the tortoise and the hare

I used to be a fast walker, but over the last several months, I've slowed way, way down. No longer do I rush to the subway to catch the train I hear coming, and gone are the days when I could run my errands around the neighborhood in an hour or two instead of spending an entire morning or afternoon to visit the same establishments. I can see two reasons why this has happened:

1. Garrett: I can't keep my regular quick pace when I'm walking hand-in-hand with him through the neighborhood. His legs are just not long enough, and so together we take things nice and slow.
   
2. Number Two: Because of him, my lungs are squished and thus not working at full capacity; my mid-section is awkwardly disproportioned, leaving the rest of me out of balance; I get contractions practically every time I move; and when I am up and going, I occasionally can't help but waddle.

(When all else fails, blame your children, eh?)

Blake, one the other hand, is still a fast walker. When we're out and about together, I have a hard time keeping up. "Slow down," I frequently remind him, but habit often gets the better of him and it's not long before he's again several paces ahead of me. I realize that he doesn't mean to leave me behind. He doesn't spend his days like I do, hand-in-hand with a little boy, so there's been no need for him to adapt to a slower pace. And he obviously has not and will not experience a pregnancy, so I can hardly expect any empathy there.

In short, I am his tortoise and he is my hare. It's a good thing we're not engaged in a race. I may be slow and steady, but he'd definitely reach the finish line long before I ever would.

in the stairwell

This afternoon, as Garrett and I were s l o w l y climbing the stairs up to our apartment, we were greeted by the man, who, along with his sweet wife, lives directly below us. He is Polish and very friendly. I especially like them both because they patiently put up with the overhead noise caused by Garrett. As Garrett and I crept closer to where he was standing, he noticed my pregnant belly.

"Ah! You are going to have another one!" he happily exclaimed in his accented English.

"Yep," I replied.

"Oh, that is wonderful!" he said, grinning and patting me on my shoulder in congratulations. "Mazal tov! Mazal tov!"

I smiled. Other people, upon realizing that we're adding to the family, have joyfully wished me well, but never with this much enthusiasm.

"Wait," he said before continuing his decent down the stairs. "You are not Jewish, are you?"

"No."

"Neither am I," he admitted, "but mazal tov is such a good word, don't you think?"

Yes, yes I do.

this week at our house

Except for one rather dramatic incident the other night, this last week has not been too exciting. Busy, yes, but not wildly thrilling. But for those who care to know what we've been up to, I'll dish, beginning with the drama...

The Fat Lip
On Tuesday night, Garrett was running from his bedroom to the living room when he tripped over his own feet and fell, sending his lower teeth through his upper lip. Of course there was a flood of tears and blood everywhere, but since this sort of accident is a regular occurrence for Garrett, I didn't think much of it as I cleaned up the mess. As I worked to stop the bleeding, however, I realized that this mouth injury was worse than any other he'd incurred. Even so, because I was able to quickly stop the bleeding and shortly thereafter his happy personality resurfaced, I decided that stitches probably weren't necessary. A while later, as his lip swelled to more than double in size and peeks inside his upper lip led me to wonder if I was looking at a battle ground and not the inside of my boy's mouth, I began to question that judgment a little. He was acting fine, though, so I sent him to bed with a dose of Tylenol and hoped things would look better in the morning. On Wednesday, after he woke up, his lip looked like this:


And while the wounds seem to be healing and today his lip is a little less swollen, the looks of the inside of his mouth are almost more than I can stomach. If Garrett's purpose as a toddler is to occasionally freak me out, he's definitely doing a good job.

Memorial Day
But let's talk about happier moments, like Memorial Day. The first half of the holiday weekend pretty near wore me out, so we took Monday slow, filling the morning and the first part of the afternoon taking care of upkeep around the house. In the afternoon, we walked over the park, which we all, especially Garrett, enjoyed.


The Baby Quilt
Yesterday I finished the quilt top for Number Two's baby blanket.


The borders nearly did me in, they were so complicated to assemble (to look at it, you wouldn't think they would be, but let me assure you: they were). The final corner ended up being off by about 1/4 inch, which is sad, but I'll survive. As soon as I find a box to package it in, I'll be sending it off to my sister, Katie, who has connections with a quilting machine. All that will be left then is the binding, which Katie has just offered to do for me. I think I will be taking her up on that. When it's completed, I'll post more pictures.

And Speaking of Blankets...
Now that we own bunk beds, the quest is on for twin-sized bedding. Blake and I have been scouring both stores in the neighborhood and our good friend, The Internet, for bedding in our budget. There's not a lot out there that we both like and can afford, but I came across this set last night that, out of all I've seen so far (which is a lot), is my favorite. There are a few more places I'd like to check, but hopefully we'll be able to make a decision soon. I'm anxious to get the boys' room finished.

Before I sign off, I need a little guidance from my experienced readers. As if searching for bedding wasn't enough of a challenge, let's talk about mattress pads. Obviously they are important, especially for a toddler. My options are vast -- from your basic all-cotton pads, to cotton-based waterproof pads, to protective plastic coverings, and all the organic stuff in between -- and I don't know which is the wisest to choose. Any thoughts?

operation: binky be gone

For the last few months I have been growing increasingly disgusted with Garrett's binky habit. Unfortunately, over the same period of time, Garrett had been growing increasingly attached to it. A few days after returning home from our trip to Utah in early April, I decided it was time to cut all ties. I was tired of the drool, the whining when he couldn't find it, and, because he'd gnaw and chew on it more than he'd suck, it was quickly becoming a choking hazard. So we went cold turkey. For all intents and purposes, the binky had been thrown in the trash.

We stuck it out for four sleepless nights and long, exhausting days. And then we couldn't take it anymore. Hindsight makes me realize that, what with the bronchitis he'd caught while we were out of town and the resulting clinginess he developed while he was sick, it was not a good time to take away something so dear to him. So the binky magically reappeared and all was well again with Garrett's world. I did, however, require that, if he was going to have his binky, he could only have it in the crib. Garrett was fine with this stipulation; he'd leave it behind each morning and after his naps. Eventually, though, he'd started to spend more of his days in the crib with his binky than out of it being a normal toddler, and when he nearly completely chewed through another nipple, I knew it was time to try weaning him again.

Last Tuesday morning, after Garrett chucked his binky behind him as I retrieved him from the crib, I took it and hid it away. Naptime rolled around and while I tried to tuck him in, he frantically searched for his binky. I told him once that it must be lost, gave him only his silky blanket (his binky's partner in crime) for comfort, told him to sleep well, and left the room. After that, we didn't use the "B" word anymore. If Garrett asked for it, we pretended to not know what he wanted and would then change the subject. It took him a good hour, and, ultimately, some lullaby music, for him to settle down for that nap. When he awoke a couple hours later, I found him tearing apart the contents of his crib, searching again for his lost binky.

Bedtime that evening was a repeat of that afternoon's performance. Garrett searched and begged for his binky; Blake and I took turns tucking him in, making an extra effort to not talk about what he obviously wanted most. He eventually wore himself out and fell asleep to the lullabies. He awoke once, in the middle of the night, panicked that he didn't have his binky. I went to him, offered him a drink of water (which he accepted), and tucked him back in amid more lullabies. He fell right to sleep (and as he did, I silently praised the miracles that lullaby album was working, which my friend, JoEllen, gave us at Garrett's birth).

Day Two was similar to Day One. By Day Three, however, he started to forget about his binky. He stopped asking for it, and he fell into sleep routines that were much like those of his binky-filled days. By the weekend I was ready to diagnose him as weaned. The true test came on Sunday when, to calm him during Sacrament Meeting, we pulled out his silky blanket. Instead of reaching for the pocket of my bag where his emergency binky used to be stashed, he cuddled into his blanket and settled down.

And now I have a binky-free little boy, and I'm loving every bit of it. We still don't use the "B" word in his presence, and I probably should go find the remaining few that I hid away and just toss them (deep, deep into the garbage can) so that he doesn't accidentally find them and reverse all of our hard work. With time, I'm sure he'll recover completely from his addiction.

Do I regret giving him, and ultimately letting him get hooked on, a binky? Am I planning to give one to Number Two? In answer, no, not a bit, and yes, if he'll take one. That said, however, I would do a few things differently had I but known. Garrett didn't start growing super fond of his binky until he was about 18 months or so. If I had said goodbye to the binkies at the same time I said goodbye to his bottles, it would not have been so difficult a process. But you live and learn, right? And then you do things differently the next time around.

to do: buy bunk bed

Check.

Over the next couple of weeks, the landscape of Garrett's bedroom will be transformed.

taking stork

Perhaps the nesting instinct is beginning to hit me, or perhaps I'm still just in spring cleaning mode, but whatever the reason, my mind has lately been taking stock of the things we'll need to have on hand for the baby. Since we've done this once before with Garrett, we not only have most of the necessary items already, but I also have an idea of the supplies I particularly liked which we'll need to replenish. Of course, I fully realize that some things on my list either won't apply to this baby for personality reasons, or some things just might change altogether (for example, nursing might actually work this time around) so while the items listed below have been useful in the past, they might not be for Number Two, and I am prepared to adapt and change as required.

But enough intro. Here is what I plan to have ready for Number Two's arrival and early life with us.

Feeding

• Bottles - I'm a big fan of the simple glass bottles that Evenflo makes. They're nothing fancy, but they do the job, and they last a lot longer than plastic bottles do. I buy them in both the 4 oz and 8 oz sizes. As far as nipples go, I like the most basic silicone ones that you can get. Store brands, like Target's, work just fine.
• Cleaning - To clean those narrow-necked bottles, you need a bottle brush. We don't have a dishwasher, so it's especially crucial for us, but I think it's handy to have one around even if you're not washing them by hand. I've tried several brands, but have had the best luck with those made by Munchkin, both the basic and the deluxe.
• Formula - I read somewhere once that, so long as your baby can tolerate it, it really doesn't matter what brand you buy, that since all formulas are government regulated, you should just find the cheapest one available and run with it. This certainly was the case with Garrett, who happily downed both the Target and Costco equivalents of your basic Similac and Enfamil formulas.
• Burp Cloths - You can buy cutesie cloths, if that suits your tastes, but I found that I preferred using your basic prefold cloth diapers.

Diapering

• Diapers - Cost just about always drove me to my choices, and for this reason I liked both Luvs and Costco's Kirkland brand. I've never had problems with leaks, and there have been no complaints from the kid wearing them. When I buy Luv's, I order them from Diapers.com, since it's the easiest way to get them to my car-less self. I buy Kirkland's when I take trips to Costco with my friend.
• Wipes - I'm not picky, so again price is the determining factor. When I pick up diapers at Costco, I'll also pick up a box of their Kirkland baby wipes.
• Disposal - We tried the Diaper Genie II, but it was too expensive to maintain the refills, and, if you want my honest opinion, pretty disgusting. If I didn't live on the third floor of my building, I'd just take the stinky ones outside stat. As it is, though, we've had to find a compromise, and I'm quite happy with what we've figured out. Wet diapers just go straight to the kitchen trash can. Poopy ones get tossed inside a Sassy Scented Diaper Sack first, and then go to the kitchen trash can. Those sacks contain the smell remarkably well until it's time to take the garbage out every two days or so.
• Rashes - I've tried samples of a variety of different diaper rash creams, but my favorite by far is A+D Ointment. It not only heals the sores quicker, it smells nice, too.

Bath

• Soap - I like Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash. When the baby is small and doesn't have much hair, I use it as a shampoo as well.
• Shampoo - Still a fan of Johnson's, this time it's the No More Tears Baby Shampoo. It really, truly is super gentle. Garrett's opinion of shampoos changed completely when we started using this. He actually looks forward to having the water dumped on his head, and I take that as a good sign.
• Powder - This is just because I like the feel and smell. Nothing says "baby" to me more than your basic white talcum powder after a bath.
• Towels & Washcloths - I used a hooded baby towel for the first few months, but soon graduated to a regular adult-sized towel. As long as it's terry cloth, it's fine with me. My favorite baby washcloths are the ones Gerber makes. They're small, so they work great for washing the baby in the tub, but they also come in handy when wiping little noses during cold season.

Outings

• Stroller - I am head over heels in love with our Maclaren. It's lightweight and compact and can certainly take the beating of daily use in the city (I only wish I knew how many miles we've put on ours). Right now we have the bare-bones Volo, but we're seriously considering upgrading in the next few months to the Triumph, which can be used with the baby sooner because the seat reclines. And while we're at it, I'd make sure to invest in a raincover. I'm using a generic brand now, and while it does the job, it's bulky and hard to store. I'm told that you can get last year's stroller models pretty cheap new on eBay, which certainly eases the strain on the pocketbook. But seriously, these puppies are worth every penny.
• Infant Carrier - When Garrett was about 6 months old, I discovered the Ergo carrier. I haven't looked back since. The Snugli worked great while he was tiny, but as he grew, so did the strain on my back. I've already invested in a new infant insert so I can use my Ergo to sport Number Two. I'm not an "attachment parenting" devotee," but I'm nonetheless devoted to this carrier if only for practical purposes of life in the city.
• Diaper Bag - I have not yet found a diaper bag that I both love and which suits my life on foot. Lately I've been using a backpack, but I'll use whatever is handiest for the moment. Whatever I tote, though, must be small. I've had to learn to only take with me the absolute essentials because I can physically only carry so much.
• Sunscreen - Genetically speaking, this is a must-have in summer. I'm not picky as to brand, so long as the SPF is high enough. With Garrett I've been using Coppertone WaterBabies, and it works fine enough.
• Carseat - Obviously this is an essential. For those paying attention, I'm adding to this post after its initial publication. I suppose that not having a car helped let it slip from my mind. But rest assured, we do have one, and do use it on those outings when a friend is giving us a ride somewhere.
  

Sleeping & Comfort

• Crib - Obviously we have a crib, mattress, and all the necessary bedding. I personally see no need for bedding sets; all we've done is buy generic brand sheets and coordinating bumper pad to match the adorable baby quilt my sister sewed, and it's worked fantastically.
• Binky - Even though the weaning process can be painful (we're currently in the process of weaning Garrett from his, which I'll post on later), I'm still an advocate of allowing babies to suck. And if that means on a binky, then so be it. I have some new ones tucked away for Number Two.
• Silky Blanket - This was a lifesaver with Garrett -- when he got cranky and it was hot, we'd just strip him down to his diaper and wrap him in the silky side of his blanket. Consequently, he is completely attached to his, and if he didn't already look so much like Charlie Brown, I'd call him Linus. I'm currently on the hunt for one, preferrably both in green and completely silky on one side (not just along the edges), for Number Two. We'll see if I can find one that meets these criteria.
• Boppy Pillow - This is just nice to have for a variety of reasons. They're great for supporting tired arms, for an enclosed area a newborn can sleep in, and for propping them up as they learn to sit.
• Swing - Not a necessity for everyone, including us, but they sure are nice to have. We bought one that plugs into the wall to save money on batteries, and there have been no regrets with that decision.
  

In the Medicine Cabinet

• Thermometer - A basic digital thermometer is, in my opinion, absolutely crucial. In infants, I prefer taking a rectal reading, and for that you'd also need petroleum jelly to use as a lubricant.
• Pain Reliever - I'm a believer in Infant's Tylenol. Actually, I'm more of a believer in the store brand equivalent of Infant's Tylenol, but I'm penny-pinching, so you should expect as much. At any rate, I always always always have plenty on hand.
• Glycerin Suppositories - Constipation was long an issue with Garrett, especially as he adapted to new foods. These, as well as pear juice, I've learned are just good to keep on hand.

Playtime

• Simple Toys - Babies don't need anything extravagent, in my opinion. Some of my personal faves include linking rings and rattles that are easy to hold. As they get older, and especially if they're boys, which mine are, cars and balls are a must.
• Board Books - You just can't go wrong here. Period.

Clothing

• Playclothes - Buy them cheap and accept hand-me-downs when they're offered. That's my philosophy, anyway. Kids clothes, and even baby clothes, can wear out quickly. I need to make sure, too, that the drawers are stocked with seasonally appropriate clothes. This is always the hardest part for me -- keeping up with both my baby's growth and the changing seasons.
  
• Detergents & Stain Remover - Tide has always worked just fine for us, so we didn't even bother with the gentler, baby-focused laundry detergents. I will, however, put in a plug for keeping on hand a good stain remover. From baby spit up to grass stains, I use it often. My favorite is Fels Naptha.

Whew! Is this a long enough list for you? And I'm sure I've left some things off by accident. But now that you know what I like, I'm curious: What baby supplies do you like to stock up on?

the things we brought back

Turns out we all came home with souvenirs from New Jersey.

Blake brought home really sore Wii arms. He played some pretty intense virtual tennis matches over the weekend.

Lindsay brought back a minor obsession with this song from the Twilight soundtrack. Listen to it; it's pretty catchy.

Garrett brought back a tick near his shoulder, which we discovered while he was in the bath. Despite my many years of Girls Camp, this was my first encounter with a tick, but luckily Blake knew just what to do. We removed it last night, and are now keeping a close eye on the site. Honestly, the last thing I want any of us to have to deal with now or ever is Lyme Disease.

Number Two apparently brought back elbows, which he has been using frequently to sharply poke and tickle me.

back from the suburbs

Those of you who live in the city know just how draining it can be sometimes. All that cement and noise and all of those people have a tendency to get oppressive to the point where you just might lose it if you don't get away and out to nature soon. Luckily, a branch of my family lives relatively close to us in the New Jersey suburbs and we are able to escape to see them whenever necessary. This last weekend was one of those times. We made the proper arrangements with Uncle Joel and Aunt Colleen, and Garrett and I began our short exodus on Thursday (Blake joined us Friday after work).

We enjoyed a lovely weekend. It was so relaxing, in fact, that I didn't snap a single photo while we were there. My apologies for those of you who were hoping for Garden State visuals. That said, however, a few photos were taken, if not by me, then by the paid professionals at Kiddie Kandids. On Friday morning, Colleen helped Garrett and I get to the portrait studio for his first official sitting. Well, I suppose I should say his first official successful sitting. You may recall that we attempted a photo session a few weeks ago with his cousin Henry which ended up being nothing more than a complete disaster because Garrett was so sick. This time my boy had a few smiles up his sleeves, and I'm pleased with the results, scanned here for your enjoyment.

Handsome, boy, don't you think? He seems suddenly much older to me in these pictures, like he's losing his baby look in favor of more chiseled big boy features. It suits him, though.

[Note to Garrett's grandmothers: Your copies will be in the mail this week.]

A few other things we did this weekend:

• I watched Twilight. And I enjoyed it. No one is more surprised by this than me, I assure you.
• Under Colleen's experienced guidance, I worked a little more on my baby quilt.
  
• Blake helped around the house with a few weekend chores, the highlight of which was the planting of some deer-resistant shrubbery along the front of the house.
• Garrett continued to develop his ability to scream really loud when he's upset and/or wants attention, especially when traveling. I'm currently welcoming any ideas, aside from just ignoring him, which works fairly well at home, but not so much when in public, on how to rid him of this nasty habit.
• We all watched the Northeast Region's stake conference, broadcast via satellite, which means that the Sunday meetings in both Brooklyn and New Jersey were exactly the same . . .unless, of course, the folks in Brooklyn didn't have the same technical difficulty we did and therefore got to actually hear the first 7 minutes or so of Pres. Eyring's talk.

In other news, I am pregnant. Oh wait, you knew that. But what you might not know, since I'm not especially prone to posting pictures of myself, is that, according to Joel in his edition of the family newsletter (dateline: yesterday), I'm "looking great with child." Now, I'm not sure if he meant that I look great pregnant or that I'm just looking big. Maybe both? I personally think that, while, yes, I'm daily getting bigger, I don't look all that big, but rather, apparent with child. I do waddle occasionally, so perhaps that's an indication of something. At any rate, for your pleasure only, I attempted a Stand On The Dictionary So I Was Tall Enough To Take A Bathroom Mirror Self Portrait. You can decide for yourself just how big or small I am.

With Number Two at 24 weeks
For your reference, here is what I looked like at 24 weeks with Garrett.

my tired brain can't think of a clever title, so this will have to do

Being the six months pregnant mother of an energetic toddler is no easy task. It is certainly one of the more exhausting things I've done in my life. There are times, particularly in the late afternoons and evenings, when I'm just not sure where I'll find another ounce of necessary energy. Somehow it always sneaks up on me -- the will to fix the train set, to reach under the couch for a stray ball, to get him another glass of milk or a snack. In return, though, my patience often runs thin, especially during those moments when all I want to do is sit, and all Garrett wants me to do is stand up and follow him somewhere, or the many times a day he throws his food all over the kitchen floor. The tantrums typical of this age are probably the most difficult for me to deal with and, as a result, there are some days when Garrett spends a lot of quality time by himself in his crib. It's a relief to me that he seems to desire these breaks just as much as I do.

I'm trying to find some sort of compromise between Garrett's energy, my lack thereof, and Blake's late nights at work. After all, I've still got a long, hot, pregnant summer ahead of me. It's not been easy, but thankfully there have been a good handful of incredibly pleasant moments sprinkled here and there. While on the one hand Garrett is often more than I feel I can reasonably handle, on the other, he is learning new things at such a rapid rate. It is fun to watch and usually pretty darn hilarious. Here are a few examples of latest antics:

- Garrett loves soda, and he recognizes the 2-liter bottles it comes in. We don't often have it around the house, but when we do, he guzzles it down and begs for more until it's gone and we've refilled the bottle with tap water for our food storage. A few days ago he found the collection of emergency water in the closet. It didn't take him long to get me to follow him into the kitchen where he begged for a cup like a thirty desert traveler. I started to ask him if he wanted some milk, but before I could, he snatched that cup right out of my hands and took it straight to the closet. "Da," he said, pointing to the 2-liter soda bottle. "Um, that's not what you think it is, Garrett," I told him, but he was adamant. Deciding to humor him, I filled his cup with the water; the lid was hardly screwed on before he was guzzling it down. A few sips later, he stopped, a very puzzled look on his face. "I told you," I said as he handed me back his cup. He hasn't asked for the "soda" in the closet since.

- I've been noticing recently that his basket of wooden building blocks has grown mysteriously empty. Wondering where they could have gone, I asked him about it. Of course, he didn't answer, but not long afterward, as I was pulling a book off our living room bookshelf, I discovered that he's been stashing all of his blocks behind the books on the lower shelves. There they were, all neatly stacked snugly between the books and the wall. (When I find them there, I do put them away, but they always end up back in his special hiding place.)

- I wouldn't say that Garrett's talking has exploded, but it has blossomed some. He tries a little harder these days to communicate through words, though more often than not, it's still mostly unintelligible. His word for me has evolved nicely: first it was mama, then Nee-Nee (for Lindsay), then Mimi, a combination of the two, and now it's mostly Dee-Dee or N-Dee. I'd prefer it if he just called me mama, but it has been nice to hear actual words instead of just grunting. His please has also evolved, from the firm head nod to eeeeaaassee! and now to eeeeee-yeah! Because his talking has improved, we've been able to enjoy some nice, albeit simple, conversations together:

I love how he says his name: Gaga. Another funny thing he says is a hearty Mmm-mmm when he sits down to a snack or meal and sometimes while he's eating. He won't always eat what I offer him, but at least he'll vocally pretend he will. Also, whenever I tell him that it's time to go night-night, he plops himself on the nearest soft surface and pretends to snore.

- At Family Home Evening Monday night, we asked Garrett what song he would like to sing. One of the options we gave him was "Popcorn Popping." Nursery must be teaching him something because he recognized the song and dove right into the actions. It was darling. Yesterday I had him do it for the camera:

(My apologies for the shaky video. Apparently I can't hold a camera steady and do song actions with my son simultaneously.)

So, despite the fact that he completely exhausts me, Garrett is still a very sweet boy. It's no lie, though, when I say that we're both very glad when Dad comes home. Garrett gets giddy when he hears Blake buzz to be let into the building. He rushes to the door to be let out to meet him on the landing and, well, I'll let you watch the rest:

riley and chelsea do nyc

And they did it yesterday in about 2 hours.

My brother, Riley, and his lovely wife, Chelsea, decided to celebrate their second anniversary with a nine hour layover in New York City. Fun, no?

...Okay, okay, so they're actually celebrating with a two-week-long trip to France. The long layover was just a bonus because it meant they had time to trek from JFK into the city to spend a little time with Garrett and I.

I asked Riley what, if they could only pick one thing, they'd like to do or see most in the city. Chelsea was interested in Central Park; Riley wanted to buy an I [Heart] NY t-shirt. Great, I told them. We could do both at the very same time. I told them to take the A train to meet me at Columbus Circle, and I'd take care of the rest.

Even though 2 hours wasn't nearly as long as any of us would have liked to spend together, it did prove to be enough time to do more than originally anticipated. Not only did they get a short walk through the Park and two new t-shirts to sport, I was able to give them a peek inside FAO Schwarz (where they even got to play on the Big Piano), a few views of the Manhattan temple, and a taste of lamb gyros purchased from a street vendor (a.k.a. "street meat").

We had a very nice time, though I'm pretty sure that, now that they're in Paris, they're having an even better time. (And honestly, I wouldn't blame them a bit.) Merci, Riley and Chelsea, et bon voyage!

Riley and Chelsea in Central Park

mother's day rocks!

Yesterday I felt like everyone in my orbit, and Blake most of all, saw to it that I had an excellent Mother's Day. Here are the things that went incredibly right over the weekend:

- I no longer only iPod by marriage because I am now the proud owner of a sleek 8 GB Nano.

Blake found an excellent deal on this refurbished iPod and swept it up before I could say no. He spent Saturday teaching me how to use it, and now me and my playlists are pretty much ready to take over the world.

- But that's not the only gift I received. My mom sent me two awesome vintage-looking dishtowels that match my kitchen. They're almost too cool to get dirty with actual use, so I think I'll just admire them for a while. Oh, and also, Garrett colored me a Mother's Day picture in nursery. When he's not drawing on walls or other places he's not supposed to, I'm pretty charmed by his ability to put crayons to good use.

- The Primary children sang "I Often Go Walking" during Sacrament Meeting, and they did so very sweetly; I was so proud. Even though the whole affair was pretty much orchestrated by me, under the direction of the bishopric, it still helped to complete the going-to-church part of Mother's Day.

- Other things that made going to church nicer than usual: real roses and slices of cake divvied out to the women. Also, the kids in Primary were remarkably well-behaved, which was especially nice because I was teaching Sharing Time. And perhaps the best thing of all? Blake was able to convince the bishopric to cancel all the before-church leadership meetings, which means he was there to do all the toddler-wrangling on the bus ride to church.

- I suppose I should mention, too, that my own son was a very good boy for his mama. Oh, sure, there were still a couple of spectacular tantrums, but overall he was happy and pleasant. And he decided that this was the weekend he'd stop clinging to me like a little monkey and prefer his dad once in a while. That was probably the greatest gift he could have given me.

- Blake made me dinner and did all the clean up. We ate fajitas, and even though his cooking methods were a little creative, they still tasted delicious.

- Afterwards I had enjoyable conversations with both my own mother and my mother-in-law. I'm so grateful to both of them for the things that they've taught me and the example they've set. They fully support my own efforts as a mother, and I'm not sure what I'd do without either of them.

- Sunday wasn't the only good day. Saturday was pretty darn awesome, too. We dallied around a bit in the morning, waiting to see what the weather would do, and then, deeming the day good enough for an outdoor outing, we went to Prospect Park. First stop was the Botanic Garden to pick Blake up a new bonsai tree (his first one died), and then it was over to the park Zoo, where Garrett pretty much had a heyday. And why shouldn't he? Petting zoos, sea lion feedings, and lots and lots of ducks...by golly, he was in heaven.

Garrett looking dapper in a tree at the Botanic Garden

Stray ducks are awesome! "Kack kack!"

In the barn portion of the zoo, Garrett got to pet and feed some of the animals. If you asked him (and if he could talk), he'd probably tell you that this was the highlight of the outing.

We stuck around just long enough to watch the sea lions get fed. These animals are incredibly well-trained: they know who is bringing them lunch, and once it gets there, they'll wave hello, give high-fives, do flips, and other cool tricks for food.

Does anyone else out there wish it could be Mother's Day every weekend?

filling the summer

Sometimes it feels like the summer of 2009 will be my last summer in the city. As things stand now, it won't be (so don't worry, all you who live vicariously through my adventures here). But in a way, it is a "last summer" of sorts: the last summer I will have as the mother of only one child, the last few months that I will be able to trek around the city in the same way I have been doing. By September I will have a toddler and a newborn, and once I recover from giving birth and am ready to explore the great outdoors again, I have absolutely no idea, when looking at the future from my pregnant and exhausted early May point of view, how I'll ever be brave enough or strong enough to leave my house again. Oh, I'm sure I'll figure it out. Mothers seem to have a knack for solving problems, however daunting the dilemma might be. But still, from where I'm standing now, I see myself as having only a few short months to hurry and do all I can before my time runs out.

So what do I do? I make lists. Lists of things I want and need to do this summer before the baby comes. And then I set about checking things off those lists, because we list-makers know there's very little more satisfying than a to-do item completed and crossed out. Here is a glimpse of a few of my summer to-do lists:

Places in NYC I want to see/visit

• The Transit Museum
• The Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge
• Ride the tram to and explore Roosevelt Island
• The Museum of the City of New York
• Taste test at a few famed eateries, including Shake Shack and Artichoke Pizza
• Brooklyn Bridge Park
  

Places outside of the city I want/need to visit

• My aunt and uncle's home in the New Jersey suburbs so I can escape and recover from daily life
• Southern California in June for my brother-in-law's wedding
• A Long Island beach

Preparations we need to make for the baby

• Buy a "big boy bed" for Garrett so the baby can sleep in his crib (we're leaning towards a bunk bed -- we'll have two boys, so it will certainly get used, and while the baby bunks in the crib, an extra bed for visitors can't hurt)
• Rearrange Garrett's room so we can fit both boys
• Finish sewing my baby quilt
• Buy a baby book (I'm leaning toward this one) and a blank journal for Number Two

There's more, I assure you, but because I have a tendency to crowd my lists to the point where they make me both prematurely worn out and a little dizzy, I thought I'd spare you the exhaustion with just a sampling. And now, as soon as it stops raining here already, I can set out and start checking things off.

trader joe's

Do you live near a Trader Joe's? And do you shop there, perchance even religiously? I live relatively close to two: one near downtown Brooklyn, and another at Union Square in Manhattan. Even so, I am far from what you might call a die-hard Trader Joe's groupie. I've only been in a handful of times, and when I shop there, I only pick up a few things. For me it's not the sort of grocery store where I'd do the bulk of my shopping. This is for several reasons:

1. The two stores are close, but not that close.
   
2. Most of the items they offer are organic, and while I have nothing against organic, I'm also not out there buying only organic. To me, and apple is an apple, and I'll buy whatever both looks tasty and fits in my budget.
3. While the prices are generally relatively low, especially when matched up against comparable products at other NYC grocery stores, if I shopped there exclusively, I'd regularly go over my budget.

It is, however, a fun place to treat yourself to foods, both of the streamlined variety and those which are a wee bit exotic, that you just can't find other places. Here are some of the things we've discovered at Trader Joe's that we especially like and which I know I will miss should we ever move to TJ-less community:

• tomato basil hummus and pita bread
• pizza dough (both the ready-made kind and the roll-it-out-yourself kind)
• flattened bananas
• organic creamy tomato soup
• TJ's verion of honey nut cheerios
• raspberry salad dressing

There are other things we've tried and might possibly buy again because they both tasted good and offered a lower price than I can typically get at my local supermarket, things like pepperoni, parmesan cheese, and granola bars. Also, their produce assortment has more eye-appeal than a lot of produce in this city and, when the items are in season, they sell for a really good price (like the dirt cheap and delightfully delicious clementine oranges we devoured this winter). But overall, it's a place to buy "fun food," not the entirety of my grocery list.

What about you? Do you like Trader Joe's? What are your favorite Trader Joe exclusives?

i really like the nice days

Today has been remarkably pleasant, especially after the nightmares of yesterday, which included 1) having to turn down several enjoyable activities to wait inside all day for an expected UPS package that turned out to be addressed incorrectly and therefore not even for us, and 2) tomato sauce splattered all over my kitchen during one of Garrett's mealtime tantrums.

Yes, today has been much, much better.

I had a few errands to take care of in Manhattan this morning, all of which Garrett was a very good boy for. It's amazing how the behavior of your children can make or break an entire outing, isn't it? At any rate, our first stop was to Buy Buy Baby to use a fabulous coupon I recently received in the mail to pick up a few things for Number Two. That was quick and painless -- which is worlds more than I can say for just about any trip I've made to Babies R Us.

The City Quilter was our next stop, and it was even better because it involved picking out coordinating fabrics for the borders, binding, and backing of the baby quilt I'm making. This quilt is a charm quilt, and I'm using fabric from Moda's Tranquility line. I've already pieced together the squares, and I'm excited to tackle the rest.

Also, joy of joys, I happened upon a place nearly next door where I was able to drop off my Gingher sewing scissors for a much needed sharpening session. This will certainly make finishing the quilt that much easier.

After our errands, we met Blake for a picnic lunch in Madison Square Park. First we devoured our sandwiches...


And then we went for a walk through the park, where Garrett found thousands of squirrels and pigeons to stop and point to, as well as one super awesome water fountain.


Just before we said goodbye to Blake and headed back down into the subway, we stopped by the dog run so Garrett could catch a few glimpses of his favorite animals in action:


Oh, and did I mention that Garrett was also an angel child on both legs of our subway trip? Because he was, which, sadly, is a highly unusual way for him to act these days when traveling. I think I'd like to keep this Garrett around for longer.

***

Bonus Update! My tech-savvy brother, Tyler, just walked me through the wacky template/browser issues my blog was having and, miracle of miracles, together we quickly fixed the problem. Hooray! So for all you devoted Explorer and Chrome users, my blog should read normally again.

sesame chicken

I tried a new dish for dinner last night -- something I haven't felt up to doing for some time now. Like some of you, I keep tabs on the blog Rookie Cookie, a cooking blog written by a girl who I once upon a time went to high school with. A little while back she posted a recipe for Sesame Chicken which she claimed was not only delicious but incredibly easy to make. Yesterday, when I took her up on that challenge, I happily discovered that she was entirely right. And so today I'm also going to share the love.

Sesame Chicken

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 bunch green onions, chopped
cooked white or brown rice

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and sugar; stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add chicken. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer chicken pieces onto a plate and put the pan back on the heat. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. With a wooden spoon, scrape the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan while the soy sauce mixture simmers. Let simmer for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the chicken back into the pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and toss well, coating all the chicken pieces in the soy sauce mixture.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

I served this with sides of fresh broccoli and mandarin oranges. A green salad would also have been tasty.

***

On a completely unrelated note, it's just come to my attention that my blog template is a little wacky (i.e. no right sidebar links, shortened posts, etc.) in both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. It views fine, however, in Firefox. If you use IE or Chrome and feel like you're missing out, try using Firefox until I figure out what's causing the problem and how to fix it. ...And speaking of, if anyone out there knows how to fix this, please, I'd love your insight. My computer/internet skills only take me so far.

the second five

These last few months have been busy, leaving me with little time to plow through books. I have, however, finished reading my second five books of 2009. Here is my report:

6. A Childhood in Brittany Eighty Years Ago by Anne Douglas Sedgwick

This is an old book, published in 1919, which I believe is currently out of print. I found my copy at a library book sale in Muncie, Indiana, but if you're interested in reading it, copyright laws have allowed for it to be published in its entirety online. (Click here for one such copy.) The book is written in the first person, leading the reader to believe it is a memoir. However, according to a short paragraph on the flyleaf, it is instead "a little sheaf of childish memories [...] put together from many talks, in her own tongue, with an old French friend." The author goes onto say that the names of relatives have been changed or slightly altered "while preserving the character of the Breton original." The memories themselves, collected in this little book, are absolutely delightful, and the accompanying illustrations are sweet. Those of you who either love France, French history, or childhood memoirs devoid of life-altering trauma would probably enjoy this one.

7. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

I read this one for book club, and really enjoyed it. It's Kingsolver's first novel, a story about a girl from Kentucky who, along with an abandoned child she picks up along the way, makes a new life for herself in Arizona. The characters are believeable, as is the setting she creates, which for me is a sign of a good book. However, if you've never read a Kingsolver novel, and want to be truly drawn into her style, I'd read The Poisonwood Bible first. This one, however, comes in at a close second.

8. The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

This story, chronicalling the tight-knit friendship of a Depression-era prairie town quilting circle as it relates to some local drama, was wonderful. A good friend of mine recommended it to me long ago, and my aunt recently let me borrow her copy, which I spied sitting on her shelf. Quilters especially would be drawn to this one, but that hobby is far from being a requirement for enjoyment.

9. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Just as the painting, this book has long intrigued me. I read the entire thing but only half-heartedly enjoyed it. The fictional story behind the actual Vermeer painting seemed to me, at times, more than a little far-fetched. I still love the painting, but the book? Not so much.

10. A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel

This was a re-read for me, and those of you who know me well, or who have been reading this blog for a while, know that it's one of my all-time favorites. Seriously, if you have not read this book, drop what you're doing and go pick yourself up a copy. (And then, when you're done, read the sequel.) This memoir is delightfully hilarious and, because of my time spent living in Indiana, it is especially close to my heart. Muncie is only about a half an hour away from tiny Mooreland, and Blake and I visited there several times, including twice during the Mooreland Free Fair where, yes, we cast our penny vote for the Fair Queen. In fact, I knew some people who knew the author's family, and to hear them tell it, it's a wonder that Kimmel was able to be so positive about her childhood. I know that I, for one, am glad for her optimistic, laugh-out-loud spin on her growing up years, which make the hard times, visible between the lines, easier to swallow.

busy week

My old roommate and good friend, Linda, came to see us this week, and Garrett and I have spent a whirlwind few days getting her acquainted with the city. Here's how our sightseeing itinerary panned out:

(Click on the links provided to see pictures.)

Monday

• Pick Linda up from her Chinatown bus drop off near Macy's.
• Spend the afternoon showing her our neighborhood as I take care of a few errands.
• Take an evening walk to the bay for Family Home Evening.

Tuesday

• See the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
• Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.
• Walk along Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Stop at Ground Zero, St. Paul's Chapel, Wall Street and the Stock Exchange.
• Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Drag our worn out selves home to eat a pizza the size of our kitchen table.

(Tuesday was also known as The Day We Nearly Did Ourselves In.)

Wednesday

• Send Linda off by her brave little self to visit the Met while Garrett and I head to the perinatal clinic for one more ultrasound. (This was a follow-up to the last appointment to get a better reading of the baby's heart. He's doing just fine, but he sure likes to face down and snuggle into my lower abdomen. When they switched the machine to the 3D view, all we could see was the back of his head and his ears.)
• In the late afternoon meet Linda in Times Square to try our luck for tickets in the Wicked lottery. Neither of us apparently had enough luck to win any.
• Tour the Times Square Toys R Us.

Thursday

• Let Linda experience the joys of washing her clothes at the local laundromat.
• Visit Chinatown; eat lunch at the Dumpling House, buy fruit from street vendors, and ogle the Chinese import mega store, Pearl River Mart.
• Briefly walk through SoHo.
• Walk through Little Italy; sample the gelato.

Friday

• Say goodbye as Linda heads off to board another Chinatown bus.

It was a fun, albeit rather exhausting and busy week. We enjoy having visitors, and I especially enjoyed that this time our guest got a pretty good taste of what NYC living is like. When you live in a "destination city," your visitors don't often get to see what real life here is like. Garrett was a trooper (most of the time) and behaved better as he acclimated to the sightseeing schedule. And I'm proud to say that I was a trooper, too. Maneuvering this city while pregnant and with a toddler is quite the work out. I really need to go put my feet up.