoes, blueberries, pineapple, oranges, peas, carrots, rice, fish, deli meat, and anything that looks new or too different

The "will eat" list may be longer when I write it out, but it sure doesn't feel like it come meal time. I am amazed that Garrett has the untamed energy that he does.

lego genius

This morning my friend sent me a link to a recent post from Christoph Niemann's "Abstract City" blog in the New York Times. I like Legos, and I like New York. But what do you get when you put them together? Take a peek below at the sampling of a few of my favorites to see for yourself (and then click on the link above to see even more).

Welcome, friends, to New York City...

changing the sheets

Garrett woke up from his afternoon nap itching to get out of his crib. I was happy to oblige on two conditions: first, that he let me change his diaper, and second, that he help me throw all the blankets and stuffed animals out of his crib and onto the floor -- I needed to change the sheets.

After collapsing in a fit of silly giggles, he let me take care of task number one, and he was more that happy to help out with task number two. (Really? You want me to throw everything onto the floor? Right on!) The last thing to be tossed out of the crib and into the growing pile on the floor was Garrett himself, and then it was time to undress the mattress.

It is a personal preference of mine to pull the naked mattress out of the crib in order to more easily attach new sheets while it rests on the floor. It saves my back from having to awkwardly bend over in an attempt to reach the far corners against the wall. And so out came the mattress as well and with a plop! -- it landed in its temporary home in the middle of the floor.

Garrett, who only moments before was itching to get away from that crib mattress, suddenly found himself magnetically attracted back to it. He climbed up, he jumped around, he twirled and did half-somersaults. He laughed, rolled off, then got up and did it all again. He didn't want the fun to ever end. And, quite frankly, neither did I: my opinion of crib sheet changing did a 180 right alongside the spins Garrett danced as he bounced around on his mattress.